Of Roland Essay, Research Paper
The Role of Women in the Song of Roland
Women are not mentioned often in the Song of Roland. They appear in only seventeen
of almost three hundred laisses. It is because they are included so rarely, however, that the
women stand out amidst the throng of male characters and call attention to the areas of the text
in which they appear. One of the principle woman characters is Queen Bramimionde, wife of the
pagan King Marsile. She plays an important role at the end of the text, becoming by association
the whole of pagandom, and it is only through her that the French emperor Charlemagne can
achieve a true victory over the Saracens.
The first mention of women in the Song of Roland comes in laisse 23, when Ganelon
speaks to Charles: ?I well know that I must go to Saragossa;/Whoever goes there cannot hope to
return./Moreover, I have your sister as my wife….? In these lines, Ganelon uses kinship as a
means to link himself to Charlemagne, via the woman. He is in effect communicating his ?last
words? to the emperor and, being reluctant to perform the dangerous task set before him, is
attempting to evoke guilt in Charles. A suitable paraphrase of the lines would be: ?Remember
that I am married to your sister, whom you are now effectively making a widow.? Laisse 23 is
not only significant because it makes first mention of a woman, but also because it is tied directly
to the introduction of Bramimonde.
The pagan Queen first appears in laisse 50: ?Then Queen Bramimonde came forward:/?I
love you dearly, lord,?she said to [Ganelon],/?For my lord and his men hold you in very high
esteem./I shall send your wife two necklaces….? In this passage two women are mentioned; the
Queen promising rich gifts to the wife in exchange for the husband?s treachery. This passage
immediately stands out from those before it because it tells of a gift that is from woman to
woman rather than a gift from one of the many pagan dukes to Ganelon. Additionally, laisse 50
acts as the mirror image of laisse 23–the same idea, just backwards. Note how the mention of
Ganelon?s wife is employed in distinctly opposite ways: in laisse 23 Ganelon is attempting to
avoid a task and in laisse 50 the Queen is providing him with extra incentive to accomplish a
task. Bramimonde, in her very first appearance, completes one of the trademark symmetries
employed so frequently in the Song of Roland.
The Queen serves repeatedly to emphasize the failure of the pagans versus the success of
the Franks. In laisses 187 and 188 Bramimonde laments the first decimation of the Saracens and
curses the pagan gods: ?She tears at her hair and bewails her fate;/Thereupon she cries out at the
top of her voice:/?O, Saragossa, how you have been deprived this day/Of the noble king who
held you in his power!/Our gods committed a grave crime/In failing him this morning in
battle.? In laisse 195, when an emissary from the pagan emir greets her with a praise of
Tervagant and Apollo, she replies: ?Now I hear great foolishness,/These gods of ours have
abandoned the fight;?.
Often in the same breath as these complaints she will praise Charlemagne and the
Franks: ?…these bold men/Who are so fierce that they disregard their own lives./The emperor
with the hoary-white beard/Is full of valour and great daring.?(Laisse 188) As well as: ?Charles
will have the whole of Spain in his power,? in laisse 195. She describes the wound received by
her husband in the same passage: ?He has lost his right hand, he no longer has it;/Count Roland
the powerful cut it off.? Bramimonde manages to insult the pagan gods, tell of the injury
inflicted upon Marsile–and by association pagandom as a whole, and praise Charles–and by
association Christianity.
At first her identity to the reader is essentially a pagan woman. She does not participate
in combat, so perhaps instead of filling the text up with the women, elderly and all other pagan
people who are not warriors, one supplied the readers with Bramimonde. But perhaps she is
more than that. The text tells of many male pagan warriors who enter into the story only to fall
in battle; she is the sole constant pagan character. In laisse 195 she laments: ?What will become
of me, miserable wretch?/O, woe is me that I have no one to kill me.? It is easy to interpret this
statement as: ?me? a.k.a. : The Pagan, a.k.a.: a ?miserable wretch? who is better off dead.
Her attitude changes abruptly when the pagan emir and his army arrive on the scene.
It is Bramimonde who brings the emir to her husband to plan the second attack. It is
Bramimonde who directs the whole of pagandom to the Franks: ?He need not go so far!/You
will find the Franks closer to where we are;?(laisse 196). Even when she learns that the Arabs
have been defeated, she offers up one last prayer to her gods in laisse 270: ??Help us
Muhammad!/O, noble king, now our men are vanquished;/the emir is slain with such great
shame.?? Although the words ?Muhammad,? ?vanquished,? ?slain? and ?great shame? are
grouped together, Bramimonde appears to be sincere in her request, as though she will attempt
one more show of loyalty to the deities that ?God never loved? that is in effect a last resort to
stave off the ?great shame.? The lie of her religion is made evident abruptly, however; no sooner
does the prayer to Muhammad leave her lips than the last significant male pagan figure, her
husband King Marsile, dies.
