The roles of warrior and king are intertwined. It does not always require skill as a warrior to make a great king and likewise skill as a great king to make a warrior. The two facilities are not synonymous or opposite, both are present in rulers and warriors in Beowulf. The combination is necessary for a respected leader in Anglo-Saxon society. It is the main difference between warriors and kings that makes combining the two tricky. Warriors have a natural inclination to be selfish in that they want glory for themselves. This is different from how a king must think, for the people depend on him and he must think of the kingdom before himself.
Hrothgar is a perfect example of what a leader and a warrior in Anglo-Saxon society should be. The Danish king was a formidable warrior in his youth and ventured out to obtain glory for himself while also strengthening political connections and securing alliances that would later help his kingdom. An example of the …show more content…
After the death of Hygelac, king of the Geats, the queen offered Beowulf the throne. Beowulf declined and only took up the throne after the prince died. The new responsibility did nothing to dampen his adventurous spirit and he went on to fight the Swedes and the dragon. Before going off to fight the latter Beowulf says: “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” (2511-2514). A kingdom needs security provided by its king. Beowulf has won this through his reputation, which wards off potential invaders, but in this case slaying the dragon will do no good for the kingdom. Beowulf's reputation is inflated enough to warn off opponents and does not need to be expanded any further. The kingdom needs security, rather than glory. So, what Beowulf is really saying with this statement is that he wishes to accrue more glory for himself, rather than for the
Hrothgar is a perfect example of what a leader and a warrior in Anglo-Saxon society should be. The Danish king was a formidable warrior in his youth and ventured out to obtain glory for himself while also strengthening political connections and securing alliances that would later help his kingdom. An example of the …show more content…
After the death of Hygelac, king of the Geats, the queen offered Beowulf the throne. Beowulf declined and only took up the throne after the prince died. The new responsibility did nothing to dampen his adventurous spirit and he went on to fight the Swedes and the dragon. Before going off to fight the latter Beowulf says: “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” (2511-2514). A kingdom needs security provided by its king. Beowulf has won this through his reputation, which wards off potential invaders, but in this case slaying the dragon will do no good for the kingdom. Beowulf's reputation is inflated enough to warn off opponents and does not need to be expanded any further. The kingdom needs security, rather than glory. So, what Beowulf is really saying with this statement is that he wishes to accrue more glory for himself, rather than for the