The Threat Of Exile In The Wife's Lament

Anglo-Saxons took exile seriously; the threat of exile alone caused much anxiety among the individuals of that society. To be exiled means to be kicked out, or banished from one’s homeland, which would result in having no companionship. Because exile is something the Anglo-Saxons took very seriously, one had to commit a crime in order to be exiled. If one were to commit a crime Anglo-Saxons would resort to execution, unless the crime was not serious enough. If the crime was not serious enough, Anglo-Saxons would exile the perpetrator instead. Exile is not considered to be as feared today as it was back when the Anglo-Saxons were around. Exile is not always a punishment, however, sometimes individuals would purposely bring exile upon …show more content…
The wife’s husband took a long absence to a distant land while she stayed back in her homeland. The wife did not know where her husband went or if anything had happened to him. She was all alone, heartbroken, and even depressed which made the wife want to find her husband. Her husband’s kinsmen, however, wanted to keep them apart. Because the wife was filled with grief and her husband betrayed his vow to her, she did what she thought was right and found another man who would be true to her. The people saw her with the other man and starting talking and spreading rumors which led to her being exiled. The wife started to feel the fear of exile because she knew she was going to be all alone for the second time. As a result of being with another man, she was forced to live out in the forest with no one by her side. Not only was the wife deeply saddened, she was also angry and upset because she felt she was being punished for her husband’s deed. At the end of the poem the wife expressed how she wanted her husband to feel what she felt, and how he should be exiled …show more content…
Unlike the main character getting exiled by their husband or by losing everyone around them, this main character exiled himself. The main character went out to sea repeatedly which lead to him being exiled. The Seafarer said he did not want to go out to sea because it was so dangerous, yet he was still compelled to go. He was keen of the journey and adventure that came with it, but did not like how he was all alone. The Seafarer wanted to explore new places and the land he had not yet been. He was afraid of exile because he was all alone on the sea and he did not know if he would come back or not due to the sea being so dangerous. He also did not know if he would ever be able to not go out to sea because he was so drawn to it. The Seafarer said he was suffering due to the long journey over the sea, loneliness, and the cold of winter. Since he was so lonely, one would think the Seafarer would not go out on any more journeys, however, the spring only compelled him to go out on yet another