Beowulf

In the epic poem Beowulf, the greatness of a leader defines the advancement of his civilization. Hrothgar and Beowulf depict strong leaders; therefore, they possess great kingdoms. Conversely, losing a celebrated leader, such as Beowulf's death, leads to the destruction of his kingdom. Before deciphering the validity of the thesis, one must comprehend the traits of a good leader in the epic. Naturally, a good leader must protect his people from evil at all cost, even if it leads the leader to his death. This idea depicts characteristics of courage, selfness, pride, and strength. Also, a good leader must be wise like the experience King Hrothgar and a good ring giver such as Shild.

In the first chapter of Beowulf, the unknown author portrays Hrothgar as a noble leader stating, "Then Hrothgar, taking the throne, led the Danes to such gloryÐ'..." (65). Hrothgar conquers many lands and "divides the spoils of their victories, to old and young," (71-72) boosting the happiness of the people and improving the civilizations economy. Unfit leaders might keep all the riches through greed for himself, leaving his people in poverty. But Hrothgar being a noble ring giver, shares the wealth. In addition, when Hrothgar becomes victorious in battles he leaves the common pastures untouched and takes no lives. This follows the ethics of the civilization and is wise of a good leader. Hrothgar also shows his wisdom by allowing Beowulf to battle Grendel. One can easily argue that Hrothgar being old and weak cannot defend his people; therefore, the thesis is void. This is a very foolish argument. Many leaders would have too much pride and would not allow an outsider to defend his [the leader's] land. This thoughtless action might lead to the destruction of the leader's civilization. Nevertheless, Hrothgar welcomes Beowulf and asks him to defeat Grendel, which led to the survival of Hrothgar's kingdom. If it was not for Hrothgar's wisdom, the Danes might have become a lost race.

Beowulf also illustrates a celebrated leader, which lead to the advancement of Geatland. In the epic, a fire-breathing dragon attacks Beowulf's kingdom, leaving his people in disaster. Because of this (and the destruction of his own hall), Beowulf decides to fight the dragon even though he is old and might die in battle. He says, "I've never known fear; as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am