A STUDY OF HROTHGAR AND HIS FLAWS AS A KING IN BEOWULF
ABSTRACT
Beowulf, the national epic of England, starts with the account of the forefathers of Hrothgar, the
king of the Danes. It is the fragment of a mythical saga about Scyld Scefing, the first culture-hero
of the North whose line of descendants is carried down to king Hrothgar. This epic treats many
enduring aspects of basic human conditions, such as the concepts of honour, courage, loyalty
and immortality, not to mention the constant struggle between good versus evil. In it the poet
has endowed Hrothgar with certain good qualities. At the same time he has some weakness
which is unsuitable for any king and is not normally associated with successful rulers. In the first
part of it, he is presented as the ideal king; after the nightly attacks of the monster Grendel, he is
not and his virtues inevitably find lesser modes of expression. Thus he develops by degrees into a
weak king. This paper aims to show the flaws of the Danish king Hrothgar.
Beowulf, one of the oldest existing poems in the
English language, starts with Hrothgar, the king
of the Danes. He rules successfully for fifty years
and defends his nation until there is no enemy.
Then his luck changes due to the nightly attacks
of the monster Grendel. After its assault the
peace of the Danes is broken as Hrothgar cannot
suggest a solution. However, his life can be
divided into two parts. In the first part of the
epic, he is presented as the ideal king full of
glories and virtues and remains a flawless one.
The second phase starts after Grendel’s violent
visitations whose attacks mark the end of
Hrothgar’s success as a ruler and shows his flaws
to the readers for the first time. In fact, Beowulf
“. . . is a contrasted description of two moments
in a great life, rising and setting . . .
(Tolkien,1936: 264). Based on the close reading
of the epic, we have chosen an opinion article to
express what we have learnt from the topic. The
paper argues that a king can be old but he
cannot give up hope for the protection of his
people. He can have weaknesses but a king is
expected to be a sheltering figure even in his old
age. At the same time a ruler should always be
ready to confront with evil.
Beowulf “ . . . was composed sometime
between the middle of the seventh and the end
of the tenth century of the first millennium, in
the language, that is to-day called Anglo-Saxon
or Old English”(Heaney,2007: IX). There is, it
may be noted, no mention of England in it. The
scene is laid in the Danish Island and in south
Sweden. “ The idea of the hall- as a place of
joy and security until threatened by external
forces of evil-plays a major part in this
poem.”(Webster,1998: 214). According to
Arnold “King Hrothgar. . . Having collected
unrivalled band of ‘companions’, determined to
build the greatest hall ever known. When it had
been put up-tall, wide-gabled, and towering-he
called it ‘Heorot”(Arnold, 1967: 125). So after
the construction of it, the monster Grendel gets
jealous of the feasting and rejoicings at it and
decides to shatter the peace of the Danes. As
Bloomfield points out: “. . . by Grendel’s raids
the fame of the Scyldins is blasted, the utmost
human effort frustrated, the mightiest rulers
made impotent” (Bloomfield, 1968: 59). Till the
demon’s arrival at the hall, joy exists in
Hrothgar’s kingdom and we do not see any
defect in him. But during his kingship, the
harmony of the hall and Denmark is broken
because of the evil. The broken peace indicates
his flaw as his forefathers did not face such
problem. Thus begins the endless sufferings of
all as Hrothgar cannot be the saviour of his
people as fear has shaken his spirit. Actually, he
cannot find any way to overcome the hostile
forces for lack of self-confidence, courage, ironwill, pessimism and inconsistence in religious
faith which symbolize his limitations as a king.
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And his personal example soon communicates
to the Danes, and they cannot be hopeful.
Hrothgar also suffers mental torture, for he
knows he has lost heavenly joys and would now
be subjected to eternal misery. Old age can take
Hrothgar’s strength but he can comfort his
troubled subjects. But we see after Grendel’s
nightly visits, he is in deep distraught as his best
warriors are also failures to fight against the
monster exposing the Danes to danger.
Hrothgar’s puzzlement is obvious in his speech.
He cannot realize that courageous death for
people will be dignified than living like a coward.
His heroic nephew Hrothluf is also inactive.
