Beowulf: Of these three characters, Beowulf is probably the one who conforms to the relevant stereotype the most. Beowulf is a typical epic hero. An epic hero is a character who is larger-than-life (but not immortal), so he is stronger, braver, and usually nobler than others. He is not necessarily flawless, but in epics like Beowulf, the line between good and evil is clearly drawn, and Beowulf is definitely "the good guy." In the epic poem, we hear that Beowulf has a pedigree -- his father was also a brave leader -- and we first see him in action when he decides to go to Hrothgar's kingdom to battle the violent monster Grendel. This monster has terrorized the kingdom for years and has taken the lives of many of Hrothgar's men. Although Beowulf has no specific allegiance to Hrothgar and Grendel is the most threatening and ruthless beast anyone has heard of, Beowulf volunteers to travel across the sea with his men to defeat this monster. When he arrives at Hrothgar's kingdom, he asks permission to fight Grendel, which shows the proper respect toward the king and his territory. Beowulf then says he will fight Grendel with his bare hands because he expects Grendel will use no weapons. Beowulf's superhuman strength is on display in the fight with Grendel, as he not only defeats the beast, but rips his arm from his body. Later, after Grendel's mother comes back to wreak havoc on Hrothgar's mead hall in revenge for her son's death, Beowulf volunteers to go to Grendel's mother's lair to fight her. He has some help from a magic sword, but Beowulf is successful. Before he goes into battle, he asks Hrothgar to take care of his men if he should be killed in the battle. This shows that he is loyal to his men and a good leader. Many years later, Beowulf's own kingdom is threatened by a dragon. Although he is older, Beowulf again volunteers to battle a monster one-on-one. Beowulf is mortally wounded, but one of his men steps up and kills the dragon in his honor because Beowulf has always provided for the men and has been a just king. After his death, he is honored with a funeral pyre and a tower built in his name.

Sir Gawain: In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is still heroic, but he is more human and flawed than Beowulf. In the poem, the Green Knight boldly rides into King Arthur's hall and challenges the king. Sir Gawain volunteers to take the king's place and accepts the Knight's challenge. This is significant because the Knight is huge and is carrying a gigantic ax (not to mention that he is green); in other words, he is an intimidating figure and Gawain is brave to take him on. Gawain, even though he is a young and lesser-known knight at the time, becomes responsible for upholding the Knights of the Round Table's reputation as the bravest and noblest knights in the land. At the banquet hall during the Green Knight's first appearance, Gawain comes to an agreement with the Knight and then beheads the Green Knight. To everyone's surprise and dismay, the Green Knight picks his head up and rides out, reminding Gawain that he is supposed to seek him out the next year to fulfill the rest of the bargain. This is enough to strike fear into any human, Gawain included, but he feels that it is his duty to fulfill his promises and complete the tasks. He eventually does so, but he eventually is able to defeat the Green Knight because he is wearing a magical green girdle. Although Gawain is brave and dutiful, some readers might think it's unfair that he uses the girdle; on the other hand, the Green Knight himself uses magic, so the girdle may just put the two on an even playing field. Ultimately, Gawain shows that he is chivalrous, brave, loyal, and strong, like a typical knight. 

The Wife of Bath: In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath (Alison) is an unconventional character who defies many stereotypes of women in the Middle Ages. First, she is traveling on this pilgrimage alone, not accompanied by a man (husband or father). Chaucer's "General Prologue" tells us that she has been married five times, which is certainly not typical. The Wife of Bath is social and some may say even has a bawdy sense of humor; this would not conform to the stereotype that women should be meek and proper. The Prologue also reveals that Alison has been on many pilgrimages and is an expert weaver. Her religious devotion and domestic craft are a little more stereotypical, but when combined with some of her other traits, we see that Chaucer has created a complex and ambiguous character. The Wife of Bath's tale has been read as a feminist text by some because the Wife suggests in her Prologue and Tale that she feels she should have power in her relationships with men instead of being subordinate to her husband.

In Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and "The Wife of Bath's Tale," how do females fit or differ from stereotypes?

In Beowulf, one woman shows strength within a stereotype while another woman, a "monster," assumes male characteristics that challenge typical notions of feminity. Wealhtheow, the queen of Daneland and Hrothgar's wife, fulfills a typical woman's role by acting as the hostess in the mead hall. At the same time, she shows strength and autonomy as she fulfills this prescribed position, affirming the status of the important men, and challenging the appointment of Beowulf as king rather than her own sons. In contrast, Grendel's mother breaks the stereotypic feminine mold--she is neither peacemaker nor hospitality giver but an aggressive, seemingly out-of-control, warrior. She does, however, fill the anti-feminine archetype of the devouring, castrating female.

In the Wife of Bath's tale, Guinevere plays a female role as the wife of King Arthur but also displays wisdom, insight and autonomy when she is allowed to pass judgment on the rapist knight, sentencing him to a quest meant to build his empathy for women. The Wife of Bath herself, one of the spunkiest characters in English literature, breaks stereotypes in a number of ways: she is outspoken, frank, no-nonsense, owns her own business, speaks contemptuously of some men, and tells a tale that concludes with a message that turns conventional wisdom on its head: women, she insists, want to rule their husbands, and moreover, allowing them to do so leads to happy, fulfilling marriages.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, both Morgan le Fay and Lady Bercilak exert power over men. It's le Fay's command to Lord Bercilak that he come to court disguised that sets the action in motion while Lady Bercilak controls Gawain through the gift of the green girdle. She also manipulates him through her understanding of his fear of death. Both women fit archetypes: Le Faye the threatening "crone" and Lady Bercilak "the temptress" who in part controls Gawain because of his physical attraction to her, but both characters also show that women can use their wits and power not simply in service of men but to exert control and manipulate events in their own favor in a male-dominated society.