lling Patroklos and retaining his body so it could not be buried. Therefore, Patroklos could not go to heaven. The trophies Achilleus claims in his epic battle with Hektor is the body of Patroklos so it may be buried; Hektor’s lackluster armor; and the pleasure of disfiguring the body of Hektor by dragging it behind his chariot for twelve days to strike fear in the hearts of the opposing Trojan army. It is apparent that the main concern of these two epic heroes is to live as long as possible and to let their heroic status live on for generations to come.The epic of Beowulf contains three foes that the intrepid Beowulf challenges to battle and proves victorious over. The first of the three foes is the infamous Grendel who is evil and whom Beowulf defeats without weapons by ripping off his arm; thus killing him. Secondly, the irate mother of Grendel lives beneath the murky waters of the ocean. He kills her by decapitation “[He] Caught her in the neck and [cut] it through” with an enchanted sword. Lastly Beowulf challenges the dragon as the final enemy. This is Beowulf’s final battle as he is mortally wounded when he and Wiglaf kill the dragon.On the other the hero, Achilleus only faces one opponent. In this battle, he faces Hektor of the Trojans who killed Patroklos. Achilleus fights and defeats Hektor for his own satisfaction and to avenge the death of his friend.All in all, both of these men demonstrate that to be the ultimate epic hero, you must have honor, feel a need for recognition, and be victorious in battle....
