Beowulf and Leadership
Beowulf is a fascinating novel and a piece of work. The fact of how relevant and useful this poem is, baffling to me. The epic is still a very contested poem even hundreds of years later. No other story ever conveyed the leadership skills quite like in in this poem. Beowulf is one of the most influential pieces in the history or literature and the world being that it sets a precedent for leadership that is still followed to this day.
There are several characteristics of a leader that stand out when you talk about what Beowulf shows; loyalty, confidence, and ethic. His confidence is undeniable “. The boasts he makes before the fight with Grendel signal a public, inspirational articulation of confidence in his own and in his companions’ abilities to overcome adversity in the form of the monster” ( Lougman 159). Beowulf talked with confidence and such a poise that he inspired men who had scared to death were willing to give their all to him to help him take down the wretched monster Grendel. His confidence set the demeanor and gives hope to everyone regardless if there is any reality of hope. As Lougman points out with in his piece confidence is not everything. “In the corporate world, as in Beowulf, the over reliance on a charismatic leader unfortunately can result in a problem of succession because no future leaders have been groomed to take the place of the departed one” ( Lougman 160). He is saying when the leader is unable to perform there is
Beowulf exhibits many obvious heroic qualities, such as his strength and confidence in battle. These along with more subtle diplomatic actions serve to define him as both a great warrior and leader.
Beowulf is a model of leadership for our own times because he is very courageous and his strength is super human like. His skills and traits would not be good in our times though because a leader of a nation in our time doesn’t need to be very courageous and very strong to fight off people or go to war.
One important thing a leader in this society should do is inspire courage in his followers, even in the face of great adversity. Loughman notes that after the Geats arrive in Heorot and learn that the threat of Grendel is real, “[Beowulf’s] comrades willingly go with him because of their confidence in his ability to lead them and to achieve their objectives” (Loughman). This shows that Beowulf has the ability to inspire great courage in his fellow men, despite Grendel being known for carrying thirty Danes at once and ruling uncontested for years. Any less of a leader could not have incited such devotion in his companions, but Beowulf does. This idea is also reinforced by the charismatic leader model outlined by Tom Loughman and John Finley in their “Beowulf and the Teaching of Leadership.” In it, they summarize that “managers” who lead by performing exemplary actions will be more successful, stating that “[t]hrough these
Leaders now and leaders way back in the day are they all corrupt. How are they viewed now and how are they viewed during the time of beowulf. People may view a leader different during the time of beowulf rather than a leader in today's time. Some people may think that all leaders are corrupt and some may think that only certain leaders are corrupt. The portrayal of Hrothgar during beowulf's time from the canots and how we today criticize leaders from the films and today. Hrothgar is a very respected leader in Beowulf he leads with confidence and takes care of his people. Hrothgar builds a mead-hall for his people to have a good time and drink ale. The people of Hrothgar's kingdom look at him as a respected leader because treats his people well.
to society. Beowulf does not fail his people. Even if he felt like giving up because the battle seemed tough, he never did. That signifies a firm and powerful leader. Beowulf knows what he must do to satisfy his society and he never backs down.
A great leader is able to recognize his limitations and how to overcome them. In the case of Beowulf, King Hrothgar foreshadows what is to come for Beowulf if he continues down the same path a previous king had gone. In his sermon, Hrothgar informs Beowulf of Heremod, a “pariah king who cut himself off from his own kind” (McArthur). Hrothgar says that God “allows the mind of a man of distinguished birth to follow its bent,” and because of this, cruel and greedy Heremod “forgets that it will ever end for him,” and “he ignores the shape of things to come” (McArthur). Warning Beowulf not to become like Heremod, Hrothgar advises him to “not give way to pride,” and that “for a brief while your strength is in bloom
The story was great and show heroic deeds of Beowulf, he also demonstrates honor. When he defeated grendel and he became the successor of throne of Hrothgar, so through this he brought honor to their land. Even in his last moment, when he fight the dragon, he sacrifice his life for the sake of his territories to save them all. Beowulf brought a great honor and a truly legendary at all.
