Femine Growth

Feminism is a topic widely talked about today. It falls into every aspect of our lives that men and women should be equals. Back in anglo-saxon times that was not the case. Women have worked hard to get where they are today but that doesn’t mean that they should forget where they once stood as women. Then they were property, today they can own their own property. Even though the queen was named along with some other characters, women have rose up since anglo-saxon times because they are no longer seen as less than men and are addressed by their names and women are in high ranking positions that hold their own without help from men.

Grendel's mother is just one very prominent example of what it was like back then. The entire story many female characters are addressed by whom they’re married to or in her case who her child was. Back then women were expected to be submissive to their partners. They received one freedom from marriage but it really wasn’t much as they were just under another control. Women were expected to serve men and not ask questions about it. In Beowulf, even in Grendel's mother's death she is not given a name. “She fell, Grendel's fierce mother and the Gates proud prince was ready to leap upon her.” (Lines 615-616) Back then women didn’t even receive the assets of their husbands if they died. They would only receive about a third if they had, had no children. The only benefits for women is if they were single. A single woman could buy her own land and was considered on the same level as then men. There were some women who were treated better.

King Hrothgar's wife, Wealthow is one of the few women mentioned by name in this book there are others but she is one of the most prominent. Another woman mentioned is Hygd. She to is a queen. There seems to be an underlying theme with the women about royalty and being named. Back then a common role for a woman is a peacemaker. They tried to keep the peace in communities and kingdoms and that comes through in Beowulf with how Wealthow greets Beowulf and his party of Geats, “Then Welthow, Hrothgar's gold-ringed queen greeted the warriors; a noble woman who knew what was right.” (Lines 354-358). Right after this she toasts her cup to her king then to the warriors. A Lot of marriages back then between kingdoms was to help bring peace between them. There's an example in the book about the marriage of a king and a