Women In Anglo-Saxon And Medieval Literature

Some people say that Anglo-Saxon and Medieval history had no impact on modern society; these people would be incorrect. Techniques and ideas in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval literature have evolved over time and continue to impact our society today. One example of an ideal that has changed or evolved is the view of women in the societies. The women in Anglo-Saxon culture had political power and rights. The women were allowed to inherit and own property. When a woman would be proposed to, the man would present the woman with a gift. She would be able to do whatever she pleased with, whether it was to sell it, keep it, or give it away. These rights and freedoms resemble the culture for women today. However these rights were not present at other points later in history. The women in medieval society had no voice and no choice The women had no political rights and they were not …show more content…
“Beowulf” is an example of Anglo-Saxon literature. Beowulf was written in Latin and later translated into English. It has examples of the different religions present in the culture at that time. Beowulf is an example of a hero in this culture as he shows his loyalty and bravery. He is the epic hero of the story. The story is an example of fundamental literature. This work set many of the archetypes that we use today. “The Canterbury Tales” is an example medieval literature. This was one of the first stories written in English. Latin was considered a more romantic language. It was this story that made writing in English elegant. This story shared the lives of everyday people in this culture. It gave an incite to common life. Without “The Canterbury Tales” the stories of that time would not of been written in English. Both “Beowulf” and “The Canterbury Tales” lead to modern English used in literature today. This literature helped to create archetypes that are used as basis for characters