Beowulf The King

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 relying solely on the strength of one man alone, he ultimately leaves his kingdom defenseless. By first examining how Hrothgar ensures a future for his people, and then by analyzing Beowulf's actions and motivations as king before he fights the dragon, this essay will define good kingship and expose Beowulf's failings as a king.

Above all, Hrothgar sought to have a reciprocal relationship with his people. This intention is manifested in the building of Heorot. After proving himself in war and building a “mighty army[,]...his mind turned/ to hall-building” (lines 67-8). The great mead hall of Heorot was “meant to be a wonder of the world forever” (70), to be enjoyed by all, and to be a place to “dispense/ his God-given goods to young and old” (71-2). Hrothgar literally builds an infrastructure to support a sense of community in his realm. The Danes soon feel pride for Heorot, “radiant with gold” (308), and in return for honourable deeds, Hrothgar “doled out rings” (80) to the “bold defenders” ...

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...when one man follows his own will/ many are hurt” (3078-79). Beowulf is not, then, “truly noble” (250) as the watchman of the sea-cliffs first assumes. “Of all the kings upon earth” (3181), it is said that Beowulf is “keenest to win fame” (3182). Wiglaf describes his king as “a man unequaled in the quest for glory/ and a name for daring” (2645-46), and it is “the thought of glory” (2678), not the thought of his defenseless people, that inspires Beowulf to strike the final blow to the dragon – neither fame nor the selfish quest for glory are particularly noble pursuits. By showing that Beowulf is not the ideal king, one must then inquire as to whether Beowulf is the morally upright hero many readers assume him to be.

Works Cited

“Beowulf.” Trans. Seamus Heaney. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: Norton. Vol. 1 8th ed. 29-100.