Hrothgar is successful until Grendel attacks. So it
can be understood that his success is transient.
Truly, Grendel’s arrival is a test for the king as a
defender of the Danes and as a believer in God.
But he fails in it for giving up hope and his
inability to settle this problem through counsel,
diplomacy or strength.
Beowulf opens with the mythical account of the
Scylding dynasty. Scyld Shefing, the founder’s
son Beow conquered the neighbouring
kingdoms and cleansed their own kingdom
from the attack of the enemies. Hrothgar
becomes the ruler when his two brothers died.
He gets a realm safe from all sides. So he did not
feel the urgency of ensuring the safety of
Denmark and when Grendel attacks, he gets
passive and totally pessimistic. He fought battles
successfully only in youth and in his old age fails
to protect his countrymen from Grendel and his
subjects cannot consider him “guardian of the
people” any more.
Grendel kills anyone who spends night at
Heorot. But Hrothgar does not order his
retainers to stop sleeping there at night to avoid
the assault of the fiend. So the ravage “. . .
continues for twelve years, till Beowulf. . . a
thane of king Hygelac who stays over the sea,
hears of the nuisance and determines to end
it”(Saintsbury, 2005: 8).
Hrothgar’s permission is based on Beowulf’s
ancestry and strength only. He welcomes
Beowulf and his warriors easily because of his
despair. He is not also keen on self-help. As a
result, he does not verify Beowulf’s altruistic
purpose and welcomes him easily without
thinking about the impact of his arrival at his
kingdom. It could be precarious for the safety of
Danmark. Even the Danes could want to see
Beowulf as their new ruler for their protection.
Contradictorily, we see Hrothgar has overconfidence in Beowulf’s generosity though
Beowulf comes with his fourteen best warriors.
Moreover, Hrothgar considers Beowulf’s arrival
as a sign of God’s grace and accepts him as a
rescuer showing his inability as a defender of
the Danes. The queen Wealtheow also feels very
much assured as she also cannot count on her
king as a rescuer of Denmark. His disturbed
subjects also start to laugh after twelve years as
he cannot cheer them up.
Hrothgar’s coastguard did not have any proof of
Beowulf’s true identity but allowed him to the
kingdom as he was impressed by Beowulf’s
speech and behaviour. So we can say that
Hrothgar is not able to provide tight security to
his kingdom. Beowulf and his warriors were
dressed in armour and carried shields and
equipment for combat. In this situation the
coastguard should not have allowed Beowulf
and his companions easily without being
confirmed about his identity. But the king did
not criticize him for guiding Beowulf to Heorot,
rather the king expresses his surprise about the
strength of the new arrival:
Nor have I seen a mightier man –at-arms on this
earth than the one standing . . .
(ll-247-50)
Without seeing Beowulf, Hrothgar also tells his
chamberlain Wulfgur:
they are welcome to Denmark.
(ll-89)
He also admits his failure to save his kingdom
from the evil before the Geatish fighters as he
does not know that a ruler has constantly to
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renew his great image in the eyes of the citizens
and outsiders.
Despite having a very old family tie between
Hrothgar and Beowulf’s family, in his distress,
Hrothgar could have invited such great fighter to
protect his kingdom. He tolerated the attacks of
the monster for twelve long years and he also
did not ask for any help from the adjacent
kingdoms when was unable to relieve the pang
of his subjects. Hrothgar knew about Beowulf’s
power because he informs his counselor
Wulfgar about it:
A crew of seamen
who sailed for me
once
with a gift –cargo
across to Geatland
returned with
marvelous tales
about him:
a thane, they
declared, with the
strength of thirty
in the grip of each
hand.
Even Hrothgar’s warrior Wulfgar has had to
request him not to refuse Beowulf as they
cannot have faith in their king as a defender of
the Danes:
Most gracious Hrothgar, do not
refuse them, but grant them a reply.
(ll-366-7)
Beowulf volunteers to serve for Hrothgar’s
kingdom and wants to fight heroically not for his
sake but for restoring order, harmony and
relieving the Danes of the monster. He has to
undertake the responsibility of the king who has
collapsed in despair and dismay.
