Compare at least three depictions of women in Beowulf, "Lanval," and "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight."

Female characters do not figure strongly in Beowulf, which is basically an epic poem about an epic hero completing hypermasculine tasks to win the favor of other men. However, we do have Grendel's mother in this poem, though she is not exactly a human woman. What we see of Grendel's mother is only vengeance and violence. When she realizes her son has been killed, she starts attacking Hrothgar's men to avenge Grendel. Beowulf volunteers to go to her lair and fight her, and she probably would have beaten him if it were not for the magic sword he is able to use. In this Old English poem, the female monster is brutally strong and loyal to her son.
In "Lanval" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," we see depictions of courtly love common in the medieval period and in Arthurian legend, which both of these texts reference. One important female character in "Gawain" is the wife of the Green Knight/lord of the castle Gawain stays at during his quest. She attempts to seduce Gawain a few times, and his ability to resist is supposed to prove his purity and goodness. After his third refusal, she gives him a magical green girdle that he wears to protect himself from the Green Knight when the fight near the end of the poem. The lady is portrayed as clever but also as a temptress who tries to lead Gawain off course. She is mostly there as an accessory or an obstacle so he can prove himself good and worthy.
"Lanval" provides the strongest or most positive female character of the three works. This may not be too surprising, considering the poem was written by Marie de France, a French female poet. In the lay, Lanval is a young knight who begins an affair with a beautiful lady also known as the fairy queen. Their union is blissful, but the lady makes Lanval swear not to tell anyone about her.
Later, Lanval is tempted by Queen Guinevere, who says she loves him and wants to "go all the way." Lanval is in love with his lady and does not want to give in to the Queen, but he must give a valid excuse, so he claims to have another lover. Guinevere's pride is damaged, so she tells King Arthur that Lanval tried to seduce her, and the king tries him. It is the fairy queen, though, who saves the day and comes to reveal herself, prove Lanval's innocence, and take her lover away with her. This lady is depicted as the one with the most power and is portrayed in the most positive terms of any female characters in these three texts.