Kingship is someone held in higher regard or respect over others and one who possesses characteristics or personality traits of a king. “Kingship” or leadership is seen throughout the readings of “Everyman,” “Beowulf,” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Another way that people would describe kingship in the fourteenth century is by saying, “The emergence of more elaborate ways of addressing the king is, in fact, of great consequence in revealing important developments in the nature of the fourteenth-century parliament, a dramatic shift in the culture of the royal court and, ultimately, a reconfiguration of the expectations of kingship itself” (Dodd 2014). Finding out what makes a good leader can be determined based off of characters
People often search for what it truly means to be a leader. Many opinions exist, and people still consider possible answers to this day. A few answers lie in the epic poem of Beowulf. The people of Heorot see Beowulf as a leader because he shows courage, loyalty, and sticks to his word; Hrothgar gave him valuable advice to keep these in check. This epic poem has been written and translated numerous times and ‘...it’s still a timely read 1,000 years later’ (Post), exemplifying the lasting impression this story has had on the world.
Beowulf is an old english book. Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in english. Beowulf is a very brave, loyal, honorable person. Beowulf was an embarrassing guy, nothing could destroy him or even hurt him. He fought things that no other man kind could have fought. Beowulf strength is unbelievably strong and nothing can be compared to how powerful it is. EveryOne pretty much looked up to beowulf to make sure that they were all safe. A theme From beowulf exemplified through the story would include how embracing loyalty brings glory and honor while disloyal brings destruction. In this theme beowulf exemplified through the story would include how embracing loyalty brings glory and homer while disloyalty brings
Beowulf is an epic story that relates well to the time that it was introduced by having the stories of the epic battles and the defeats of the treacherous monsters that kept everyone entertained during this era. Not only does Beowulf represent the era well, but it also has very interesting characters, themes and symbols that help teach us lessons that are very much so needed in today's society.
“Beowulf” is an epic poem that contains monsters, bravery, and sacrifice during the Anglo-Saxon Period. Some people say that Beowulf is a great epic that everyone should read at least once in their life. But others despise the poem thinking that it is very boring.
Beowulf’s most seen quality in this epic is his confidence. The scene that most directly shows his confidence is his famous boast. “So, every elder and experienced councilman/ among my people supported my resolve/ to come here to you, King Hrothgar, / because all knew of my awesome strength. / They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies/ when I battled and bound five beasts, / raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea/ slaughtered sea-brutes…” (Heaney lines 415-422). Beowulf’s boast is said publically, which shows an inspirational sense of confidence to defeat Grendel. The boast also demonstrates Beowulf’s courage and brave characteristics that makes him appear very heroic. Furthermore, Beowulf’s promise to kill Grendel to the Danes is a confident and risky thing to do, but Beowulf is able to pull it off. In Forbes article, it states that good leaders need to “deliver on [their] promises. Which our hero does that very night, killing the beast by ripping him apart ‘The monster’s whole/ body was in pain, a tremendous wound/ appeared on his shoulder’” (Forbes).
Within the Anglo-Saxon culture, becoming a well-known warrior and successful in war was a major factor in being recognized as the best of the best. Beowulf follows the story of a young warrior, Beowulf, fighting his way up the ladder of success who represents a typical hero from the Anglo-Saxon time period. Throughout the poem, he is met with vicious creatures from the supernatural world which tend to create violent obstacles that he must overcome to create a certain image of a superb thane. By developing the character of Beowulf through his direct and indirect involvements with monsters, the poet reveals his desire for reputation which can lead to pride and his death.
Beowulf is one of the most important pieces of English literature. The epic poem is said to be a great representation of the Anglo-Saxon era. Written by an anonymous monk between 800 and 1000 A.D., Beowulf displays Anglo-Saxon practices, beliefs, values, and religion. Beowulf is not only a fascinating story, but also a primary source for the time period. Serving as a primary source document, scholars can have a deep understanding of the Anglo-Saxon culture. They can learn about the Old English language, their customs and beliefs, and what they valued. This is why Beowulf is one of the most important pieces of English literature.