Hrothgar tells Beowulf that he did not
expect ever to live to see relief from any of his
woes-when the best houses stood shining with
blood as by virtue of wit and presence of mind
he could not save the Danes and returned to
paradise. This statement is very unkingly. In the
words of Dandy: “. . . in fact God does provide a
cure for Grendel-Beowulf, and this is recognized
by the poet in the mouth of Hrothgar himself”
(Dandy,1968: 55). Actually, Hrothgar is a wellloved king but cannot return the love of his
subjects as he does not know that a ruler must
not surrender but courageously fight until death
for the security of his people. In addition,
Hrothgar was in constant fear of Grendel as he
could not depend on the creator. But after
Beowulf’s arrival he shows firm faith in God and
utters before him:
My household guard are on
the wane, fate sweeps them away into
Grendel’s clutches-but God can easily halt these
raids and harrowing attacks!
(ll-377-81)
As he and his throne are safe from Grendel’s
attacks due to the protection of God, Hrothgar
did not appeal for Beowulf’s help. Conversely,
after arrival, Beowulf has to request the king not
to refuse him who is renowned for killing seamonsters:
And so, my request, O king of BrightDanes, Dear prince of the Shieldings,
friend of the people And their ring of
defense, my one request Is that you
won’t refuse me, who have come this
far,The privilege of purifying Heorot,
With my own men to help me, and
nobody else.
(ll-478-9)
Hrothgar also gratefully acknowledges the fact
that God has sent Beowulf to his rescue.
Now Holy God
Has, in his goodness, guided
him here To the West-Danes,
to defend us from Grendel.
(ll-427-32)
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court. Thus he proves his unwise selection of
courtiers. His daughter Freawaru is given in
marriage to Ingeld. But since there is an old feud
between the two nations, the marriage cannot
settle the dispute. So he fails to show prudence
in his daughter’s marriage also.
After the attempted insult, Unferth makes
amends on his own by giving Beowulf his
famous sword ‘Hrunting’ to fight against
Grendel’s mother. But we do not see any
attempt on Hrothgar for the clearance of their
quarrel. In contrast, he spends the night with his
queen handing over control of the hall as well as
power to Beowulf and tells him:
Never, since my hand could
hold a shield have I entrusted or given control
of the Danes’ hall to anyone but you.
(ll-381-3)
These utterances show his dualism and religious
fickleness sand such a contrast shows him in an
unfavourable light.
Heorot, the symbol and the setting of Beowulf,
represents wastage of money and excessive
merriment, encouraging the rich tribes to
contribute to its decoration. Consequently,
Hrothgar’s wasteful nature brings disaster for
him and for the whole kingdom. But he never
considers the possibility that Grendel’s jealousy
is caused by him or by the Danes.
At the banqueting hall, Unferth, an empty talker
and the drunken spokesman, questions
Beowulf’s self-confidence and ability to perform
his deed successfully for his jealousy of Beowulf
before the entire Danish court. Moreover,
Hrothgar’s honourable rescuer is taunted by
Unferth with having failed in a swimming
contest against a certain Breca. But, surprisingly,
the king does not admonish him for discrediting
Beowulf. Rather, he remains a silent listener
which is insulting to his rescuer. Unferth can be
a courtier to the king but a true ruler cannot just
be an onlooker before his guest. Actually he gets
confused by any rough situation and is unable to
solve any problem. To comfort wrathful
Beowulf, Hrothgar’s queen comes forward to
comfort their liberator. Due to Hrothgar’s
incapability to protect the honour of his saviour,
Boeowulf has to defend himself.
Beowulf also suppresses his wrath and silences
Unferth:
(ll-675-7)
Moreover, he departs Heorot before the arrival
of Grendel like a selfish ruler. Even when
Beowulf fights against Grendel, the Danes hear
the noise of the combatant. But do not offer any
assistance to Beowulf.
Unferth challenges Beowulf’s ability but
Hrothgar is over-confident of Beowulf’s
strength. So he holds a grand feast without
getting any proof of his (Beowulf) competence
as a rescuer forgetting all about the miseries of
his people and the lost beloved retainers. When
the mead-hall is shining with blood, he shows
his gracefulness to the guests forgetting that
this is not time to entertain the Geatish fighters.
