Anđa Belić

Prof. Boris Berić, PhD

English Literature from Beowulf to Neoclassicism

October 28, 2016

Is Beowulf a good king according to the Anglo-Saxon understanding of kingship?

Beowulf is one of the best poems ever written in old English. According to Anglo-Saxons

their heroes and therefore kings had to be strong, intelligent, and brave. They had to be great

warriors, excellent speakers, and well-known leaders. They as well expected of their heroes to be

willing to confront all obstacles and fight to the death for their own glory and people.

Nevertheless, with all this, they still were able to be noble and modest. Beowulf possesses all of

these values both as a warrior and king. Accordingly, he as a character is the best example of an

epic hero. In the next few paragraphs, we will find out how the Beowulf fits and follow Anglo-

Saxon code of conduct.

Firstly, Beowulf does not accept challenge only because he wants to show his strength

and ability. He was prompted by the fact that his father Ecgtheow and king Hrothgar were old

friends and he must return the favour. Namely, Hrothgar was a good king in his own right, but

also old and powerless in front of Grendel. He could not protect his people and Heorot has

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become an easy target. Beowulf proves how great he is when he killed Grendel without any

weapons, just with his hands. Even Grendel in the poem says: "The captain of evil discovered

himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the

earth." (Beowulf 750-753) Grendel also represents unstable nature of Anglo-Saxon existence.

Therefore when Beowulf kills him in some way he ‘saves’ all those people together with the king

and brought peace to the kingdom. Beowulf, actually, fits perfectly in Anglo-Saxon society

because they valued a confident young man who was capable of motivating himself and was

aware of his actions and success.

Secondly, Anglo-Saxon society believed in a revenge cycle. If someone killed one of

your men, you were obligated to reciprocate. Because of that after the Beowulf killed Grendel,

Grendel’s mother attacked him. In fact, this is the moment in the poem when good and evil are in

the greatest tension. After glorious victory over Grendel’s mother, Beowulf is on his way to

becoming a good king. But king Hrothgar warns him of seductive danger of his success with

these words:

O flower of warriors, beware of that trap.

Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part,

eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride.

For a brief while your strength is in bloom

but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow

illness or the sword to lay you low,

or a sudden fire or surge of water

or jabbing blade or javelin from the air

or repellent age. Your piercing eye

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 will dim and darken; and death will arrive,

dear warrior, to sweep you away.

(1758–1768)

Hrothgar explains how power and gifts can destroy all good values that some warrior possesses.

For instance, in the poem Danish king Heremod is an example of a bad king who is full of greed

and vanity. He does not just leave his people unprotected; he also killed other Danes. His actions

in the poem were described with the sentence "he grew bloodthirsty."(1719) So Hrothgar wanted

to warn Beowulf to guard against the curse of pride because as a future good king he should

focus on "eternal rewards", and be aware that his youth and strength will not last forever.

Furthermore, one of the most important ways that Beowulf reveals values of the Anglo-

Saxon society is in its Heroic code. When we talk about Heroic code we think on the collective

values of the Anglo-Saxon period such as bravery, truth, loyalty and duty. Beowulf as a main

character and literary work shows this code in action. Moreover, all of these values were

illustrated by Beowulf through his fights. In his last fight with a dragon where he was fighting as

warrior and king because all his people run away, except Wiglaf, Beowulf shows why he is a

capable ruler. Even on his deathbed, he respects the rules of Heroic code and gives the reward to

his loyal thane Wiglaf. He was buried according to his wishes. Undoubtedly, Beowulf was a

great warrior who matures to a wise king. The transitional point from a warrior to a king was his

final battle with a dragon. Even though in that fight reader can see that duties of a heroic warrior

and heroic king are different, one role is not complete without another. That is why because

certain situations require abilities and values from both sides.

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 To sum up, Beowulf was a king for whom we can say that is shoulder by shoulder with

legendary Danish king Shield Sheafson, who was characterised as a good king at the very

beginning of the poem. Beowulf ruled long fifty years, fifty years of peace and that is the fact

that speaks for itself. After his death Geat people described his king with these words:"They said

that of all the king upon earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his

people and keenest to win fame."(3180) Beowulf really proved with his actions that he is one of

the kings whose name will live forever.

Anonymous. “Beowulf.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by Stephen

Greenblatt, Eighth edition, vol. I., W.W. Norton, 2006, pp. 34-100.

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