Beowulf v.s.Macbeth

Beowulf v.s. Macbeth

      A leader is someone who can be trusted. A good leader has to be strong. A great leader has to have courage especially when it comes to defending their people. An excellent leader is able to overcome any obstacle thrown their way for the greater good. Between Beowulf and Macbeth there is a huge gap between their leadership styles and the way they lead their people.
     Before Beowulf became king he was already considered a great hero. He was known as an epic hero. He would sail the seas defeating demons, dragons, and monsters. The day he found out from the king that he would be next in line to the thrown he did not try to rush his fate. Even with such great and overwhelming news his heart did not change. While Beowulf was king he always displayed fairness towards all. While Macbeth too was considered a hero before his reign as king he decided to take a sharp curve left shortly after. Prior to his reign he was a general in the king’s army. He was given the honored title of Thane of Cawdor. After receiving the prophecy that he would become king, he lost all reason. Macbeth’s reign as king brought many untimely, unnecessary, and cruel deaths to the land. Unlike Beowulf he did not rule with compassion but ruled as a dictator.
     Beowulf ruled with kindness, fairness, mercy, and courage. While Macbeth ruled with fear, cold-heartedness, and had no remorse for the people he killed. The reason Beowulf was highly respected by his people was because even though he was king he was not above fighting side by side with and for his people. He fought the invaders that wanted to overrule his authority. Macbeth was the opposite he did not fight with his people; he fought against his people and for himself. He killed innocent villagers under his rule, as well as the previous king, King Duncan. Macbeth killed anyone that went against him or stood in his way including his war buddy Banquo.

     For the preceding two paragraphs I discussed how Beowulf and Macbeth differed in many ways. In the following paragraph I will discuss how they compare. The one thing they had in common is the fact that they both had a tragic flaw that lead to their downfall. Beowulf, although as great a leader, he could not resist Grendel’s mother, she promised fame and fortune. Greed got the best of him. He lost his life defeating the golden dragon. Macbeth created his downfall because he chose to test fate and to rush into the unknown. The moment the first part of the prophecy came true, he could not wait for the second prophecy to come to past. The second prophecy stated that Macbeth would become king. Macbeth then became enraged with power and the power ended up turning on him.

     Beowulf compared to Macbeth has very different leadership ways. Beowulf is what I would consider a strong and reliable leader. While Macbeth is a treacherous, manipulative, and insane leader who had what was coming to him. They also have different personalities and mindsets. Even though they have many differences they still had a similarity which was as I mentioned was that they lead their selves to their own downfall. In the end when you compare and contrast Banquo and Macbeth you can tell why one is considered an Epic Hero and another a Tragic Hero.