The Good King in Beowulf:

Compared to Hrothgar, Is Beowulf a Good King?

At the beginning of Beowulf1, the narrator mentions the kings who ruled them had
courage and greatness (2). It is the first time he talks about the kings, who play
important roles in the story. It somehow indicates how to play ones part as a king, but
only having these two virtues seems not enough to be a good king. John Halverson
interprets his ideas about the kings in his work The World of Beowulf, The good king
maintains his country, his retainers and people, and their traditions; he is the protector,
the champion of his people, not their bane. Such a ruler is Hrothgar; so was Offa; so
will Beowulf be (595). As we can see, the good king in Beowulfs world should not
only protect his people from being attack by enemies or monsters but also maintain
the traditions by their own.
The best warriors may be not always the kings, but the kings are always the best
warriors of the country. It is not difficult to find out that good kings actually share
some similarities with good warriors. They are both courageous, loyal, eloquent,
strong and selflessetc. But at the same time, they are so different because of the
responsibilities followed with their social roles. Since the king gets the throne, he has
no longer lived only for himself but for all his people, and what he concerns has been
peoples good rather than his own desire and fame. Being a good king is definitely not
an easy job. Beowulf, the greatest warrior in his time, also becomes a king in the later
stage of the story. The narrator says that He was a good king (2390), but other
description of him as a king is rarely mentioned. In following paragraphs, I would like
to introduce the most significant virtues, mighty and generous, which the good king
should have. And then examine Beowulfs kingship by these characteristics. Finally,
1 The edition adopted in The Norton Anthology of English Literature
(Ninth Edition).

the controversial lost fifty years under Beowulfs reign will be discussed in the
essay also.
First, a good king must be mighty to protect his people, his country and their
tradition as a good king. Having the great rulership is not enough in that war
prevailing period, and using powerful force to fight and gain reputation will make
people trust you and support you. Before Beowulf becomes the king, he goes to Danes
to help Hrothgar to kill Grendel and his mother. He fights with Grendel with no
weapon, using only his bare hands just because Grendel doesnt use weapon either. He
is confident but not silly, and he fights not only with his strength but also his wisdom.
When he fights against Grendels mother, he uses the magical sword which collected
by her to harm her. From different style and attitude of dealing with monsters invade
and harass, it is obvious to see the responsibilities and difficulties of social roles. And
these two fights with the monsters show the potentiality of Beowulf and establish the
foundation for him to be a king in the near future. Beowulf is not a king then, so he is
not like Hrothgar who fears to run a risk. Hrothgar might be strong enough, but he
cannot take a risk to kill the monster himself. Any possibility which may lead to death
for either his people or himself is not allowed to exist, because he, Hrothgar, is the
king. In this condition, Hrothgar seems to be powerless and unable to protect his
people. And Beowulfs strength also makes Wealhtheow, the wife of Hrothgar, scared.
She is scared that Beowulf will take the inheritance from her two sons, since she
knows Beowulf will be a good king. The fights also change the ideas about Beowulf
in Hygelacs mind, which is quite important. The narrator mentions the former image
of Beowulf,
He had been poorly regarded
For a long time, was taken by the Geats
For less than he was worth: and their lord too
Had never much esteemed him in the mead-hall

They firmly believed that he lacked force,

That the prince was a weakling; but presently
Every affront to his deserving was reversed. (Beowulf 2183-2189)
If Beowulf did not go to Danes to kill the monsters, he did not do something to
change his former weak image, he will never get the chance to be a king. In other
words, these two fights get hum the tickets. And later his latest battle with dragon also
shows his strength and his responsibility as a king. Fisher compares the fight with
Grendel and his mother and the battle with the dragon then says, The fights with
Grendel and his dam are united to the dragon fight in the opposition of the hero and
king, youth and age, the beginning and the ending of a life of achievement (171). No
matter as a hero or a king, Beowulf shows his invincible force and play his roles well.
Second, a good king cannot be stingy, in other words, he must be generous. As a
king in the tribe system, he doesnt have to do all the things by himself. But what he
needs to do is to provide, to give weapons, lands and a share of treasure to the
warriors who fight and risk their lives for him. He knows how to gain treasures, and
he knows more about how to give. So, the kings always have the titles like ringgiver and treasure-giver to show their generosity. Hrothgar demonstrates his
generosity after Beowulf defeats Grendel and his mother, he rewards him a golden
banner, helmet, and mail-shirt, as well as a jeweled sword, magnificent horses with
golden trappings that hang to the ground, a gem-studded saddle, and a golden collar.
Actually, Beowulf deserves that and Hrothgar just shows the largess as a good king
through the process. And in the battle with the dragon, we can see Beowulfs
generosity from Wiglafs description. He is sad that his companions are all ungrateful
people, and he says,
I remember that time when mead was flowing,
How we pledged loyalty to our lord in the hall,
Promised our ring-giver we would be worth our price,
Make good the gift of the war-gear,
Those swords and helmets, as and when

His need required it. (Beowulf 2633-2638)

When Beowulf is dying, he still thinks about dragons treasure which he can leave to
his warriors and his people. As a warrior, Beowulf earns his reputation and treasures
with his force; as a king, Beowulf also knows how to give.
Third, the lost fifty-year is involved in Beowulfs kingship as a controversial
point. After Hygelac falls and his son Heardred also is killed, Beowulf finally
becomes a king. The narrator just mentions the fifty winters (2209) briefly, and he
also praises Beowulf that He ruled it well (2208). Readers do not know what
exactly happen in those lost fifty years with those few description. But some
similarities shares by Hrothgar and Beowulf here. The one is the years of their reign,
and the other is the appearance of the monsters. They both rule their countries for fifty
years, and the monsters appear almost in the end of their reign. Fifty years seems to be
a kind of limit of a kings rulership in Beowulf, just like the number nine represents
the biggest, the longest and the greatest notion in traditional Chinese culture. If people
want to break through the limit, there are always tests and sufferings which send by
God. The monsters can be regarded as the tests for not only the countries but also the
kings. They challenge the kings force and reputation, and they are inevitable when
the kingship cross the line of fifty-year. As the country is stronger, the king is greater,
the test or the suffering is tougher. The dragon is stronger than Grendel and his
mother, which may imply Beowulf is better than Hrothgar as a king. Even though
Beowulf does not avoid the destiny of death, he still kills the dragon and finishes the
suffering of his people. Like Fisher says, There is no longer the necessity to account
for a gap between the Grendel fights and the dragon fight. The details in the fifty-year
reign of the hero would have been irrelevant.(171) It is not necessary to see the
process of those years of reign, and what really matters is the result of the end.
Beowulf kills the dragon and leaves the treasure to his people, and it proves

everything.
Compared to Hrothgar, Beowulf indeed shares some similarities with him but in
some aspects do better than him as a king. Although the lost fifty years really trigger
readers curiosity and doubt on Beowulfs rulership, other dazzling virtues as a good
king of him still cannot be denied. No matter which roles he plays, a good warrior or a
good king, his names will always match the reality and be remembered by people.

Work Cited
Halverson, John. "The World of Beowulf." ELH 36.4 (1969): 593-608. JSTOR. Web.
03 June 2015.
Fisher, Peter F. "The Trials of the Epic Hero in Beowulf." PMLA 73.3 (1958): 171-83.
JSTOR. Web. 03 June 2015.
Gedeon, Luke. "Essay: A Survey of Kingship in Beowulf." Codex Atlanticus. N.p., 19
Nov. 2002. Web. 04 June 2015.