But he says:
Now take your place at the table,
relish the triumph of heroes to your hearts
content.
You killed your own kith and
kin, so for all your cleverness
and quick tongue, you will
suffer damnation in the
depths of hell.
(ll-489-90)
Furthermore, when Beowulf reaches Hrothgar,
his banquet-hall is also found lavished with long
tables and they are filled with delicacies where
the Danes are in extreme grief for constant fear
of Grendel. It indicates Hrothgar’s merry-making
nature in any situation. His people also laugh,
(ll-(387-9)
Astonishingly, this fratricide Unferth is
Hrothgar’s spokesman and his untrusting
nephew Hrothluf also holds a high position in his
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get excited and proud at the indulgence of their
king before the defeat of the monster.
After the assurance of Beowulf of their rescue,
the despairing Danes forget that during the
glorious time, Hrothgar boasted of their
material resources which led them to untold
sufferings and helplessness to defeat Grendel.
After the victory Hrothgar orders to rebuilt,
redecorate the hall with tapestries of gold
though Grendel’s attacks at it were God’s
punishment for Hrothgar’s pride in power and
wealth. As the Bible suggests: “ Pride leads to
the sin of sloth, spiritual laziness, in which stage
one’s spiritual ‘armour’ is weakest and the devil
can attack” (The Bible, New Testament, Today’s
English Version 6:13).
After the victory Hrothgar orders to rebuild,
redecorate and furnish the hall with tapestries
of gold, forgetting that Grendel’s attacks at the
hall were God’s punishment for his pride and
wealth. Certain amount of joy is needed for a
kingdom but the Danes were crossing limit
because of the lenient king. Thus Denmark loses
the favour of the creator and Hrothgar is
answerable for it. Consequently, the mead-hall
turns into a dark place full of evils for which
sunlight cannot penetrate his kingdom.
Hrothgar also lavishly gives gifts to his lesser
warriors, weaker in fighting. Before the arrival of
Beowulf, for the protection against Grendel,
Hrothgar also arranged mead-party for his
fighters who were drunk and were unable to
defeat the monster:
Time and again, when
the goblets passed
and seasoned fighters
got flushed with beer
they would pledge
themselves to protect
Heorot and wait for
Grendel with their
whetted swords.
But when dawn broke
. . ………………………
the floor of the meadhall where they had
feasted
would be sick with
slaughter.
(ll-481-7)
He is also ready to give Beowulf treasures
before getting proof of his skill as a saviour.
In a world where small societies are certainly at
war over land, wealth, honour and resources,
the presence of a warrior leader is vital to their
safety. But Hrothgar never thought of fighting
against the fiend himself. He must guard his
own people as it is a ruler’s duty to secure his
people at any cost. He is not only unable to
defend the Danes, but also plays no part in
Beowulf’s fighting against the monsters. Kings
should be ready to die for their people. But we
see selfishness in him. For fear of death and old
age, he cannot jump at the shelter of his
subjects. But Beowulf will do it for his people in
extreme old age when his kingdom faces terror
by the attack of a dragon. At that time he not
only grieves but also stands up against the
dragon as he supposes that the wrath of it is the
result of his own fault. As he feels no fear of the
dragon, he sacrifices himself for the good of his
people. Even Satan of John Milton’s great epic
Paradise Lost acts like a true political leader to
produce a persona to save his face before the
distressed fallen angels and is successful in
inspiring them. But Hrothgar lacks the virtue of
self-sacrifice, is undespairing and unable to
handle any rough situation.
After the defeat of Grendel, he starts
celebrating a partial victory though there is
possibility of avenging Grendel’s death. At that
time when Beowulf sleeps in another quarters,
Hrothgar loses his dearest of heroes, Aeschere
by Grendel’s mother. It indicates the fragility of
Denmark in the absence of Beowulf. After the
loss of his dear thane, Hrothgar gets miserable
and reveals his great liking for his favourite
thane in front of other retainers enhancing the
tone of gloom:
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Aeschere was everything
The world admires in a wise
man and a friend.
(ll-(346-9)
He also accuses Beowulf of the tragic end of his
thane wrongly:
She has taken up the feud
because of last night, when you killed Grendel
...
