What make a strong leader?

In Beowulf, we follow Beowulf’s journey from a youthful warrior and transitioning into a wise aged ruler. Beowulf rise to power begins with the defeat of Grendel and his mother in his youth and becomes king later in his life. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus becomes ruler of his land by answering the riddle of the Sphinx. We read how by performing great feats sets them apart from the commoners but how do both characters stack up against each other?

Beowulf, in his old age leads the charge against the mighty dragon knowing that the battle may be his last rather than assembling an army. Oedipus offers amnesty to the person who reveal who murdered Laius. In the end, Oedipus gorges his eyes out and exiles himself after finding out he was the murder. Both rulers shown that they are willing to put themselves in front of others. What makes a good ruler? Would you put your life in the line against a monster like Beowulf or exile yourself if you slept with your mother and killed your father like Oedipus? Does a leader run away from conflict like Oedipus or fight to the very end like Beowulf?

How does one leave their land towards the end? Beowulf died, and with all but one of his eleven men following him into battle against the dragon shows that Geatland will soon fall to outside threats. Who would want to marry Oedipus’ offsprings knowing that they came from an incestuous marriage? The lineage of Oedipus and Beowulf reign are gone; Beowulf never got married and this never had any offsprings of his own and everyone knows Oedipus’ secret. What happens next? Both rulers meet their downfall, one heroic and the other tragic.

The story of Beowulf begins and ends with the death of a person, the previous ruler ending like it began, drifting away on the water being remembered as “That was a good king” and Beowulf comes out seeking for fame and eventually becoming a leader being remember as:

They said that of all the kings upon the earth,

he was the m ost gracious and fair-minded,

kindest to his people and keenest to win fame. (lines 3180-83)

Is that how we would like to be remembered?