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A Good King ~ Madalyn Dillard

     In the beginning lines of Beowulf, the story begins with an orphan boy, Shield Sheafon, who became king. Sheafon conquered many tribes and gained treasures by having the conquered lands pay him tribute. Even though Shield's army is loyal to him, Sheafon does not leave them unaccounted for. Sheild makes sure that his army is protected as well as financed. With every load of tribute Shield would get, the king would always make sure his warriors had a piece of the wealth. This encourages the warriors to do more heroic things for their community and for the king. The author of Beowulf makes sure the readers know that Shield was a good king by literally saying, "That was one good king" (11). 

    Even though the story of this good king is not the main story at hand, I wanted to write about it since I believe this is an important topic to talk about. America does not have kings, but we do have leaders. I just wanted to bring up this question. If the author of Beowulf were to classify our different leaders and politicians, what word would he use? I am not a very political person; however, I am very curious about other's perspectives. With all of the ridiculousness going on, I wonder how a good king would handle it. Of course, kings from the time of Beowulf and leaders in modern times have very different roles and powers, but that does not change the idea that we can have leaders like Shield in Beowulf. 


I commented on Emma Kate and Haylee Lynd's posts.

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