Someone who is endowed with courage and strength is considered an epic hero. Beowulf and Achilles are two of the most renowned epic heroes that possess both of these characteristics. Even though they share the major traits of an epic hero and contain many other parallels, they have their distinctions in their attitude towards fame and ambition as well as their motives to fight. Beowulf, in my opinion, is a true hero. He fought for his people and took care of the problems they faced, not just his own. When it came to fame and glory, Beowulf seemed apathetic. While he was thankful for the riches and rewards that were given to him, he knew that he wasn’t in it for the accolades; neither was he expecting anything in return. In fact, he gave back all that was given to him to his people and to those that stood by him in his battles. Beowulf’s only motive was to provide for the welfare of his people, because he knew that it was his duty and it’s what is expected of him. On the other hand, Achilles was all about personal glory. He wanted to be known as the man with strength that was unmatched; Achilles enjoyed being known for his talents and abilities. He fought mainly for his personal recognition as a hero and was driven with vengeance. While his people were experiencing a war, all he could think about was the death of his friend, Patroclus, instead of striving to save his people in honor of him. The underlying truth is that he most likely did not care to avenge the death of Patroclus, for whose death he was responsible for, but he wanted to prove that he still was a great warrior by