Contrast Kings in Beowulf and Sir Gawain - Essay Example

28 October King Hrothgar vs King Arthur King Hrothgar is the King of the Danes. He is prosperous and has a record of military success. All goes fine until he encounters Grendel. He is aged as well as wise. His leadership is different from the kind shown by Beowulf. Beowulf, the young warrior seeks guidance from Hrothgar like a son gains from his father. The leadership exhibited by Hrothgar is idealized by Beowulf. Hrothgar is a noble king who is concerned about the peace and safety of his people.

The character of Hrothgar remains relatively static throughout the play. He serves as a stable force in the kingdom. Hrothgar adopts a more reflective behavior for heroism due to his years of experience of dealing with all kinds of circumstances. Being fully aware of the virtues and hazards of power, Hrothgar teaches his people to remain down-to-earth because fate can deceit them anytime. King Arthur is the King of Camelot. He naturally possesses the skill of humble leadership. The difference between Arthur and Hrothgar is that the former has natural-born leadership skills while for the latter, the fundamental source of leadership knowledge and skills is his experience.

Arthur, unlike Hrothgar, doesn’t need to work upon his skills to polish them. In addition to that, Arthur is young while Hrothgar is old. Arthur and Hrothgar are both modest in their leadership as neither of the two ever shows off his worth as a king. Both have a down-to-earth attitude. Bravery and politeness are the virtues of both Arthur and Hrothgar.