Is Beowulf A Good Leader?

Is Beowulf a coward and failure? The epic, Beowulf was written and translated in many different ways, but this particular one is translated by Burton Raffel. The main characters in Beowulf are Beowulf, Grendel, Hrothgar, Grendel’s mother, the dragon, and Wiglaf. In the epic a hero named Beowulf had gotten word from Hrothgar’s kingdom that his land was cursed with Grendel and monsters across the seas. So he had went there and had to wait in the mead-hall with the Geats to fight him without armor and weapons. He defeated Grendel but stayed to kill the rest of the monsters growing old and dying on the last battle when defeating the dragon. Beowulf embodies the ideals of conduct in the Anglo-Saxon culture by displaying leadership, bravery, loyalty, and faithfulness.

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.

After several decades of ruling the Geats, Beowulf faces his final foe, a dragon with the help of his court of retainers. While fighting the dragon, all of Beowulf’s retainers abandon him, except for Wiglaf, who not only helps Beowulf defeat the dragon; he helps uncover another lesson for leadership, which is to plan a successor (Post). Beowulf nearly misses this after all of his years of serving as king, which would have bode unfavorably for the Geats because no successor would have been ready to take his place as king once he has passed away (Loughman). Hrothgar even alludes to this in his sermon numerous years ago, by saying, “ancestral possessions and the goods he hoarded are inherited by another who lets them go with a liberal hand” (McArthur). Wise leaders, who recognize that the future is uncertain, should plan for a successor early on to ready them for their time to serve. We see this practiced in the modern world by the selection of a vice president during a presidential election, a careful

Beowulf’s virtues of courage and strength appear throughout the poem during his life as a warrior and as a king. He begins the story with courage and “the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (380-381), which are vital to his accomplishments as a warrior. His courage and strength are apparent when he fights Grendel without the use of weapons. Both virtues are crucial to his success in that battle and lead him to become a leader of wisdom and stature. As king of Heorot he uses his courage and strength in the battle against the dragon. Before the fight he has a feeling of uncertainty and it is stated “He was sad at heart / unsettled yet ready, sensing his death. / His fate hovered near, unknowing but certain: / It would soon claim his coffered soul.” (2419-2424). His sense of forthcoming death may illustrates a lack of confidence in his ability to slay the dragon; however, it also shows tremendous courage by involving himself in an unevenly matched fight. Although his physical strength may have abandoned him in his last fight against the dragon, his courage and wisdom intensified his glory beyond his death.

Generally when we think of kings, we think of the noble king who helps save the kingdom or princess. There are many times in the course of history where there have been examples of good kings, but there have been examples of bad kings as well. So what characteristics make a good king? Bravery, courage, wisdom and strength are some of the many qualities that make for an excellent king.

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

Leadership is the ability of motivating an assembly of people to act towards a common goal and has the skill to make others want to follow in their direction (Ward). The epic Beowulf, contains various scenes of how the protagonist hero, Beowulf, shows great leadership. Beowulf portrays good leadership by his confidence, his physical strength, and his loyalty, which are important qualities of the Anglo-Saxon time.

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.

A huge part of being a charismatic leader is contributing acknowledgement to who ever deserves it. Also to not subsidize all pride to him self, but Beowulf was not that kind. In the story Beowulf states, “No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster. No one could try. And this dragon's treasure, his gold and everything hidden in that tower, will be mine or war will sweep me to a bitter death!” pg. 63”. This quote illustrates Beowulf desires all the glory to him self and he contemplates that no one else

In the book Beowulf, Beowulf, the main character, is a man of great strength and ability. He is depicted as a man of wisdom, and that he is a prince that comes from a kingdom that is well respected. He fights many battles, and is seen as a hero with glory to his name, but this does not mean that he is as flawless as he seems to be. Beowulf is a man who desires to help those in need, however, he is greedy for the glory and treasure that he will receive in thanks of his success. He is truly confident, but because of this he is impulsive, never questioning his ability to take on a task. He is also brave, he has almost no fear, but this tends to make him reckless. He is a hero to many, but he believes in himself in such a way that he acts foolishly, and it will eventually be the death of him.

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

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.

The qualities of a great leader are widely discussed among people with many different views. Is a leader strong and emotional? Should a leader be calculating and cold? These are all dependant on someone’s thoughts about what are good leadership skills. In the story of Beowulf, the hero contains qualities that could lead him to being a great ruler according to the people he is with.

Beowulf Essay Beowulf tells the story of a legendary warrior who shows his strength by fighting mythical monsters. This warrior must later become a king, and perform the additional duties of this new position. Beowulf attacks these new challenges as he does any others—by fighting any enemy in single combat. Looking at his performance as a warrior and as a king, he appears to be much stronger in the former role. The qualities that make Beowulf a great warrior hinder him when he is put in a leadership position, serving to show the dangers of overconfidence.

Beowulf was considered to be, “Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats-- greater and stronger than anyone in this world--” (109-111). He knew that he had to save everyone from Grendel and he willingly volunteered himself. According to the literature textbook, this Anglo-Saxon poem is written of a leader, “To become a leader a young warrior must prove himself in battle. So Beowulf crosses the sea to aid his kinsman Hrothgar, who cannot protect his people from the monster Grendel. After