Macbeth Vs Beowulf Research Paper

Rebecca Martin
Mr. Spencer Brown
British Literature
17 November 2014
Who’s the True Leader? Beowulf vs. Macbeth
A true leader needs to be a hero, and a hero is defined as “a man with distinguished courage and ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities” (Hero 1). Having courage alone cannot make a man a hero or a true leader. A hero needs to use his courage and action in consistent commitment to the greater and higher good. In this paper, it is argued that Beowulf is a true leader and better hero than Macbeth because he has both courage and a consistent commitment to the higher good, while Macbeth falls short of being a true leader because he is courageous but does not possess unfailing commitment to the higher good. Beowulf acts in a courageous manner all through his life, offering an ideal example of what courage entails. Beowulf initially appeared as a boy who has encountered the ocean, “to be a match for Grendel and settle the outcome in single combat” (Heaney 29). Moreover, Beowulf points out that he is undertaking this to “perform to the uttermost what the Danes want or perish in the attempt” (Heaney 43). In fighting with
He is so committed to the Dane’s cause that he is willing to face the very real possibility of his own demise for them.