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Men's Roles In Angelo-Saxon Times

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During the Angelo-Saxon period (410-787 A.D.), men were described to be the dominant role of the society. They were the heads of their household, protecting and providing for the family by completing strenuous labor. Men’s role in the Angelo-Saxon period was so prominent that it tremendously overshadowed their counterparts-women. Women were treated as submissive beings who followed every order given by their husbands or fathers, not even uttering a word to argue about serious matters that involved them. According to the epic, Beowulf, which is set during the Angelo-Saxon time period, the majority of the women are regularly depicted as puppets that men, the masters, have complete control over. This puppet-master relationship is represented …show more content…

In this Middle Ages chivalry romance, women are the ones who are manipulating the minds of men. For example, the main woman, Lady Bertalik, is able to seduce her way into Sir Gawain’s mind, manipulating him to kiss her whenever she pleases and to accept her gifts. When the two meet, she initiates the idea of a kiss, “…so long with a lady could hardly have lingered without craving a kiss, as a courteous knight, by some tactful turn that their talk led to,” in order to ‘prove’ his courtesy (Tolkien Page 73). Sir Gawain easily accepts, “Very well, as you wish it to be done. I will kiss at your command,” without any idea that she is his host’s wife (Page 73). The lady is later able to receive another kiss from Sir Gawain and many more to come, using the same idea that kisses justifies one’s courteous manners. Because of the justification, Sir Gawain fully surrenders to her, stating “I am at your call and command to kiss when you please. You may receive as you desire, and cease as you think in place” (Page 81). Lady Bertalik finally deceives Sir Gawain into accepting the girdle gift from her, now claiming that if he wore it “…he could not be killed by any cunning of hand” (Page 95). Because Lady Bertalik is clever enough to convince Sir Gawain of such actions with her automatic justifications, she is skillfully controlling his mind and

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