Beowulf opens with the story of the ancient king, Shield Sheafson, in order to establish a discussion of kingship and begin to construct a definition of what constitutes a “good king”. Once this definition is established, the text uses it to evaluate the other European kings in the tale, notably Hrothgar and Beowulf. This exploration of European kingship ultimately leads the modern reader to a discourse on the rule of the “High King of the World” (182), God. Because the text presents the reader with stories about the reign of God, in the same way it recounts the reign of Hrothgar and Beowulf, while simultaneously providing the reader with a definition of good kingship, it invites the reader to evaluate the reign of God. The text offers its reader the opportunity to question the limits of God's kingship, as well as to evaluate his relationship with his subjects, humanity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Initially, the text focuses on defining the attributes and behaviors that a fit monarch should have. According to the text, Shield Sheafson is considered "a good king" (11) because he "rages against his enemies" (5), "father of a famous son" (18), receives obedience when he lays "law among the Danes" (29), and continues to "prosper" (26) until his death. These characteristics become the basis of the text for analyzing other kings. Therefore, the text requires that a king manifests the ability to protect his kingdom, secure its future, command obedience, and maintain its strength in order to be considered a good ruler Hrothgar fails the text's test of good kingship because he does not. cannot protect his kingdom from evil in his old age Although the narrator praises Hrothgar as a "mighty prince" (129), there is an ironic distance between the narrator's descriptions and reality, and between the narrator's voices. and of the author When the narrator describes Hrothgar as a "mighty prince" (129), the king's actions reveal him as "stricken and helpless, / humiliated by the loss of his guard" (130-1). Similarly, when the narrator describes Hrothgar as the great "keeper of the treasure," who "walks in majesty" (920-1), the irony lies in the fact that Hrothgar actually comes "from the women's quarters." (920). A true powerful king would come from the battlefield, not the boudoir. Despite the narrator's lavish praise, the author's criticism of Hrothgar's actions rings clear. The narrator's assertions about Hrothgar's greatness are in fact authorial accusations about Hrothgar's evil kingship. When the narrator states that Hrothgar is the "shield of his nation" (268), the "protector of shields" (371), the "ring of defense" of his people (429), and "their shelter in time of war" (663), the author uses the ironic disjunction between Hrothgar's descriptions and his actual behavior to emphasize the fact that he is a weak king, incapable of protecting his people. Likewise, Hrothgar's speech to Beowulf advising him to beware of old age, pride, and "unthinking" (1733) is not simply what it appears on the surface. The speech also functions as an account of Hrothgar's own mistakes This reveals Hrothgar's knowledge of his failures as king; he recognizes that he has failed his people and hopes that his knowledge will help Beowulf avoid the same fate. his failures as king through his honest efforts to understand and accept the mistakes he made He may have succumbed for a time to pride, "illness and old age" (1735), but. he now realizes that men must “beware of this trap” (1758) ofpride, and knowing that “death will come” (1767). . Although unable to live up to Shield Sheafson's legend of good royalty, he realizes what he is lacking. The text advises that “understanding is always best” (1058), and Hrothgar passes this test of understanding. He realizes that old age, pride and "unthinking" (1733) have been undoing him, and in recognizing this fact there is hope that he will be able to pass on his knowledge and that a good king will come out. The analysis of Hrothgar's kingship leads to an analysis of Beowulf's reign. By the standards set by the text, Beowulf cannot be considered a good king. He fails to secure his people's future with any sort of heir, and he puts his people in danger by thinking of his own glory and strength when he goes to fight the dragon instead of thinking of his well-being. As the text warns, “often when one man follows his own will, many are hurt” (3077-8). The great pride that prevents him from “aligning himself with a great army / against the plague of heaven” (2346-7) leads him to death and his people to the brink of disaster, leaderless and vulnerable. Despite his great strength and the heroic exploits of his youth, he fails to fulfill the demands of protecting and providing for his people. Furthermore, he seems to lack Hrothgar's redemptive insight into his own failures. He goes to his death proud of his accomplishments, believing he leaves his people “well endowed” (2798), and incapable of understanding the danger in which he has placed them. The gold he earns is useless to them, destined to be "locked in fire" (3015) with his lifeless body. If the understanding is better, then Beowulf is far from great. This is the analysis that 'a medieval reader could have made from the text of Beowulf He could have taken from the text the message that kings must protect, provide for, command, and endure their people in order to be good rulers. might have seen a message in the text that human kings like Hrothgar and Beowulf have flaws, but that some hope might lie in understanding and correcting those flaws. The text may even have been seen as a. container intended to hold the record of these flaws, in the hope that they could be avoided in the future The depiction of an imperfect human kingship certainly existed in the text aimed at readers of the medieval period and continues to do so. exist in the 21st century However, for modern readers, the text opens up an additional discourse that medieval readers might not have perceived, nor that a medieval author would have intentionally started, about the kingship of the "True King of Triumphs." » (3055), God. The reign of God in Beowulf is presented to the reader throughout the stories of Shield, Hrothgar, and Beowulf. Every event in the work is attributed to God. The text gives the reader a clear opportunity to investigate and question the reign of God in the same way that the text and the reader question the kingships of Hrothgar and Beowulf. In three respects, the God of Beowulf is as perfect a king as could be expected. . He provides for the future of his people, he always receives obedience when he demands it, and his strength never fails. The future of God's people is assured in two ways. Since God is immortal, his people will never suffer for lack of a leader. Old age cannot do him mortal harm, as it has done to so many human kings. Furthermore, according to the Christian faith, God gives his people a perfect heir, Christ, who in turn will give them a perfect inheritance, eternal life. These gifts are far better than the gold and treasures that human kings like Beowulf are able to amass for their people. In., 9/8/2003