Dull Gret – (aka Mad Meg)From ‘Top Girls’

Charlotte and Amy

Where is she from?

• The character, Dull Gret is based on the subject of a painting ‘Dulle Griet’ by Pieter Breughel. The subject is a woman wearing an apron and armed with tools of male aggression – armour, helmet and sword. This woman is leading a mob of other women dressed in aprons, she charges into Hell fighting the devils and filling her baskets with gold cups.

Dulle Griet – Pieter Breughel

Quote about this in Act 1 – ‘We came into Hell through a big mouth…But most of us is fighting the devils , there’s lots of little devils, our size, and we get them down all right and give them a beating’

Women in the time they lived

• The painting ‘Dulle Griet’ was painted in 1562. Women in the 1500s were treated better than in the Renaissance period and were praised for being the one that raised the children. Only women from rich backgrounds were educated and women would get married and then be expected to raise children and live as a housewife. Although, women were starting to get jobs in cities, farms or palaces.

• In ‘Top Girls’ Gret says “Oh, we give them devils such a beating” this could be referring to the women taking charge and overpowering the men. This wouldn’t of normally happened in the C16th and so Gret is not what a traditional woman would be like in these times.

Her character…

• In the restaurant scene, Gret manages to eat two baskets of bread even before the starter arrives. She is not restricted by social conventions and is uncomfortable in this traditional formal setting and continues to eat and steal whatever she can get her hands on.

• Quotes from Act 1 – “Potatoes” “Pig”• Gret saying single words highlights the fact

she is not used to any type of conversation.

• Gret has not spent time with other people and is not sure how to communicate, this is the reason why she has little to say throughout the scene and often says only crude remarks.

• Quotes from Act 1 – “Bastard” “Big Cock”

Much Ado About Nothing

• Dull Gret’s character could be likened to the character of Beatrice in ‘Much Ado’. Neither resemble the role or personality of a traditional women. Gret and Beatrice are both independent and do not rely on men.

• Gret proves this in her last quote in Act 1, where she speaks about her and other women going to fight the devils, showing their strength and power.

• Beatrice in ‘Much Ado’ also presents her strength by matching Benedick with insults and proving herself to be just as witty and clever as he is. “Kill Claudio” being a quote proving how she isn’t overpowered by men.

Wider Reading

• Wider reading characters that could be associated with Gret is Jayne Eyre who suffers greatly being an orphan and living with Mrs Reed who treats her poorly but yet she stays an independent character and doesn’t reply on anyone which is the same as Gret does.