The King of Kings

In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, the stupendous hero’s many great deeds often appear to be for other’s benefit, yet Beowulf’s final conquest exposes his lust for glory and fame, thereby showing his lack of concern for anything else. This lust for immense glory and fame feeds his ego and causes his death and the imminent downfall of his great people the Geats.

Many people who read the poem Beowulf would probably find it hard to find similarities between the poem and life in modern America. How could one compare an ancient Anglo-Saxon culture with the sophisticated world that we are living in today? But, if we look closely, we may be able to pinpoint some parallel between the two societies. This essay will discuss the topics of warrior life, the “bad guy,” and social similarities. One might wonder how a warrior culture might be similar to our own? But if we consider American culture, we are actually still very war-like. We have a strong military system built to protect our country and the people that make it up. We are also known for going to the aid of other

The kings and warriors are important in Anglo-Saxon culture, “The Anglo-Saxon social structure consisted of tribal units led by chieftains ("kings," or "lords") who, theoretically at least, earned their respect from their warriors (or "retainers," or "thanes," the group being called a "comitatus").”(6). In the Anglo-Saxon culture there are kings then below them are the warriors, and below them are the commoners. The kings had to earn the warriors respect, the kings were known for their fearlessness and heroism. He must share the winnings earned from war with his warriors, and the king must prove to be generous. “Although theoretically the thanes freely agreed to join a king, it was nevertheless vital for one's sense of self to be part of a

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

Generosity is valued greatly in a king, but there is no attempt to disguise the fact that it is motivated by the need to maintain the support of a band of retainers. The warriors have a culture that accepts and embraces this give-and-take relationship between rulers and ruled as necessary for society to function effectively. The emphasis on the loyalty of the warriors has a special resonance for Beowulf, given the disloyalty of his men in his encounter with the dragon. This passage also emphasizes the importance of behavior in securing the respect and support of others. This warrior society so highly values its heroic code; which highly esteems those who conform to the code’s principles. Beowulf vaunts himself as a great warrior and backs up his words by defeating Grendel; he is then celebrated and received as a hero. On the other hand, he is unwilling to fight Grendel or Grendel’s mother. Though such verbal elements as boasts and stories are crucial to the warrior culture, heroes are, above all, defined by

The world as it is depicted in Beowulf is home to many aspects of society that are at odds with behaviors acceptable in modern culture, but perhaps shares a startling number of similarities as well. As part of the Anglo-Saxon society, the concept of loyalty is imbued into the seams of the civilization, and allegiance can be found split between lords and kin. Tales concerning themselves with eternal human problems are not few and far between in Beowulf—given that it is an epic poem—and antithesis governs the flow of the narrative. In the midst of the battles raging between evil and good, heroes and villains, mourning and glory, and victory and defeat, death is omnipresent, constantly looming and prompting men to drift towards their swords. This is a society in which chances for a clean slate—a tabula rasa—are minimal, and every action is chiseled in stone, forever etched into eternity. During a time period when very little is certain, the only guarantee of being remembered, of having your name go down stamped with your identity, is through heroism and action. Boasting is a means through which one can build a reputation for himself, planting his name into his opponents’ heads and setting a foundation for success. It remains a skill to be used prudently, though, as overstating and misrepresenting one’s abilities has the great potential to yield adverse repercussions.

“The art of leadership… consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention” (Adolf Hitler). Although Adolf Hitler may have been one of the worst men in history, he had a similar rise to power as the Geatish warrior Beowulf did. He gained his leadership by showing up to Germany in their time of need and telling them that he can fix their economic depression after WWII. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf demonstrates a leadership style that is very effective; however, it has failed many leaders and their cultures in the past, and it is often carried on today. This also ties into Beowulf’s hero model, which shows us how drastically the idea of heros have changed throughout history.

