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Beowulf takes an especially interesting look at old age and its ramifications for kingship and heroism. The poem's two main characters, Beowulf and Hrothgar, have long been a study of contrast for scholars of the work, and of course it is Beow ....

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... it? Is the poet deliberately undercutting Hrothgar's character? I would like to explore the poem's treatment of Hrothgar's old age, suggesting a possible interpretation of his character and touching on its significance to the values of the poem. I will make some observations and then try to draw some conclusions, as best as one can for a complex work such as Beowulf. Hrothgar's associations with women are not the only evidence that would support a "feminization" of his aged character. Hrothgar's laments for his own helpless state makes him even more helpless: rather than responding in action like Beowulf does, he gives in to despair. And i ...