The Comparisons Of Women In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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Nygeria Pannell English Literature I Mr. Douglas Lewis 26 July 2014 The Comparisons of Women Women have always been looked at in English society during the middle ages, to “know their place,” when it came to men, being that men dominated the society. In the towns, society dictated what women did, and her main role would have been to support her husband, as well as daily work, and the responsibilities of her family. For many women, life as a servant for the rich people was all they looked for, and their freedom were very limited, due to the dominance of the men, example being not able to divorce their own husbands (Medieval Women). Being that the stories, Beowulf, Gawain and the Green Knight, and Le Morte d’Arthur were all taken place…show more content…
While her husband is gone hunting she goes into Sir Gawain’s room, and pretty much seduces him, “You’re free to have my all/do with me what you will” (212; lines 1236-37). She finishes that off by saying, “I’ll come just as you call/and swear to serve you well” (212; lines 1238-39). She goes further by offering Gawain gifts so he’ll make love to her, although at first he doesn’t appeal to it. One might think that she is like Guinevere, because it is like she wants to have an affair with him. Until, at the ending one finds out Lady Bertilak was tricking Gawain, the whole time. The two stories, Le Morte d’Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, compare because one would get the idea to never trust woman, although Lady Bertilak was just tricking him, but, in d’Arthur, Guinevere actually did have an affair with Lancelot, giving King Arthur the right to say, “Never Trust Woman.” At the time, in medieval times, men had the idea of anti-feminism, which is why woman were less dominant; why woman were more scandalous, because they felt the need of having their own…show more content…
All three stories barely compared, they all just touched on different aspects on how woman were supposed to be for their husbands, and how it would be if they did do as said. Like, in d’Arthur when Guinevere was to be killed. One can also see while reading each piece that each author all have an interpreted feeling that they feel against women in their writings. Like in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Le Morte d’Arthur, one can get the idea that the authors have a “don’t trust women” set of mind. One can get that idea, being that in both pieces the woman are having an affair with another man, although Sir Gawain and the Green knight was just a joke, it was mostly trying to “teach a lesson” or make a point to men, why one should not trust a women, because of the trickery and games they hold up their sleeves. And in contrast with that, Beowulf author shows the idea of women are less in control, by the two main women who had to serve their king, but also every other person at the
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