(ll-1328-9)
Hrothgar forgets that a true ruler cannot show
his favoritism to any courtiers no matter how
close he is to the king as it belittles other
courtiers and upsets them. But his emotion
surfaces clearly in his behaviour and speech. We
also find evidences of his helplessness, lack of
confidence and determination in his dealings
with Beowulf and others. His helplessness
reaches its highest peak when we find that he
cannot stand the sight of the blood of his darling
Aeschere. He grieves immensely in front of the
courtiers and the Geatish fighters, forgetting his
position as a ruler. Hrothgar’s fear reveals his
defect as a king as he does not have the power
of recovery in the face of tragedy. Due to his
failure to console himself, raise his sinking
courage, Beowulf has to comfort him:
Wise sir, do not grieve. It is
always better to avenge
dear ones than to indulge in
mourning.
(ll-1333-4)
We are not thrilled with his weak speeches at all
because his heroic days can be over, but he
cannot lose his good sides.
After the defeat of Grendel, Hrothgar sincerely
thanks God. But the same Hrothgar cannot be
hopeful about Beowulf’s safe return from the
lair of Grendel’s mother and his fear and gloom
mount. When the waves of the lake water are
stained with blood, Hrothgar with his warriors
depart homeward from the shore of the lair
thinking that the blood-stained water is the
result of the hero’s death but Beowulf’s faithful
Geats maintain a mournful vigil. He also forgets
Beowulf’s statement which he makes about the
king just after his arrival that the wisest of the
Geats had advised him (Beowulf) to make his
journey because they had experience of his
powers as a killer of the race of giants and seamonsters in the dark. Even when after killing
Grendel’s mother, Beowulf returns successful,
risking his own life for the escapist Danes, he
finds them drinking.
In fact the king can neither be active nor be
optimistic. His submission to God also fluctuates
according to the situation. Hence before
Beowulf’s attack he completely depends on
Beowulf’s might showing his powerlesness:
(ll-(1384-5)
Hrothgar knew about the existence of Grendel’s
mother and her companion who could be
revengeful. So his lamentation at the loss of
Aeschere is totally useless as he should have
warned Beowulf about their presence in his
kingdom earlier. After its attack, Hrothgar’s
speech cannot be admired when he tells:
I have heard it said
from my people in
hall counselors. . . . .
. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
that they have seen
two such creatures
prowling the moors,
huge marauders
from some other
world.
Now help depends Again on you and you alone.
(ll-1377-78)
Hrothgar glorifies Beowulf greatly in front of his
warriors who failed to bring solution to his
problem. So the over-praise could be
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threatening for him for the jealous thanes. But
he is unaware of it. After Beowulf’s victory in
killing Grendel and his mother, Hrothgar
showers rich gifts lavishly not only to Beowulf
but also to his warriors as he cannot grasp that
this gift-giving could frustrate the unsuccessful
Danish thanes.
At the exit of Beowulf, Hrothgar warns him not
to give in to pride and to remember that
prosperity may turn to grief. But he did not give
any moralizing discourse for his proud orator
Unferth when he taunted Beowulf.
Before leaving, Beowulf requests Hrothgar to
take care of the Danes as he is unsure of the
safety of the Danes in his absence. Even
Hrothgar’s wish for the prolong stay of Beowulf
also reveals his distrust to the ability of his and
his warriors as future protectors of his kingdom.
The queen also requests Beowulf to guide her
two sons. She also reminds Hrothgar:
So, while you may,
Bask in your fortune,
and then bequeath
kingdom and nation
to your kith and kin.
that after the death of his uncle Hygelac,
he(Beowulf) would be a good king. Hrothgar’s
nephew will be encouraged by it as Beowulf’s
uncle has sons.
The king excessively gives gifts to Beowulf after
his arrival and also before his departure
forgetting that this can be upsetting to his
courtiers. Before Beowulf’s attack on the
monster, Hrothgar tried to tempt him when he
did not have any intention to enrich himself.
Similarly, when Grendel’s mother kills
Hrothgar’s dearest thane, he also tries to bait
Beowulf forgetting that his object is to gain
revenge, not treasure and utters:
I will compensate you for settling the feud
as I did the last time with lavish wealth . . .
