The Problematic Nature of Defining Grendel's Mother in 'Beowulf'

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book The Problematic Nature of Defining Grendel's Mother in 'Beowulf' by Giulia Hatton, GRIN Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Giulia Hatton ISBN: 9783656904069
Publisher: GRIN Verlag Publication: February 24, 2015
Imprint: GRIN Verlag Language: English
Author: Giulia Hatton
ISBN: 9783656904069
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Publication: February 24, 2015
Imprint: GRIN Verlag
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Free University of Berlin (Institut für Englische Philologie), language: English, abstract: The problematic nature of defining what exactly Grendel's mother is in 'Beowulf' has left little doubt that she has been even further removed from humanness than her son. The problem seems to lie in the difference between modern conceptions of what distinguishes a 'monster' from a 'human' and the Anglo-Saxon understanding of these terms. A possible explanation for this could be that there has been relatively little exploration of this female figure as an entity independent of her son, and what interest there has been has tended to classify her as a mere-monster, or quite literally, a mere monster. Even in Edward Irving's rereading of 'Beowulf', although he prudently observes that 'the feminist movement has given us the power to open our eyes' to the phenomenon of the lack of critical attention given to Grendel's mother, he still cannot bring himself to view Grendel's mother as anything other than a monster. In this essay I will attempt to turn the reader's attention to this female character not as a monster, but as a warrior-woman, one who consciously violates the customs and rituals observed by peace-making women in Germanic society.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Free University of Berlin (Institut für Englische Philologie), language: English, abstract: The problematic nature of defining what exactly Grendel's mother is in 'Beowulf' has left little doubt that she has been even further removed from humanness than her son. The problem seems to lie in the difference between modern conceptions of what distinguishes a 'monster' from a 'human' and the Anglo-Saxon understanding of these terms. A possible explanation for this could be that there has been relatively little exploration of this female figure as an entity independent of her son, and what interest there has been has tended to classify her as a mere-monster, or quite literally, a mere monster. Even in Edward Irving's rereading of 'Beowulf', although he prudently observes that 'the feminist movement has given us the power to open our eyes' to the phenomenon of the lack of critical attention given to Grendel's mother, he still cannot bring himself to view Grendel's mother as anything other than a monster. In this essay I will attempt to turn the reader's attention to this female character not as a monster, but as a warrior-woman, one who consciously violates the customs and rituals observed by peace-making women in Germanic society.

More books from GRIN Verlag

Cover of the book Die Darstellung der septem artes liberales und ihre Umsetzung am Campanile in Florenz by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Public Enterprises in Nigeria. A critical evaluation of their performance by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Die Geschichte und die sozialen Auswirkungen der Privatschulen in Deutschland by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Lübeck, das Reich und Dänemark im Spiegel der Histographie des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Die Annahme der 'Einfachen Gegenstände' bei Ludwig Wittgenstein by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book The trade police of developing countries by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Die Problematik der Scheinselbständigkeit und deren Lösung durch § 7 Abs. 4 SGB IV by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Die rettende Hölle auf dem Zauberberg by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Eventmarketing für den Mittelstand - kleines Budget, großer Erfolg by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Der geologische Bau der Alpen by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Fachmodul Trainingslehre 2. Training mit einem 26-jährigen Kandidaten inklusive Leistungseinstufung und Hollman-Venrath-Test by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Römer 13,1-7 - Von der klassischen Auslegung zu transformatorischen Aspekten by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Identity and Culture Shaped by Foreign Language Learning: A Case of Iranian University Students by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Die Rolle der Eltern - Kind - Interaktion in Bezug auf die Entwicklung von Risikokindern by Giulia Hatton
Cover of the book Die Satiren des Horaz by Giulia Hatton
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy