Most women during the early middle ages were not treated properly. They were treated as housekeepers ready to serve every single one of their husband’s needs. According to society women who were not submissive to their husband where all evil. These ideas influenced many of the stories written during the early middle ages; stories such as, Beowulf, Marie de France’s Lanval, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Wife of Bath. In all of these stories women were given a negative image because of the standards set for women by society. Women were not respected and often thought of sex objects that are there to make great men fall; this becomes very evident in the literature written during this time.
In Beowulf, Grendel’s mother a monster, who is given the qualities of a women and represents women who are not submissive to their husbands. “Grendel’s mother, monstrous hell bride, brooded on her wrongs.”(Beowulf, page 56, lines 58, 59). In this quote Grendel’s mother is described as “monstrous” or in other words evil. She is portrayed as a crazy monster who has no control over her own actions. Since she does not have a man to control her she is portrayed as ruthless and wild. She is given a bad image because she does meet the standard society put for her; she does not have a husband. According to the article “The Social Centrality
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If they acted differently then what men wanted them they were considered evil. If they sought justice they were evil. If they gave into their earthly desire they were evil. If they had control over their own life and didn’t let a man rule them they were evil. Women in literature were given a negative image because a society ruled by men decided who they should be and they just complied with their standards. By complying with their standards they lost their liberty, and that is why the women who didn’t comply were frowned