Beowulf: A Powerful Warrior

During the timeframe in which Beowulf was first told by scops to crowds in mead halls, survival was something the populous dealt with constantly. Those individuals who survived had to have been strong warriors. A community could only survive with the collective skills of its warriors. And, as great warriors were valued among the members of this civilization, strong warriors were seen as the best candidates to be kings. The kings in Beowulf are all known to be renowned rulers for their times, being generous and successful in catering to their kingdom's people. The exception to this is Beowulf, a powerful warrior who takes on the role of king. His pride and innate need to show off his heroism inhibit his ability to rule his people, but ultimately …show more content…
His strength plays an important role in the numerous fights against monsters throughout the epic; it is the strength of Beowulf's grip that makes Grendel realise immediately that he has met his match (750), and it enables him to tear the monster's arm off. In the fight against the dragon, Beowulf hits the dragon so hard that his sword breaks, and it is explained that Beowulf is too strong to benefit from the use of swords (2682). This abnormal strength sets him apart from the other warriors in the epic from the beginning. However, the immense strength that he possessed caused Beowulf to develop hubris. His pride was overwhelming, and during the fight with the dragon, was a major factor in bringing upon his demise. However, Beowulf's pride was also important in giving him motivation to protect the reputation he had built himself as a warrior and as king and caused him to put effort into everything he did. Therefore, he was able to command his people well despite not being a generous or humble …show more content…
Wisdom is an important quality, because it balances strength. Strength without wisdom would make a person aggressive and unable to trust. Wisdom without strength is beneficial, but insufficient. Hrothgar, the king before Beowulf, wasa wise man, but since old age took away his strength, he could no longer protect his people the way he was expected to as an Anglo-Saxon leader. Beowulf combined these two very important qualities; even when he was young he showed considerable wisdom, and although he grew old, his strength did not diminish. When he was young, Beowulf could foresee events Hrothgar could not see. He predicted correctly that the truce between the Danes and Heathobards would not hold. This shows he has a good understanding of political relations and the reasons behind wars. This served him well when he acted as a thane to Heardred, and it also benefitted him when he ruled as a king. His wisdom helped him prevent wars an keep his people