Next, Galgacus claims that slavery is foreign, yet the Britons experience indirect slavery continuously because of their fear of conquest. Since Briton lies on the periphery of the Roman Empire—the centre—it is protected better from the contagion of slavery, as Galgacus describes the Roman Empire, but it also helps foster nationhood, which the Empire is devoid of, according to Tacitus. Already, through his word choice, Tactitus highlights his disdain, while also providing readers with a believable history. Galgacus continues by calling the Romans the “robbers of the world,” who are “rapacious” and insatiable as “neither the east nor the west has been able to satisfy them.” These words clearly provide an unfavourable depiction of the Romans, and this is precisely the point. Tacitus did not want to romanticize the Empire, but instead he wanted to expose the rulers as barbarians. Galgacus concludes this section by proclaiming the Empire to be bogus, built upon corrupt morals, lavish lifestyles, and tyranny.

Paine’s ideas about the origins of government was that America should form its own government and become independent from that of England because of their different thoughts and notions. England’s government was more corrupt because of the king as Paine mentions, a king ruins the peace of a country as a whole and disrupts mankind. Paine also declares how before the rise of kings, there was no war, but with a king’s ego, causes chaos and confusion among one another. Paine believed that in America, “the law was the king” and that “a government of their own was [their] natural right” because America is supposed to be a free country (82). He said that the real king was actually God. England’s law enforcement of taxes with the American colonies caused many colonists to unify and start petitioning against Great Britain. The taxation laws left the colonists barely enough to survive off of. Paine didn’t think it was right for the colonies to be taxed when nobody in Britain knew how bad the situation actually was, therefore the British shouldn’t have any rights to tax them. Paine talks about how the community as a whole suffered because of England’s ongoing conflict with other countries. Every time, a conflict occurred, the colonies were the ones

Unlike the weapons of swords and lances, the Germans use spears with short and narrow blades, javelins and shields. They don't train their horses like the Romans, for speed. Their strength is in their infantry, not their cavalry. Their system of power and authority is quite different. For instance, the power of the kings is not absolute, the commanders lead by example not authority, and the priests inflict punishments. The chiefs fight for victory on the battlefield, and the followers fight for their chiefs not themselves. Tacitus views the Germans as having a need for violence.

On that first fateful day, when Romulus struck down his own brother Remus, the cauldron of Rome was forged in blood and betrayal. The seeds on the Palatine hill cultured one of the most potent and stretching empires of human history. Though this civilization seemingly wielded the bolts of Zeus, they were infested with violence, vanity, and deception. Yet, one man—or seemingly “un”-man—outshone and out-graced his surroundings and everyone within it. He brought Rome several victories and rescued his beloved country from an early exodus, thus providing her a second beginning. This man was Marcus Furius Camillus, and against a logical and emotional mind, he was oft less than loved and celebrated. At times he was disregarded, insulted and even

In the epic poem of Beowulf, written by an unknown monk in about 725 AD, the Anglo-Saxon virtue of comitatus is displayed as a slowly dying aspect of life. Comitatus is the basic idea that everyone protects the king at all costs even if it means a warrior giving up his own life, and if a king is killed, the warriors must avenge the death of the king or they can no longer serve as warriors for the next king. This value of comitatus is displayed mostly through the three battles that Beowulf encounters during the epic poem. An analysis of the three battles is important because Beowulf’s choice of weapons, behavior of the Thanes, and preparation for and attitude toward battle all emphasize the death of the Anglo-Saxon virtue of

An example of a major source, which chiefly opposes the alternate interpretations provided by numerous other sources, is evident through the portrayals delivered by Tacitus in the Annals which contain a prospect of first century Rome, from Tiberius to Domitian. However in general, Tacitus offers a vivid representation of the Roman Empire, and doesn’t overlook the deadly exploitation and inhumaneness of the time, especially in regards to Augustus. This same view is further supported as Tacitus states that the “Protection of the laws were continually deranged by violence, intrigue and corruption” and that he, along with all of the Roman people, were “Stript of equality…” as they “…all looked up to the commands of a sovereign without the least

“But it isn’t only your severe punishments that produce right conduct,” Polybius told the Romans. “That alone wouldn’t make men brave. You encourage them to act heroically by holding out all kinds of rewards and incentives.”

Introduced as “a conqueror…greater” than any other “beneath the sun,” Thesëus, the wise and chivalrous lord Athens, is a merciful and noble duke (Chaucer 24). As a wise and noble leader, Thesëus, with a “heart of pity,” mends the ailments of his people, “ as he [is] a true knight.” (26).