Date of Award

2014

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Master's Paper

Degree Awarded

Master of Arts (MA)

Program

English

Department

English

College

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Faculty Advisor

Theile, Verena

Description

In this paper, I argue that the Anglo-Saxon Judith frames its titular character’s simultaneous adoption of sacred femininity and masculine heroic violence as the acceptable and necessary response to despair in the face of invasion. Judith undergoes a radical gender transformation from a hyper-feminine saint to something altogether androgynous yet celebrated and thus embodies a complex form of female heroism and leadership. Furthermore, the poem reinforces Judith’s righteousness by contrasting her with King Holofernes, whose removal from power becomes an inevitable consequence of poor leadership and character. Finally, to justify Judith’s unusual status as a heroic warrior woman, the poet reinforces the message that Judith is not just a lone assassin but a warrior woman who values cooperation. This conclusion forcefully highlights the distinguished status of Judith-the-Anglo-Saxon: warrior woman, saint, and virtuous heroine.

Rights

NDSU Policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/23232

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