Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. "Beowulf" is arguably the most important extant poetic work of Anglo-Saxon literature. Because of his civic duty to his people, Beowulf must fight the dragon and, to protect his men, he insists he do it alone. Even though Beowulf was the story of an epic hero highlighting his strength, it ends with Beowulfs death. Beowulf tears Grendel's arm from its socket with his bare hands, leaving the monster to limp away to his death. This is ethically twisted because in todays society, it is not considered morally correct to take an eye for an eye. Episode 2 treats the second night in Heorot during which there is great feasting and giving of gifts and praise to Beowulf and his companions. Beowulf: Lordlessness in ancient times is the theme, as much as the glory of kings, if not more. Beowulf demonstrates his selflessness by risking his life for people who were complete strangers but needed his help. By weapons made worthy: Lords, retainers, and their relationship in Beowulf. Many incidents, such as the tearing-off of the monsters arm and the heros descent into the mere, are familiar motifs from folklore. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. A funeral pyre is built, and as Beowulf and the dragons treasure are consumed by the flames, an old woman bewails their loss and looks gloomily into the future, for surely, now the Geatish people will suffer invasion, enslavement, debasement, and death. Beowulf immediately counters Unferth's accusations, saying, ''The truth is this: / When the going was heavy in those high waves, / I was the strongest swimmer of all.'' (Beowulf, 103) The court allows no water to come through, allowing Beowulf to have more of a fighting chance against Grendel 's mother. This is ethically twisted because in todays society, it is not considered morally correct to take an eye for an eye. Although the heroic epic Beowulf was composed in Old English, it deals not with native Englishmen for whom the poem was written but with their Germanic ancestors of around the sixth century. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9(2), 146-165. She also serve as the vice president and philanthropy chair for Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. Hotei Publishing 1962. author Unknown. Another ways is when he instead of winning the swimming match with Brecca, Beowulf fight the sea monsters and cleans out the seas. Ethics and Beowulf Assignment. Evil. Meg has taught language arts in middle school, high school and college. With greedy motives, Beowulf tries to steal the Dragon 's treasure and is bitten by the Dragon, poisoning Beowulf and ultimately killing him. He displays courage and loyalty in eloping Beowulf defeat the dragon, which is why he is named the next leader. Around every corner appear vampires, zombies, mutants, werewolves, ghouls, devils, King Kong, Godzilla, dragons, and dinosaurs. Through his own strength and in his capacity as role model, Beowulf ensures that his band and tribe achieve their goals. The powerful, memorable story of Beowulf has value as a vehicle for leadership instruction. Beowulf defeats Grendel with ease and utilized his pure strength. The poem includes many histories of various warriors: their ancestry, deeds of valor and debts they owe or have paid. However, in the time of the poem this was the norm. In the course, the instructor uses a process similar to what Cartwright (2002) (citing Chris Argyris and Donald Schon) recommends that attempts to get underneath the starting perceptions about leading and managing (p. 70). This is demonstrated in the Hrothgars Sermon where Hrothgar says, Do not give way to pride. The second battle with Grendels mother nearly resulted in the death of Beowulf and resorted to a weapon, which shows a decline in his strength and confidence. To put this battles together you see all the different contrastment through both sources., The Decline of Moral Ethics Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education. Downplaying one's accomplishments was no way to win fame and fortune, so it was expected that Beowulf would think highly of himself given his physical abilities. }r9O1,RvR%H @bE4{8kH$_&Y/truz{]g`~0po{-{{P(w=g4\}{?8yQ-UJ6 How about getting full access immediately? In his article Beowulf: The Heroic, The Monstrous, and Anglo-Saxon Concepts of Leadership, Napierkowski (2005) describes Beowulf as a premier example of literature as a form of leadership instruction (p. 503). Get an answer for 'What is the relationship between individual prowess or ability and ethical virtue in Beowulf?' Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Beowulf: Story, Characters, and Old English, Who Was Beowulf? Though only a man, Beowulf pits his strength against giants, demons and mythological beasts. By clark February 1, 2022. While all the other thanes run to the woods, Beowulfs nephew Wiglaf remains and delivers the fatal wound to the dragon. Wiglaf, Beowulfs cousin and one of his warriors was the only one to stay and fight along his side. Finally, Beowulf locates an ancient sword on the cave wall and kills Grendels mother with it. Throughout the poem, we see Beowulfs bravery and courage again and again, together Although we can view these three encounters as expressions of the heroic code, there is perhaps a clearer division between Beowulfs youthful How other characters besides Beowulf demonstrate morality I. While perhaps not great in themselves, several very recent films have brought the story and character of Beowulf into full view. In the second section of the poem, Beowulf is made king of the Geats, which teaches the moral lesson of fairness and merit. Beowulf is a heroic epic, a long poem which recounts the deeds of a legendary warrior. Lastly, Beowulf and Wiglaf both show outstanding loyalty throughout the piece. Grendels mother grabs Beowulf by his armor and slams him to the ground. Though only a man, Beowulf pits his strength against giants, demons and mythological beasts. The final section of the poem jumps forward around fifty years. Beowulf and Ethics in a Heroic Society. Before dying, Beowulf told Wiglaf his last remaining wishes., There is one soldier that decides to stay and be loyal to Beowulf. Because Beowulf is the poem's hero, he embodies many of those values. Hrothgar also warns Beowulf not to give way to pride (Beowulf 1759), which has been. Beowulf is a heroic epic, a long poem