Question

Which character is described in these lines? "The man-ruler famous, The long-worthy atheling, sat very woful, Suffered great sorrow, sighed for his liegemen, When they had seen the track of the hateful pursuer, The spirit accursèd: too crushing that sorrow, Too loathsome and lasting."
Beowulf

Grendel

Hrothgar

Higelac

Answer 1

  I believe the character described in the lines of the question is Hrothgar.

  The lines come from the chapter three of the epic of Beowulf. The chapter´s name is "Grendel the murderer" and it tells the story of how a troll named Grendel assault the Heorot´s palace in the island of which Hrothgar was the king. Grendel was upset because of the construction of a hall in where the people of the realm had feasts and played loud music during all the night. That  music annoyed the troll and in consequence he attacked the palace after the banquet had finished. He found the heroes aslept and devours thirty of them and escape during the dusk letting in the hall the rests of his meal. When the day started tha slaughter was revealed to the warriors and then the lines of the questions are written. It reflects the fright the king felt in front of such scene and also the sorrow for having lost some of his heroes.

  As a response to the attacks the king decided to shut the hall he had built during the night in order to protect their fellowmen but after twelve years the narration came into Beowulf ears and he arrives the kingdom with 14 warriors to stop the monster named Grendel.

  Hrothgar was a real king of what today is known as Denmark who have lived around the early sixth century. He appeared not only on the Beowulf epic; he also intervene in other anglo-saxon poems and in scandinavian chronicles.

  I hope the answer is correct and help you.

Answer 2

"The man-ruler famous, The long-worthy atheling, sat very woful, Suffered great sorrow, sighed for his liegemen, When they had seen the track of the hateful pursuer, The spirit accursèd: too crushing that sorrow, Too loathsome and lasting."

The character described in the above lines was HROTHGAR, King Hrothgar to be exact.

He was the man-ruler and he sighed for his liegemen. Liegemen are those who are also called lord's men. King Hrothgar was their liege or lord.