With the emir and Marsile gone, Bramimonde is paganism by laisse 271. All of
Bramimonde?s behavioral transitions can be seen as representative of the pagan behavioral
transitions as a whole. By associating the pagans with frequent mood swings, at one moment
crying and cursing their gods, the next moment reassured and planning the destruction of the
Franks, paganism as a whole is effeminized. And so, being defeated once again, Bramimonde
surrenders in laisse 271–i.e. the pagans surrender to the Christians. ?Fierce is the king with the
hoary-white beard [Charles and the Christians]/And Bramimonde [the pagans] surrendered the
towers to him.?
The fact that her role does not end with that of her male counterparts says much about
her significance in this text. The King is dead. The emir is dead. Yet, Bramimonde lives on.
Who is the real pagan figurehead in this text? It continues as: ?More than a hundred thousand
[Saracens] are baptized/True Christians, with the exception of the queen./She will be taken as a
captive to fair France;/The king wishes her to be a convert through love.? It is not enough for
Charlemagne to have vanquished Saragossa, the Queen must now be delivered to France and
converted to Christianity. In this, the role of Bramimonde completes another of the Song of
Roland?s token symmetries. Before the Queen is actually converted, the text describes the
punishment of Ganelon, who had ?converted? in the opposite direction. After the traitor is put
to a violent, painful death in the streets of the town, Bramimonde becomes the star of another
important public ceremony: ?There they baptize the Queen of Spain./They found for her the
name of Juliana;/She is a Christian, convinced of the truth.? The victory at Saragossa was
incomplete until now. Remember that at this point Bramimonde is ?the pagans,? and Ganelon,
Bramimonde?s foil, who sold his soul in betraying his country and the Christian God, is now
dead. ?When the emperor has completed his justice/And appeased his great anger,/He has
Bramimonde Christened.? Thus, both Bramimonde?s first and last appearances complete vital
symmetries in the text.
At one point, I believed that Bramimonde was the strongest of the woman characters
because she seemed to be independent from the men. This in contrast to Aude, Roland?s fiancee
and the second principle female figure in the Song of Roland, who was entirely dependent upon
her betrothed. With Roland gone from the text, Aude was gone from the text: she died
immediately upon hearing that he had not survived the battle at Roncesvalles. But I have since
come to understand that the significance of Bramimonde?s character is not that she is
independent from her male counterparts, but just that she, unlike Aude, is able to more easily
substitute one man for another–the emir for King Marsile, Charles for the emir; just as she does
with switching religions–Christianity for paganism.
Queen Bramimonde plays a vital role in the Song of Roland. She participates
indispensably in the intricacies of symmetry within the tale itself. Additionally, the fact that
she survives all of the leading male pagans suggests that she is the true pagan figurehead, and it
is only through her that Charlemagne can achieve a true victory.
355
Другие работы по теме:
Things Fall Apart 2 Essay Research Paper
Title of Paper : Things Fall Apart In the novel, Things Fall Apart, the families play different roles than those of today s families. The men, women, and children all had various chores and activities that people do not do today. The main character, Okonkwo, was the leading male of his household. This means he controls and tells everyone else in his immediate family what to do.
Stand By Me Essay Research Paper Stand
Stand By Me Essay, Research Paper Stand By Me Stand By Me, is a film written in 1986, that focuses on the two day journey of four best friends. The music in the film is one that is mostly song scoring. The music in this film was chosen very well. It was even pop song scoring. This movie has two main examples of music that I would like to point out, starting with moodsetting, it then moves to song scoring.
Booty Essay Research Paper The joy of
Booty Essay, Research Paper The joy of the word “booty” Who likes booty? I like booty, and I think we should all like booty. Whether it is pirate’s treasure or the beautiful behind of a woman, booty is a fantastic possession. I come from the lower class section of Ft. Lauderdale and in that area the booty is most often linked to the description of the African-American woman’s posterior.
Review Of Sublime Video Essay Research Paper
The music video that I chose to write my paper on, is called "Date Rape" and it is performed by Sublime. I’ve seen the video plenty of times and I taped it back in 1993 when I first got
Jane Eyre Essay Research Paper Caretakers had
Jane Eyre Essay, Research Paper Caretakers had an important role in the renaissance and the Victorian period. Mainly women were accepted to be a caretaker while their class was usually a low one. Their duty changed from period to period, their class was not bound to be low, but still, it was lower than the person who hired them.