which recounts the deeds of a legendary warrior. He said, Now Grendel and I are called together, and Ive come, grant me, then, Lord and protector of this noble place, a single request That I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from the hall (Beowulf 18). Grendel, the monster, is represented as being larger than a man and stronger than a dozen men. The poem's hero, Beowulf, represents a tribe called the Geats. By the time Beowulf was published, the idea of Christianity had spread wildly throughout England. All of Beowulfs actions are clearly motivated by loyalty, starting with his decision to help the Danes. Throughout the text of Beowulf, the reader can conclude that a morally correct person in the story is one whom fights evil for good, as well as for the sake of others, to gain fame, and to strive to remain a loyal leader. The cost significant Christian value in this text is the connection between God and good (Mitchell 337). All of Beowulfs actions are clearly motivated by loyalty, starting with his decision to help the Danes. Heroic deeds and grim narrative, but what type of leader is Beowulf? Here he realizes that his armor, shield, and sword is worthless because no sword could slice her skin open., He stuck it deep in the dragons flank (page 99, line 2703-2704). Because of their potency, charismatic leaders often occupy positions of authority, trust, and respect. The incident with the dragon occurs because a Geat slave steals a golden cup from its lair, which teaches the evils of greed. He said, Now Grendel and I are called together, and Ive come, grant me, then, Lord and protector of this noble place, a single request That I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from the hall (Beowulf 18). He displays courage and loyalty in helping Beowulf defeat the dragon, which is why he is named the next leader. Beowulf belongs metrically, stylistically, and thematically to a heroic tradition grounded in Germanic religion and mythology. In the case of Beowulf, we witness a good example of the heroic ideal that in several important ways fits well the Conger-Kanungo charismatic leader model summarized in the previous section. The sword Beowulf uses against Grendels mother proves useless; it did not penetrate through the skin and bone. Learn about Beowulf from the epic, Beowulf. As with other funerals in the poem, the burial is the measure of the stature of the man. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland and becomes king of the Geats. He travels to help the king of the Danes, another tribe. "Beowulf" is an epic poem because it traces the heroic deeds of its main character over the course of his adult life. Beowulf is an epic that came out of a warrior culture and was used not solely to entertain but also to teach the moral thinking of this culture(Chickering 86). This epic is also greatly influenced by Christianity. A vacuum of leadership has been created by Beowulfs death. In the modern organization, the question of who or what will take the place of the charismatic leader should be on the minds of all those responsible for seeing the organization live long and prosper, especially if relying upon leaders After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then defeated. Stanley, E. (2005). Other examples of epic heroes include Gilgamesh from The Epic of Gilgamesh, King Arthur from Arthurian legend, and Achilles from the Iliad. Beowulf attempts to kill her with the sword Hrunting, but to no avail. The dragon, angered, attacks Beowulf's kingdom. y`/DP`x( Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Commitment to the groups cultural values and organizational goals was fostered through clan control, and members were acutely and intimately aware at all times how variable commitment to goals would result in equally variable success rates. | 3 @xLkfl~!^Ep{k5-[z This is ethically twisted because in todays society, it is not considered morally correct to take an eye for an eye. It is Unferth, however, who gives Beowulf a sword with which to fight Grendel's mother, in order to make amends. The gefolgschaft or comitatus bond itself superseded, according to Bazelmans (1999), a prior organizational structure based on the concept of kleinstamme, which entailed group membership based more on kinship or within ethnic groups (Bazelmans, p. 5). Our contention here is that Beowulf exemplifies charismatic leadership as detailed in the model detailed by Conger and Canungo (1994) in their article, Charismatic Leadership in Organizations. In seeing this monument, future generations will remember Beowulf and the qualities he embodied, reminding them to fight evil forces with courage and strength and to always use the best judgment of morality (Gwara 90). He is easily the best warrior in the country, which he demonstrates by killing Greened. The fight ends when Beowulf stabs the dragon in the abdominal region, killing, Beowulf is then drug to the bottom of the lair by Grendels mom to her court. As the following synopsis of the three episodes of the Beowulf poem reveals, Beowulf epitomized these traits and for a long while successfully led his people against all foes. Callahan, J., Whitener, J., & Sandlin, J. The speaker is saying that it is better to get revenge for the departed, than to mourn their death. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the idea of a fatal flaw implies that the person who has the flaw will ultimately be punished for it or will learn from their mistakes. One of Beowulf's traits that gets a lot of scrutiny is his arrogance. Warthogs also warns Beowulf not to give way to pride (Beowulf 1759), which has been demonstrated throughout the Bible many times by man challenging the power of God, (I. E. Adam and Eve). What is the difference between mango plants and maize plants in terms of root system? His sword provided by Unferth fails him. Beowulf's characteristics are aspirational; they are often hyperbolic, but they provided Anglo-Saxon men with a role model. In a heroic epic, the warrior protagonist sets a moral example: through his story, the value and meaning of a societys ethical code can be examined. As the writings of Shakespeare, Sun-Tzu, and Machiavelli have been gleaned for their insights into a host of management concepts (Kaplan, 2002), Beowulf can also reveal insights into leadership, motivation, and organizational behavior. 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