Van’t Land 1
Jasper Van’t Land
Bloem
3/24/2023
Sci Fi Fantasy
Portrayal of Hrothgar
The story of Beowulf has been told for thousands of years and has been re-written numerous times, but the story still remains largely the same. Hrothgar, the ruler of the Danes, builder of the great hall Herot, is a king emphasized as generous, honest and caring. Portrayed as the most human-like out of the diverse characters. He shows qualities of great welcoming and acceptance. He was a fair king, always praising people and was known for his grand gift giving. Hrothgar welcomed Beowulf warmly when he arrived at Herot to slay Grendel, and proceed to thank god and swear to love Beowulf like a son after the hero defects Grendel. One of the first instances where we see a representation of Hrothgar as being caring for his people is in Headley’s version on page 6, line 73 when his kingdom is being described. “He gave far-reaching orders: carpets, carpentry, walls, and gables, tables for
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Well actually he does, a portrayal of Hrothgar having negative attributes is shown on page 74 &75, starting on line 1710 of Headley’s version of Beowulf. “Heremod, that old king, was no hopeful hero to the heirs of Egwela, the Honor-Scyldings. His rise was their fall. He raged, cut down close comrades, aged advisors, and when he died, he died galled and alone, friendless though famous” (Headley 1710). On this occasion Hrothgar who is known for being kind and generous is talking besmirch about a previous ruler of the Danes, Heremod. Hrothgar expresses that Heremod was a rage-filled drunk who brought disaster to his nation. Customarily, humans are known for being both positive and negative; and in this instance Hrothgar, even though he is known for being a wise, caring, and greatly generous person, is still human because he is displaying a harshly negative attitude towards