Extreme Roles Essay Research Paper Extreme RolesIn
Extreme Roles Essay, Research Paper Extreme Roles In every country, city, town and neighborhood in the world, there are stereotypes. We all live in a classified area where you can be regarded as rich, poor or middle class. Within those three types there becomes sub-categories, where ethnicity , gender and sexuality also become a part of the environment.
Odyssey And Woman Treatment Essay Research Paper
The Treatment of Women by Men in Homer?s The Odyssey Women in Homer?s The Odyssey are judged mainly by looks. If important men and gods consider a woman beautiful, or if her son is a hero or important king the woman is successful.
Vigins To Make Much Of Time Essay
, Research Paper “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” In this poem the image of a female is shown through the eyes of the reader. The interpretation of the reader can depict the view of women differently in this poem. In one sense this poem could be seen from a women’s prospective towards other females. One female is explaining that you should make the most of the time you have.
Jude The Obscure Essay Research Paper Final
Jude The Obscure Essay, Research Paper Final Exam – Jude The Obscure In life the role of a man has changed little in comparison to how much the role of a women has changed. In Jude the Obscure the you explorer a wide variaty of applied feminen identities. With exagerated properties of the applicaitons, it shows the true rang of diversity in the role of women.
My Own Prison By Creed Essay Research
? Paper Richie Lord 10/15/2000 ENC 1101 Song Lyrics What are they saying? “My Own Prison” by the group Creed is a very moving and inspirational song. The reason it is an inspirational song is because it has an excellent meaning. The author of the song Scott Sapp, one of the members of the band, had a hard life and is expressing his feeling about his life in this song.
The Role Of Women In Gunter Grasss
Cat And Mouse Essay, Research Paper The role that women played in Nazi Germany was a small one, one in which they were expected to do small things to help the war effort. The role women play in Cat and Mouse is not much better that those in Nazi Germany. It can?t be completely determined if these are Grass?s personal views of women, or if he is trying to make a point about how unfairly women were treated in his time, but there were two basic roles that women played in this novel.
Britney Spears
– A Woman I Admire Essay, Research Paper There are many women that have an impact on my life; however, the question is how many of them do I look up to? Of course the most obvious person is my very own mother, but that made me think who else deserves to join this circle of reverence. Some names entered my mind, but do I really admire them? It is clear that women that enter my daily life like Oprah Winfrey have an impression on me, but impact and admiration do not always go hand in hand.
Songs For The Pearl Essay Research Paper
The Pearl Essay #8 I think this song well describes the feeling in the Book The Pearl at the time when Kino and Juana were walking home from the hill with a rifle and their dead baby, the song shows their pain, and they, in a sense are taking their lives on the ?otherside? (title of song) because once such a life influencing change is made in your life like that you are trapped on the ?otherside? of life and society, you are now the center of attention because of the way your life has so much changed.
The Womans Proper Role In Society Essay
, Research Paper Tony Jacques Social Problems in American Society Russ D. What is the woman’s proper role in American society? Men and women are by no means equal. There are always going to be certain attributes of each gender that the other can’t duplicate. This does not mean that any one is better than the other, but that, aside from the obvious fundamental differences, we should treat both sexes equally, making allowances for these differences.
Women Role In Society Essay Research Paper
How American culture defines a female or (male) What is the woman’s role in society? Men and women are by no means equal. There are always going to be certain attributes of each gender that the other gender cannot duplicate. This does mean that the one is better than the other. Even though we are seeing more and more women succeeding in life than men, American culture still defines a women as unequal.
Women In India Essay Research Paper The
Women In India Essay, Research Paper The Changing Role of Women in India Women in India are beginning to follow the direction that the women of the Western world took more than eighty years ago; demanding treatment as human equals. However, it has become more and more evident as the revolution ages that Indian women may have to adapt the Western feminist method to their very traditional and religious culture.
Women In World War 2 Essay Research
Paper World War II was a turning point for women in American society. The role of women changed and expanded as they entered professional and industrial jobs traditionally reserved for men.
HipHop Getting A Bad Rap Essay Research
Paper Gangster rap May 05, 1999 Hip-Hop Getting a Bad Rap Among many problems in society today, rap music is being blamed for the confusion of America’s youths. One key problem is the way a child is raised. Not having a positive role model can have a powerful effect on a child. The other dilemma is the type of rap music.
Role Of Women In The 19Th Century
Essay, Research Paper Role of Females In the nineteenth century women were perceived in many different ways. Two noted nineteenth century writer were john Stuart Mill and Henrik Ibsen. Even though most of their stories were greatly different they did share the common thought that women are their own people and should be free.
Role Of Women In The Church Essay
, Research Paper The Role of Women in the Church In today s society the is a debate among several Christian denominations including the Anglicans, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics as to the issue of the ordination of women and the general role of women in the church. There are people in these churches that believe that women should have no input nor any influence in the church and therefore their ordination is something that is by far out of the question.
