Yes, a warrior conducting oneself in accordance to Anglo-Saxon ideals does produce a good king in the end. In Beowulf, many characters such as Wiglaf, Unferth, Grendel, and Beowulf display to the reader how if one is a proper warrior, he possesses the ability to govern as a fit king. While Grendel is by no means an Anglo-Saxon warrior, he serves as an excellent example of how conducting oneself in a violent, non-conforming way ultimately leads to a demise. In addition to Grendel, Unferth is by no means a proper warrior when analyzed next to Anglo-Saxon ideals, however he lies between Beowulf and Grendel where he possesses the ability to become a good warrior, in turn giving him kingship. Beowulf and Wiglaf show how good warriors will in the end produce good kings through their conduct and heroic actions performed in the poem.
Within Beowulf, “Grendel was the name of this grim demon / haunting the marches, marauding round the heath / and the desolate fens” (102 – 104). Grendel serves the role as the violent and demonic force plaguing King Hrothgar’s lands. He is not an Anglo-Saxon warrior by any means, but he serves as an excellent example of how the wrong conduct would produce a bad king. Grendel does many things that do not fall in line with Ango-Saxon ideals including, but not limited to: showing no quarter, disadvantaging his enemies, and attacking without purpose. A proper warrior will always show quarter to his enemies, especially when under a disadvantage. Instead,