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Essay / Portrayal of Women as Objects in Beowulf
Although women did not have many rights or power in Beowulf's time, many influential women since then have helped achieve equality for women. Viewed as rewards and obedient playthings, women were not given the respect they deserved in the epic and were used to represent devotion to men for performing noble deeds. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Wealhtheow, Hygd, Hildeburh, Freawaru, Grendel's mother, and Thryth were the only female leads in the epic, and only two of them could be considered slightly relevant. Focused on men, Beowulf lacked focus on potentially powerful women, like Grendel's mother. Wanting to avenge her son's murder and having the power to murder the men who killed her child, Grendel's mother was one of Beowulf's only truly capable women; however, she was portrayed as a villain and quickly murdered for seeking redemption for her murdered child. Thryth, another "wicked woman", is the daughter of a king and actually has a different social status from Grendel's mother. She commits crimes and yet, because she is good in society, the poet who narrates Beowulf does not treat her the way the poet treats Grendel's mother. Rather than describing her as the poet did Grendel's mother, Thryth is viewed more positively, especially after her marriage. tames his bad side and calms his passion, as marriage once did for women. Instead of becoming independent and having her own ideas, Thyth is written to marry a man just to become a better person, implying that women were incapable of developing their own personalities or achieving redemption on their own . However, unlike the women of Beowulf and others in the past, women like Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Rosie the Riveter, Lucy Burns, Carrie Chapman Catt, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan all contributed to the law of women's suffrage and believed that women were more than trophies and objects to be achieved. men. From women's rights activist/National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) to simple propaganda icon to Iron Jawed Angels and even NASA, these unique women all helped achieve the rights of women across the country to carve their own path in the world. Rather than obeying the men of the novels who murder whatever they want in Beowulf, women in more recent times can speak for themselves, earn a living, and fight for themselves. Instead of being the hostesses of the men who protect them, women could finally protect themselves and realize their value instead of being told by a man. Wealth, only talked about enough by giving men drinks and talking to Beowulf, lacks individuality in the novel, and that's not good. Women are much more than objects and hostesses devoted to the service of men, and thanks to the heroes of equality. , our company is able to see this more clearly.Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayDespite the past consisting of women's stories obedient devoted to their husbands, we now have stories of empowering women, devoted to themselves and their own beliefs rather than limiting themselves to one man, leaving us with hope for the future that we can actually get the equality for all. Beowulf, which has a great history about..