Women In Country Music Essay Research Paper
Women in Country Music Country music, for the most part, was mainly dominated by male artist for the first thirty years. Country music was viewed as being more masculine and to much of a manly western theme for women to sing. In 1935 though, a woman from Arkansas changed those views. A singer and fiddler named Patsy Montana broke into the country music scene with a song named, I Want to be a Cowboys Sweetheart .
Song Of Myself Essay Research Paper Author
Song Of Myself Essay, Research Paper Author: Walt WhitmanTitle: Song of MyselfSummary: Song of Myself is a poem by Walt Whitman that encourages the inner-self and emphasizes the unity of all nature. Near the beginning, Whitman vividly describes how free he feels and states that everyone should experience it not at second or third hand.
Femininity Essay Research Paper The New FemininityFemininity
Femininity Essay, Research Paper The New Femininity Femininity is not a word that we are encouraged to use these days. A lot of people would argue that femininity is the thing that keeps women obedient to men. However, there is a hidden assumption behind this term. The assumption is that masculinity is superior to femininity; that femininity is not a beautiful and powerful thing in its own right.
Women In The Victorian Era Essay Research
Paper In the Victorian Era (1832-1901), women faced many challenges. Women were not treated as they are today. They were treated unfairly and not heard. There was a need for women to express their own needs as human beings, and finally overcome their hardship. But the question remained, what was their position in life? Two pieces of literature that deal with this topic are A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen and A Woman s Thoughts about Women by Dinah Maria Mulock.
Review Of Good Wives Essay Research Paper
Review of Good Wives Today, women are an intricate part of our working society. There are more women holding full-time jobs than ever before. A women’s role is just not in the house; it extends far beyond into the working world where women are even holding positions such as chief executive officers of Fortune 500 Companies.
Robert Frost Essay Research Paper In Robert
Robert Frost Essay, Research Paper In Robert Frosts’ poem “The Road Not Taken,” Frost talks of choosing between two roads to travel. Frost has come to a split in the road and has to choose which road to pick. In Randy Travis’ song “I Told You So,” a man learns that his girlfriend is choosing between himself and another man.
The Role Of Women In Homer
’s The Odyssey Essay, Research Paper The Role of Women in The Odyssey Women form an important part of the folk epic, The Odyssey. Within the story there are three basic types of women: the goddess, the seductress, and the good hostess/wife. Each role adds a different element and is essential to the telling of the story.
Women In Television Essay Research Paper The
Women In Television Essay, Research Paper The role of women in television has had an impact important on humanity and on life in America. The image of women in situation comedies has changed. Women in our society have played many roles. During this period from the decades of the 1950 s through the 1990 s, women started getting their own jobs and got better schooling.
Music I Like To Listen Essay Research
Paper There are many bands and different kinds of music I like to listen to. I like to listen to many different bands and songs. When I listen to music I listen for the beat as long as listen for the lyrics. Even with all the different types of music around I mainly like to listen to hard rock. I like to listen because of the hard guitars and the streaming drums.
Uncle Sams Song Essay Research Paper Uncle
Uncle Sam`s Song Essay, Research Paper Uncle Sam’s song, "I Don’t Ever Wanna See You Again" is a song about a guy who gets his heart broken by his girlfriend. In this song Uncle Sam is
White Rabbit Essay Research Paper The song
White Rabbit Essay, Research Paper The song I am reporting on is called White Rabbit . The band, Jefferson Airplane, performs the song. I selected this song because of the eerie feeling it gives you when you listen to it. Also, this song is a very good example of drug use among the youth, especially the hippies, in the 1960 s.
A Femme Fatal S Tragedy Essay Research
Paper A femme fatal s tragedy: Women s mundane life In “Siren Song Many of Margaret Atwood s heroines are independent, strong, and self serving. Those same characteristics are evident in “Siren Song.” In “Siren Song,” Margaret Atwood paints the picture of a mythical femme fatal who lures men to their deaths.
How Were Women Treated In Julius Caesars
Time Essay, Research Paper Essay: How Were Women Treated in Julius Caesar’s Time? By: Andrew MillardWe are always striving for equality between the sexes. For many years women were seen as being less than men, and inferior to them. This is shown simply by one history-altering incident. The incident that I’m referring to is when the women were finally allowed to vote.
Analization Of The Song Super Freak Essay
, Research Paper Super Freak or Slut, You Decide. In the song ?Super Freak? written and sung by Rick James, he speaks of an encounter with a woman with whom he had sex. Since this song was written during the sexual revolution and James has confessed to sexual encounters with ?thousands? of women, I believe it was about one particular woman with whom he had a lot of wild and kinky sex.