(ll-380-1)
Hrothgar is not credited with dauntless courage,
inflexible resolve and exceptional will-power.
The desires of the Danes to get rid of Grendel
has been fulfilled by an outsider not by the king.
Beowulf cures their sorrows and sufferings
which they endured because of some of the
flaws of the king. Beowulf does not have the
responsibility to guard the Danes from Grendel
but Hrothgar had that duty which he failed to
perform. Besides these, he has other
imperfections which show him as a weak king.
Hrothgar’s flaws are brought to our notice
several times. In the epic never does he show
any sign of will-power to fight against the
monster. On the other hand, he exposes his lack
of courage which is not an attribute of an ideal
king. As fear immobilizes him, he cannot offer
any comfort or to investigate, does not review
the dangers with his advisors and warriors. Even
at his first meeting with Beowulf he describes
him as a helpless ruler forgetting that Beowulf
can disown him as he arrives with the best
warriors. Giving up hope is not expected from a
ruler.
Hrothgar possesses virtues in abundance
undoubtedly. But he does not show the qualities
of a successful king. This epic explores his
(ll-1179-83)
Actually, she indirectly urges Hrothgar to think
about their sons, Hrethric and Hrothmund, in
choosing a successor to the throne as she
doubts the machinations of Hrothluf, the king’s
nephew, and Unferth. But the king is totally
unaware of the fact that Hrothluf presents a
danger to his sons’ succession. When Hrothgar
adopts Beowulf as his son, she also subtly pleads
with the king not to bequeath the kingdom to
Beowulf rather than their sons as it can result in
disaster in their kingdom. In fact, she requests
the king to be generous to Beowulf but
discreetly suggests that he should not forget
their sons as their is no ready successor. Thus
she reveals her political insight which Hrothgar
lacks and she seems more aware of the dangers
of his naivety. In front of Hrothluf, Hrothgar’s
unfaithful nephew, the king also tells Beowulf
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kingship in separate phases-youth and age. In
his youth he enjoys a prosperous and successful
reign and in his old age faces a terrible demon
angered by the joy of the mead-hall created by
him. A king gets old with time. Nobody can
escape old age. But it does not mean he will not
be able to think about the solution to deep
problem or cannot ask for help from adjacent
kingdoms. But in him there is only fatalism and
frustration. All through the epic, Hrothgar
speaks like a believer in God but cannot depend
on the creator in the most critical times of his
reign and constantly broods about his
vulnerability till the arrival of Beowulf. Even
after Beowulf’s arrival his faith in his rescuer’s
ability is shaken.
Considering all these we can say that Hrothgar’s
negative sides outweigh his good attributes
giving him a futile role as a king as : “Breakdown and failure reveal the true nature of
things”(Corrigan, 1981: 65).
Works Cited:
Arnold, Ralph. A Social History of England: 55
B.C. to A.D. 1215, London: Constable Young
Books Ltd., 1967.
Bloomfield, John. The Beowulf Poet: A Collection
of Critical Essays, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
1968.
Corrigan, Robert W. Tragedy Vision and Form,
Second Edition, New York: Harper & Row, 1981.
Dandy, K. Fry (ed.), The Beowulf Poet: A
Collection of Critical Essays, New York: PrenticeHall, Inc., 1968.
George, Saintsbury. A Short History of English
Literature, New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers
Limited, 2005.
Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf: A New Verse
Translation, London: Faber and Faber, 2007.
The Bible, New Testament, Today’s English
Version, Fourth Edition. New York: American
Bible Society, 1977.
Tolkien, J.R.R. “Beowulf: The Monsters and the
Critics” in Sir Israel Memorial Lecture,
Proceedings of the British Academy, 1936.
Webster, Leslie. “Archeology and Beowulf” in
From Beowulf: An Edition, Mitchell, Bruce and
Robinson Fred C. (ed), Oxford: Blackwell, 1998.
References: All the verses of Beowulf are from
Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf: A Verse Translation,
Donoghue, Daniel (ed.) A Norton Critical Edition,
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.: 2002.
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