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personality traits of a leader
essay on leadership personality
personality traits of a leader
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Seamus Heaney's Beowulf
Having a good and noble king is vital to the succession and happiness of a group of people. Unfortunately, not all kings are good kings, but the welfare of their people reflects on their ability to do the job. Having a foreign or pariah king will cause the people's welfare to suffer, but when a group of people has an excellent king, they will remain joyful and prosperous until the day he dies.
If the reign of a king causes feud, then this would not have a positive effect on the group of people under his reign. In Seamus Heaney's Beowulf, Hrothgar, king of Denmark, considers giving his kingship to Beowulf, the Geat warrior who came to Denmark in order to defeat Grendel, who is the devilish monster attacking the Danes, as a service to King Hrothgar. When Queen Wealtheow, King Hrothgar's wife, hears of this, she says to him, "The word is that you want to adopt this warrior as a son. So, while you bask in your fortune, and then bequeath kingdom and nation to your kith and kin before decease. I am sure of Hrothulf" (183.1175-9). By saying this, she is warning her husband about what problems may arise if he were to give his kingship to a foreigner. She then reminds Hrothgar of Hrothulf's distinguished traits and that he is also stripping his own sons of their rights to kingship if he goes through with handing the throne over to Beowulf. Wealtheow is most likely worried about Beowulf just simply conquering their people for Geatland, the people not liking his foreign methods, she obviously does not want to take kingship rights from her beloved relatives whom she considers worthy of the role, and does not want to see friction occur between Beowulf and their kin. Wealtheow knows that allowing a foreigner to take over the throne of Denmark will cause the welfare of the Danes to suffer.
When a king goes bad, his people lose respect in him, are no longer content and successful as a people, and are likely to rebel against him. Hrothgar says to Beowulf, "Do not give way to pride"(121.1760). He is explaining to Beowulf that excessive pride is a king's worst enemy.
In the folk epic Beowulf written by an unknown writer, it was common for a tribe to be ruled by a chieftin, also known as a king, who was expected to maintain the well being of his people. Shield Sheafson was the first example of a chieftin in the poem. Beowulf eventually lived up to him. “A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on as his powers waxed and his worth was proved.” Sheafson flourished at the height of his power and just like an ideal king was suppose to be, he was buried with treasures. The king surrounded himself with blood kindred retainers and many household members. Also the king led his men in battles and was rewarded with spoils. Royal generosity was also an important aspect of the Anglo Saxon culture and in this
There are a plethora of different themes, motifs, and symbols to choose from in Beowulf. A recurring theme throughout Beowulf is generosity and hospitality, along with the importance of ones identity. One portion stands out the most against the first theme and it is; The Finnsburg Fragment. A motif that came to mind while reading Beowulf had to have been the importance of the Mead Hall. Something else to think about is the relation to the fall of the hall in The Finnsburg Fragment being told right after Beowulf’s victory against Grendel.
In all of the best works of literature, each of a writer's characters has a purpose whether the role is small or big. Even if it goes unnoticed, the small characters usually play a key role to the story's plot development. These minor characters also add depth to the story's world and also help in the development of the major characters' personality. In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the minor characters of Friar Lawrence, the Nurse, and Tybalt are in many ways the most pivotal characters to the play's development.
wither in their pride/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” From
A true hero is someone who stands up for an idea that has admirable intentions. In the book “Beowulf,” men were considered heroes based on the way they followed the warrior’s code. The warrior’s code included duty, honor, and chivalry. At the beginning of the book, Beowulf seems to have the characteristics of a warrior, but as the story develops Beowulf starts having a different perspective on what a true warrior is.
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would
Throughout history rulers have always been protective of their kingdoms. In hopes of always being in control of their territory, rulers develop special relationships with the people to protect them. This relationship was usually achieved by of instilling fear into the minds of their warriors, or instilling respect between each other. In the story Beowulf the relationship between the ruler and his thanes is that of honor, friendship, and respect.
From the beginning of his life as a warrior to the end as a king, he gains and develops glory, responsibility and courage, all vital to his reign as a successful king.
The story of the epic hero, Beowulf, has been translated by many authors throughout the years. Among the many authors is Burton Raffel. Burton Raffel tried to instill or incorporate and project an emphasis on the importance of the qualities that a hero should posses. Burton Raffel translated Beowulf in 1963 after 44 other translations of Beowulf. As a translator, Burton Raffel faced what many other translators had to capture – the ideas of the author.
An epic hero is defined as someone who seems larger than life, that exemplifies the cultural values of that time period. A piece of literature that revolves around the archetypal hero is the poem Beowulf. Beowulf is the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language. Although the poem has historical elements woven into it, it is a complete work of fiction. The poem itself was originally untitled. Later on, the poem was named after its protagonist, whom the poem primarily focuses on. Beowulf accurately portrays the archetypal hero in several distinctive ways which include; being a great warrior, traveling over a vast setting, showing humility, and being of noble birth.
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
In Anglo-Saxon culture heroes were determined by their bravery, strength, and glory. In the epic Beowulf, Beowulf is the epitome of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he displays all of these traits. Beowulf exhibits his bravery in the way he fearlessly goes into each of his three battles. He then displays his strength as he defeats each of the monsters. Finally, Beowulf is glorified by his comrades because of his heroic actions. Beowulf is an epic hero because he embodies his people’s ideals of bravery, strength, and glory through his battles.
Everyone feared his abilities and wouldn’t dare attack him. Then a dragon was woken from its slumber and attacked part of Beowulf’s land. “Yet the prince if rings was too proud to line up with a large army against the sky-plague.” (159: 2345-2347). Beowulf could have taken all of his warriors to fight, but he was too smug. He had to be the one to fight it, or die trying. Beowulf had a need for glorious battle and impossible tasks. He brought few warriors with him to kill the murderous creature. When they reached the dragon, Beowulf made the decision to go in alone because he was too proud, and full of himself to ask for help. When the time came that he needed his warriors, they all ran except one. Beowulf was such a great warrior that no one else in his army had any skill at battle. They had no courage or experience because of Beowulf’s need to go in alone. Beowulf met his match against the dragon, and perished. The need for all the glory and fame drove Beowulf right to his death. It wasn’t the actual threat that killed Beowulf, but the careless decisions that were the real
Beowulf's Physical Journeys The physical journeys that Beowulf goes through in this poem are more than a mere change in location. They represent a change that Beowulf is going to go through. After each journey, since they were followed with a fight, or battle, Beowulf changes. He changed in more ways than just young to old; he changed into a heroic warrior and eventually a king.
Beowulf was a highly skilled and great fighter, but because of his over-confidence in himself the fire-breathing dragon kills him. Beowulf’s excessive pride is evident from the very beginning of the epic. He is almost always boasting about himself to one person or the other. In the first part of the epic, when Beowulf first travels to Hrothgar’s kingdom to rid him of Grendel, he talks about the mighty deeds he has done in his life. “Hail, Hrothgar, health ever keep you! I am Hyglelac’s thane and kinsman; mighty deeds I have done in my youth…they saw themselves how I came from combat bloodied by enemies where I crushed down five, killed a tribe of giants, and on the waves at night slew water-beasts; no easy task, but I dove out trouble from Geatland-they asked for it, the enemies I killed.”(Beowulf p73) One can easily picture him standing proud and tall in front of a multitude of fellow warriors, proclaiming all the deeds he has accomplished in his lifetime.