A great king has past experiences that help them to rule successfully over their kingdom. Beowulf, translated by Clarence Griffin Child, is a story about a great hero who fights many battles and goes on to become a great king. Beowulf, the hero, first fights Grendel and his mother in order to bring peace to the Danes. Beowulf returns to his land of the Weder-Geats and only becomes king when Hygelac, the king, and his descendants die. He then goes on to become a great ruler until he dies after slaying a dragon that had been terrorizing the Geats. Beowulf’s actions as a warrior led him to gain the traits he needed to become the great king of the Weder-Geats.
First of all, Beowulf’s decision to help others, even when not asked, is a trait every
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“There Hygd proffered him… the king’s seat; she trusted not her son that he would know how to hold his ancestral seats against stranger folk, seeing Hygelac was dead. ”(47). Hygelac, king of the Weder-Geats, has died in battle, and the queen asked Beowulf to rule in her son’s place. Beowulf does not want to be king over Heardred, prince of the Geats. He chooses instead to help Heardred until he was able to rule the Weder-Geats himself. Beowulf only became king when both descendants of Hygelac had perished. “...through shocks of battle, after Hygelac fell and the war-swords had slain Heardred beneath his shield’s shelter...and overthrew the nephew of Heneric in war; thereafter was it the broad realm fell into the hand of Beowulf”(44). Beowulf was a great king to the Weder-Geats for fifty years. He was respected and cared for all of his people. He did not seek out wars, or glory at the expense of his people, but instead protected them from any enemies. “I have ruled the people fifty years; no folk-king was there of them that dealt about me durst touch me with his sword or cow me through terror, I bided at home the hours of destiny, guarded well mine own, sought not feuds with guile,swore not many an oath unjustly”(54). Beowulf shows selflessness in many of his acts, especially when he reigned as king. He did not put his people in unnecessary danger, but instead cared for their needs. This made him a hero to his people as their
Hrothgar’s final piece of advice for Beowulf brings all of his previous suggestions together to culminate in a useful code that Beowulf can utilize to rule. Hrothgar said, “O flower of warriors, beware of that trap (greed). Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride” (121). Throughout Beowulf’s tenure as leader of the Geats, his rule was successful and created a time of peace for the Geat people. No opposition dared to fight the powerful army of the Geats led by Beowulf. All that he accomplished was valuable to his colony, and above all, he provided them with security. Beowulf never put himself first and he used all of his resources to better the city-state. When Beowulf’s death was announced to his court, the messenger explains how the future might change drastically for the Geat people without Beowulf’s leadership. After the past wars with the Swedes, “they will cross our borders and attack in force when they find out Beowulf is dead...when our warriors fell and we were undefended he kept our coffers and our kingdom safe. He worked for the people, but as well as that he behaved like a hero” (203). Beowulf was so remarkable a leader when it came to the security of the Geat people that without him they feel that their chances of continuing to grow and prosper their society are slim to none. Hrothgar’s advice helped Beowulf manage his power by means of peace, truth, and justice. Beowulf’s leadership qualities were only
In the story Beowulf, noble warriors and kings proved their worth by dying for those they love. Beowulf, king of the Geats, and Jesus, king of the Jews both understood the importance of sacrificing their lives for their people. Traits that define a good king include always keeping your people as your top priority by promising to do whatever it takes to protect them and demonstrating that you are mortal, by being willing to fight and die alongside your people. Beowulf was a very loyal and brave king who always looked out for the good of his people, just as Jesus did for the Jews. Beowulf can be portrayed as a good king because he always put his people first, and even though the results of some situations did not turn out in the favor of the people, he had good intentions.
