In addition, in order for him to succeed he must orally deliver his resume. Nevertheless, bragging aside, Beowulf is undoubtedly a brave man. When Beowulf sets out to kill Grendel's mother he simply "donned his armor for battle, Heeded not the danger..." (1328-29 60). When his sword fails him he uses his physical strength: "On the might of his hand, as a man must do Who thinks to win in the welter of battle Enduring glory; he fears not death" (1420-23 62). Certainly he is in search of fame.
. (Henry IV, Part 1, I.i.77-80) King Henry IV is stating that Hotspur represents honor; when honor speaks, it speaks of Hotspur. It makes him commit the sin of jealousy, because Hotspur is more honorable than his own son. This quote sets up Hotspur’s character, and foreshadows the contrast of him amongst the other characters in the play. Even though Hotspur gets a lot of glory from being a strong military leader [a trait that is valued very highly during his time], his attitude towards life is unbalanced because he identifies himself solely with his reputation of determination and honor.
In Shakespeare’s work, there is strong evidence of him lacking in many of these qualities of a good ruler, and analyzing this evidence will help us assess how good of a ruler King Lear really was, and why Shakespeare chose to portray him the way he did. In the first Act of the play, King Lear seems the proper absolute ruler. He has, after all, held together the country successfully for many years. He evokes grandeur and authority, representing God and the reigning patriarchy of kingship, as demonstrated by the loyalty of his inferiors to him. Evidence of this can be seen in Kent’s devotion to him as he says, “Royal Lear, Whom I have ever honored as my king, loved as my father, as my master followed, as my great patron thought on in my prayers” (Pg.17, Lines 156-159).
Due to Henry being popular parliament were willing to help finance his invasion. He proved himself a worthy King from the very beginning by personally sening letters asking for help from religious communities and individuals asking for help with his plans. This shows from an early stage that Henry doesn't hold back. His organisation skills from the very early stages led him to being so successful in France as a whole as if he had just jumped straight in with trying to take over France at once, he wouldn't have stood a chance or gained credibility from his men and the French men. Gaining cedibility and respect was very important to Henry.
Hanna L Landis Professor Letitia Trent LITR 201 February 24, 2013 Dear Professor Letitia Trent: Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale” in terms of Machiavellian pragmatism and whether or not we can see the behavior of Chaucer’s rulers, Theseus, as lining up with Machiavelli’s recommendations for effective governance. One of the most interesting characters introduced is the Knight. Chaucer refers to the knight as “a most distinguished man” and indeed, his sketch of the knight is highly complementary. After my experience throughout this class and with writing in MLA format I feel a bit more confident in posting this paper. I’d like to ask my professor to examine my content for comprehension and clarity.
Beowulf is in search of fame; he gains it truthfully by battling with menaces to society and does not lie or manipulate to achieve this fame. Beowulf uses what is rightfully his, his bravery. Beowulf’s bravery differs from that of King Arthur’s for multiple reasons. King Arthur is a king; he must be brave for respect of the people, where as Beowulf’s bravery carries the story. King Arthur’s best value as a hero is his very natural and humble leadership ability.
The Perfect Balance in “Henry IV: Part One” In Shakespeare's “Henry IV: Part One”, Prince Hal is portrayed as the incoherent son of King Henry IV. Prince Hal yearns to become the perfect leader so he may claim his father's throne after his father's reign ends. A hero would be considered anyone who contributes, guides, or influences Prince Hal on his journey to becoming a great king. The real heroes of this play is a combination between both Sir John Falstaff, a gluttonous, old knight, and Harry Percy, better known as Hotspur, a courageous and impetuous young nobleman. Falstaff is an extreme example of a man with no shame, no honour, and no respect.
This also shows that Caesar is of a high noble class because when someone is told to do something by Caesar, it is automatically done. Caesar fits step one of the tragic hero by being noble and powerful. Caesar also fits the mold of step two for the tragic hero. Step two of the tragic hero is that the hero is not all powerful, perfect human being; he is one of “us”. This is seen when Cassius speaks to himself about Caesar and say, “And after this let Caesar seat him sure, for we will shake him, or worse days endure” (1.2.17-18).
Furthermore, he joined the military, working to show that he could excel at anything that he desired to. Gatsby also threw extravagant parties, believing that his fantasy could become reality, and the love of his life would reveal herself. Jay Gatsby is a great character because he is optimistic, believing that he can achieve his dreams by pursuing them. One of the first dreams that Gatsby wished to achieve was a switch from the lower to upper class. He had come from a family of “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people,” (Fitzgerald 99), and was determined to gain greater things.
Commodus, without realizing, is active in making decisions that affect him negatively. After gaining power, all he wants is love from the people. Even though his decisions regarding how he would gain this support are horrendous, Commodus is an intelligent man. He knows very well how to cheat his way to the top, no matter who he needs to overthrow to achieve it. It seems like the only way out of certain situations for the emperor, like fighting in the Colosseum, is to fool others in order to gain their respect or love.