We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The king, Hrothgar allows Beowulf to fight because has known Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, and Hrothgar saved him from a feud. LitCharts Teacher Editions. A little too courageous for a king … Beowulf a Good Leader Real leadership is leaders recognizing that they serve the people they lead. Beowulf is a good leader because he shows bravery, honor, and loyalty to his people in spite of the dangers he faces throughout the poem. Through the gifts of gold, Hrothgar not only honors Beowulf and rewards his bravery, but he also demonstrates his own generosity—as dictated by the heroic code. None of his comrades Came to him, helped him, his brave and noble Followers; they ran for their lives, fled Deep in a wood. Hrothgar is very thankful and names Beowulf the king of the geats. The narrator of Beowulf is extremely clear about what a good king is like: he's strong enough to dominate all the surrounding tribes and demand tribute from them. There are many Modern English translations of Beowulf, but one of the best is Seamus Heaney’s 1999 translation, which is the one I quoted from. As seen in Beowulf, the feudal relationship of comitatus existed in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture between a lord or king and the free man who fought for him. The Beowulf quotes below are all either spoken by Hrothgar or refer to Hrothgar. Study Help Famous Quotes from Beowulf. Teachers and parents! But blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father’s embrace.”, “It is a great wonder how Almighty God in His magnificence favours our race with rank and scope and the gift of wisdom; His sway is wide. But as the story of Beowulf unfolds, it becomes clear that while good kings and warriors share some similar traits, such as courage, loyalty, selflessness, and might in battle, the values of a good warrior and a good king do not overlap in other fundamental ways.. No one knows its bottom, no wisdom reaches such depths.”. pg. Here are examples of some of the most famous quotes from Beowulf. Hrothgar is a rewarding King that understands his people and makes sure all his men get enough to drink and women to look at and please them. Hygelac was king of the Geats at the time of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel and Grendel’s mother. Beowulf is loyal to his family honor, his homeland, his king, and his men, making loyalty a powerful motivating force for this man who puts others' needs before his own. They reflect on his kindness and gentleness as king. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 11 quotes from Burton Raffel: 'Quickly, the dragon came at him, encouraged As Beowulf fell back; its breath flared, And he suffered, wrapped around in swirling Flames -- a king, before, but now A beaten warrior. Not only was Beowulf known for being a brave warrior and a strong king, but he was also known for being Edgetho’s son. Beowulf's death and the death of the dragon further enforce the theme of death and defeat. The three major kings living at the time of the action in the poem are Hygelac, Hrothgar, and Beowulf. Beowulf is divided into three parts in which Beowulf fights a dragon, a monster named Grendel, and Grendel’s mother. When you purchase books using links on our website, Bookroo or its affiliates may receive a small commission (at no added cost to you). The narrator of Beowulf emphasizes the importance of both good warriors and good kings. As Tolkien himself quotes, “defeat is no refutation” against the courage of the hero. All the people, whether it be from Gateland or Daneland, cheered Beowulf on in his quest to defeat the vicious Grendel and conquer Grendel's mother. He tormented his people, oppressed them them, exhausted them in daily life and in combat, and he gave himself the right to sleep with any unmarried woman. The old king offers his own life as an example of the changing fortunes that can come with age. Lesson Summary. Instant downloads of all 1417 LitChart PDFs Afterwards a boy-child was sent to Shield, a cub in the yard, a comfort sent ... of good deeds and bad, the Lord God, Head of the Heavens and High King of the World, ... Lines 688-702: This passage shows that Beowulf is an epic hero, and suggests he is guided by fate or some higher being – God. As a protector and nurturer, the king must put the good of the people above his own desire for fame and glory. For ten long days they made his monument, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Lastly, Beowulf and Wiglaf both show outstanding loyalty throughout the piece. Beowulf Important Quotes. The differences between good kings and good warriors arise from the different roles that kings and warriors play in society. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Compare and contrast themes from other texts to this theme…, The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Good Warriors and Good Kings appears in each section of. A good warrior, in contrast, supports his people through the pursuit of personal fame, whether on the battlefield, in feats of strength, or by purposely seeking out conflict, just as Beowulf does in coming to Hrothgar's aid and fighting Grendel. It is always better/to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. I wish to give thanks, speaking such words as I may, to the almighty Ruler, the King crowned with glory, the eternal Lord, for these riches I look on here by the barrow, that I have been blessed to acquire for my dear people, before the time of my passing. He is famous for being both good and great. “So. This is one way I can expose students to the various translations of … It is this flaw which leads him, in the third act of the poem, to confuse being a good warrior with being a good king. In this I take comfort and joy when now I am stricken with death-dealing wounds.”, “Not even the sharpest of swords could have cut it [Grendel’s hand] through, broken it off the monster’s arm and ended its life, as Beowulf had done armed only with his bare hands.”, “Thus I fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry—crawling, whimpering, streaming tears, across the world like a two-headed beast, like mixed-up lamb and kid at the tail of a baffled, indifferent ewe—and I gnashed my teeth and clutched the sides of my head as if to heal the split, but I couldn’t.”, “He was spawned in that slime of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God.”, “The Almighty Judge of good deeds and bad, the Lord God, Head of the Heavens and High King of the World, was unknown to them. So young men build/ The future, wisely open-handed in peace,/ Protected in war; so warriors earn/ Their fame, and wealth is shaped with a sword." The Spear-Danes in days gone by/and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness./We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns.”. Beowulf is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines. (Page 3) The famous first lines of Beowulf—including the Old English exclamation “Hwaet,” here … Before he was a king, Beowulf was a great young warrior who was revered by his people. All of Beowulf’s actions are clearly motivated by loyalty, starting with his decision to help the Danes. I've put these on notecards but have them in a document for ease of use here: Beowulf's Boasts quotes. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Lastly, Beowulf too finally earns the appellation “good king” after “he ruled it well /for fifty winters, grew old and wise / as warden on the land” (2208-2210). Beowulf Quotes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Luckily for Hrothgar, Beowulf comes and saves the day. Fate will unwind as it must!”, “Do not grieve, wise warrior! Quote 1: "His father's warrior were wound round his heart/ With golden rings, bound to their prince/ By his father's treasure. Hrothgar recalls, “Ecgtheow Beowulf's men lament as they look upon his body and build a grand pyre covered with battle armor and helmets.
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