Hrothgar's Leadership In Beowulf

The first characteristic of a great leader is being loved by their people. By way of example Jane Simmons wrote “ an aggressive military leader, he was feared but also admired by people in other land.” Sulieman scared the people that he needed to scare but he was admired by the people he helped. Also in Amit carters queen Elizabeth I summary it says “she was thought of as a good and wise ruler who was truly thought of as a good ruler

Beowulf’s first demonstration as a leader, comes from him being a protector of his people. Hrothgar quotes this in his sermon as he quotes Beowulf as,”a protector of his people.” (McArthur). He describes Beowulf as a protector because he came to the village to fight off the monster that is Grendel (McArthur). Because of this action, the people of the village now place their trust in Beowulf, which is a common idea in the relationship between people and their leaders. Beowulf can excel at leading the village because everyone in the village thinks that he could do no wrong. Trust is a very essential skill in becoming a reliable leader. Hrothgar exclaims the importance of this by saying,”…and forts to command in his own country…” (McArthur). This means that Beowulf will look out for his people by commanding his country.

Beowulf is a model of leadership for our own times because he is very courageous and his strength is super human like. His skills and traits would not be good in our times though because a leader of a nation in our time doesn’t need to be very courageous and very strong to fight off people or go to war.

From the vantage point of the present, it is easy to look back at the tenure of any great leader and draw conclusions about just what it was that made him/her great. We can examine the circumstances under which their leadership flourished; piece together what we know of their character and personality traits; delve into the factors that may have driven them; and dissect their leadership style all in an effort to pinpoint the source of their success. The ‘Great Man’ theory, popular in the 19th century and now thoroughly debunked, held that leaders are born, not made; suggesting that men like George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Winston Churchill were born with the innate capacity to change the world (Landis,

“The Power that comes from being a leader can also be used for evil as well as good. When we assume the benefits of leadership, we also assume ethical

Many readers of the poem Beowulf may find it difficult to distinguish the 'good' kings from the rest – indeed, almost every man who holds a throne in the epic is named at one point or another to be 'good'. By examining the ideals of the time period as identified by the 'heroic code', it becomes clearer that a truly 'good' king is one who generously distributes treasure and weaponry to deserving retainers to honour courage and strength displayed in battle and to encourage the defense of the kingdom (Intro). When Beowulf ascends the throne of the Geats, the heroic traits of courage and strength for which he was so highly praised as a warrior do not serve well in making him a good king. Indeed, by exhibiting the traits of a thane, that is, by

A great leader is able to recognize his limitations and how to overcome them. In the case of Beowulf, King Hrothgar foreshadows what is to come for Beowulf if he continues down the same path a previous king had gone. In his sermon, Hrothgar informs Beowulf of Heremod, a “pariah king who cut himself off from his own kind” (McArthur). Hrothgar says that God “allows the mind of a man of distinguished birth to follow its bent,” and because of this, cruel and greedy Heremod “forgets that it will ever end for him,” and “he ignores the shape of things to come” (McArthur). Warning Beowulf not to become like Heremod, Hrothgar advises him to “not give way to pride,” and that “for a brief while your strength is in bloom

Leaders now and leaders way back in the day are they all corrupt. How are they viewed now and how are they viewed during the time of beowulf. People may view a leader different during the time of beowulf rather than a leader in today's time. Some people may think that all leaders are corrupt and some may think that only certain leaders are corrupt. The portrayal of Hrothgar during beowulf's time from the canots and how we today criticize leaders from the films and today. Hrothgar is a very respected leader in Beowulf he leads with confidence and takes care of his people. Hrothgar builds a mead-hall for his people to have a good time and drink ale. The people of Hrothgar's kingdom look at him as a respected leader because treats his people well.

As many countries developed over time, changes have occurred that benefited the citizens of each nation. However, there is one important element that is needed to establish laws, peace, and harmony in each country. This element is known as leadership. Leaders around the world have contributed to the success and evolution of all of our nations, proving to be a huge responsibility. Residents are dependent amongst leaders, who are in charge of protecting their citizens at no cost. Without the presence of them, chaos and corruption would establish, which could ruin relationships and trade with other nations. In history, great leaders have been praised and admired. The characteristics of three great leaders, who are Suleiman, Nelson Mandela, and Queen Elizabeth I, have exhibited the qualities of being a great leader. These traits include causing admiration and inspiration, demonstrating intelligent knowledge, and guiding residents and themselves to solve conflicts that may cause death.

When people think of a successful king, they often associate them with the hero. However, many fail to notice that no one could own both the title king and the hero at the same time; they need to give up either one of the titles to become a truly successful hero or king. In the famous epic poem, Beowulf, despite Hrothgar rules Danes, another hero, Beowulf, shows up to solve Danes’ problem while the true Danes king sits on his throne and simply gives all honor and credit to Beowulf. To become a truly successful leader, one must know to put down his honor and fame for his people’s safety. Furthermore, a ruler who cares about his people in every aspect fits the title king, not a person who goes off on a quest to defeat the villain for his own

As many countries developed over time, changes have occurred that benefited the citizens of each nation. However, there is one important element that is needed to establish laws, peace, and harmony in each country. This element is known as leadership. Leaders around the world have contributed to the success and evolution of all of our nations, proving to be a huge responsibility. Residents are dependent amongst leaders, who are in charge of protecting their citizens at no cost. Without the presence of them, chaos and corruption would establish, which could ruin relationships and trade with other nations. In history, great leaders have been praised and admired. The characteristics of three great leaders, who are Suleiman, Nelson Mandela, and Queen Elizabeth I, have exhibited the qualities of being a great leader. These traits include causing admiration and inspiration, demonstrating intelligent knowledge, and guiding residents and themselves to solve conflicts that may cause death.

In the 21st century a good leader is someone who is courageous, understanding, selfless, fights for other and not themselves and not a person who has a big ego. Throughout history the meaning or definition of a good leader has changed much. In the Anglo – Saxon time period, Beowulf, was considered to be a great leader and a hero according to his people, for risking his life and saving them from evil monsters. But in today’s world and lifestyle and how much things and times have changed, Beowulf would not be considered to be a good leader or a hero.

This third comparison will focus on the most famous passage of the poem, which is the culmination of a Hrothgar’s long speech to Beowulf. The main themes are the importance of strength and pride in life, the fragility of life and for the first time, Beowulf is seen here as a human warrior and not for his heroic and divine deeds (lines 1758-1768 in Heaney’s, 1476-1484 in Tolkien’s).

Grendel is a horrible beast who massacres king Hrothgar’s people, but he does respect his ability to command his people. Hrothgar is an older man who has grown his empire's wealth and its military. He has no eligible successors and so he must maintain his throne until his two sons Unferth and Hrethric are of age. Hrothgar does this with several methods like marriage, ring-giving, and Beowulf. The choices Hrothgar makes is the reason he is seen as good king and that is why Grendel despises him enough to murder.

The epic poem Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, presents two heroic kings that have very clear differences on how they overcome challenges but they still keep their people in safe keepings. Hrothgar and Beowulf are admired by their people because they both show strong characteristics of what an Anglo-Saxon king should do or be.