Women in Literature

March 21, 2011
Womens Representation in British Literature
1. Introduction
Women ar often the subject of literary works, however, in the works of azoic British literature, the image of women ranged from political peace keeper to anti- beauty. The richness of female characters extends past the physical beauty and sexuality of the sex, and actually offers women as symbols of power, strength, and godliness personified, such as in Beowulf.
In Beowulf, the queen of Denmark played an important role by have Beowulf into their territory and praising him after he killed Grendel (Heaney 56). On the otherwise fall, Grendels mother who was a swamp- hag, had a desire for payback and attempted to kill Beowulf (Heaney 58-66). In this poem, the women were representative of both level-headed and evil.
Women were still represented throughout the sixteenth century as shown in Shakespeares Sonnet number twenty. Several of William Shakespeares sonnets and plays send the strain of the female character as an anti-beauty, a exaggeration of societal norms and like his generation, the procurer of the downfall of man. In this sonnet, Shakespeare portrays the adult female as a negative figure (Shakespeare 499-500).



He claims that the lay out is more beautiful than a womans because it has been varicoloured by nature (Shakespeare 499). He says that they have a drear heart of a woman, but without fickleness (Shakespeare 499). He continues to decrease women, while up lifting the face of the women with natures hand (Shakespeare 499-500).
The early seventeenth century period period was no exception to womens representation. The poem, To His Coy Mistress is themed to seize the day (Marvell 677-678). Andrew Marvell shows a world where women are seduced. Although he uses love and time as reasons why should she have sex with him his main focus is her body (Marvell 677-678). Marvell shows that it is okay for a male to be militant and antagonizing towards a female (Marvell 677-678). ...If you want to get a full moon essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com



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