Beowulf demonstrates characteristics of a king because he is fearless. He isn’t just strong and dreamy like the average king we see on television, he is extremely courageous. For example, Beowulf traveled the sea to ask Hrothgar permission to battle Grendel. After his victory with Grendel, Grendel’s mother seeks revenge for her son so she targets one of Hrothgar’s closest friends. Hrothgar asks Beowulf to kill Grendel’s mother. Beowulf
Beowulf is held in high regards by everyone that he meets through all his god like abilities and show of intelligence in extreme scenarios. Beowulf hears stories of what is happening in Herot and he accepts responsibly in going to protect everyone from this terrible beast named
As we already know, King Hrothgar is Beowulf’s uncle. He had to call upon Beowulf since his ancestors have a military background. Beowulf has a great influence in the battlefield even though he is young. He is a great warrior with a lot of strength courage and wisdom. “The man whose name was known for courage, the Geat leader, resolute in his helmet, answered in return: “We are retainers from Hygelac’s band. Beowulf is my name. If your lord and master, the most renowned son of Halfdane, will hear me out And graciously allow me to greet him in person, I am ready and willing to report my errand ” (“Beowulf” 340-347). From this quote, the reader can understand that Beowulf stories about his battles have been told and heard because he “was known for courage”. Beowulf introduces himself and tells the guard about his reputation and the things that have happened to him in the past. Beowulf’s good reputation gives him more inspiration to keep fighting and sustains him physically and mentally. “Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast for the last time: “I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open”(“Beowulf” 2510-2515). Since King Hygelac and all of his sons died, they had no one to put as a king. Beowulf was the perfect candidate
They firmly believed that he lacked force, that the prince was a weakling” (2183-2188). Despite how he was treated in the past, he offers every treasure given by the Danes to the king while saying, “These, King Hygelac, I am happy to present to you as gifts. It is still upon your grace that all favour depends” (2148-2150). Not only does Beowulf not hold any resentment towards the king, but he freely gives what he has and is appreciative. In many areas of his life, Beowulf displays exemplary temperance in the way he “bored himself with valour; he was formidable in battle yet behaved with honour and took no
A brave warrior, unlike any men Strange supernatural powers, envied by others Filled with pride, filled with bravery Standing alone if other men cowered Fearing not of monsters or inevitable death Always ready for battle never one to give up Beowulf; a true warrior unlike Any the Geats had seen With Love for his Kingdom And courage in his heart With valor deep in his soul Beowulf is a righteous warrior One for men to look up to One that other men strive to be One that sets the standards For other men throughout the Kingdom Not measured by arrogance
Another heroic trait of Beowulf is his ability to put his people's welfare before his own. Beowulf's uncle is king of the Geats so he is sent to help kill Grendel. His actions toward Grendel show that he is willing to help others. In an epic it is usually found that the hero often determines the fate of a nation or group of people. He uses his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. Beowulf has definitely helped the Danes and his own people the Geats in their victory over evil by killing Grendel, his mom, and the dragon. Beowulf risks his own life for the Danes, asking help from no one. He realizes the dangers but fears nothing for his own life and cares only for the people. After Beowulf had served his people as King of the Geats for fifty years, he goes to battle one last time to fight a dragon that is
Beowulf was a good king. He wasn’t greedy or mean or selfish, he put his people first. And it’s evident in the fact that he went to fight the dragon himself, when he could’ve got some other “hero” to do it. “...he saw nothing to fear, thought nothing of the beast’s claws,
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
Beowulf served under his uncle who once passed on Hygelac’s wife who is known to be Queen Hygd. However, she then passes the throne on to Beowulf because she saw that her children were unfit to be the king. During this time the reign of Beowulf who is king of the Geats was in his time that his people flourished for he was a wise and noble
After killing Grendel, he did not think twice about fighting Grendel’s mother who wanted to avenge her son’s death. Just as King Scyld was a great King, Beowulf too became a noble king. “The broad kingdom came into Beowulf's hands. He ruled it well for fifty years—a venerable king and homeland guardian” (Greenfield 111). He keeps his kingdom safe from harm for fifty
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
Beowulf’s responsibility differs from a warrior to a king. As a young fighter he has responsibility to his Geatish king as well as to Hrothgar. His king, Hyglac, relies on Beowulf to represent him and