The real heroes are parents. Although this may sound cliche, all they ever strive for are better conditions for their kids to grow up in. Sacrificing most of their time and energy, parents work hard everyday to guarantee promising futures for their children. A perfect example of these sacrifices is from a commercial called “My dad’s story”: Dream for My Child, where a young girl describes her father in an unexpected way. These responsibilities that parents gladly take on also pertain to the earlier leaders in literature, such as Beowulf and Ulysses. Both leaders were extrinsically motivated and selfish in some way: Beowulf wanted fame and glory, Ulysses wanted to gain knowledge. But similar to a parent’s responsibilities, Beowulf spent his entire life protecting and ruling over his people while Ulysses decided to fight heroically for 20 years, then upon return, abandon his home to explore. Therefore, Beowulf proves to be the greater leader.…show more content… After Beowulf’s victory against Grendel, everyone “...swore that nowhere on earth or under the spreading sky or between the seas, neither south nor north, was there a warrior worthier to rule over men” (7, Beowulf text). His willingness to lead and defend the people who loved and relied on him -- even if it meant dying -- shows these heroic traits. If all the people from the land, Geats and Danes, praised him for his bravery, he must have been a great leader. However, Beowulf’s minor flaw was that he “longed only for fame” (10, Beowulf text). Beowulf proved in every way possible that he was a good ruler and leader except in the selfless department. Since he went into battles for his reputation of monster-slayer rather for the sole purpose of protecting the land, it slightly diminished his role as a hero. In spite of this, the title of “better leader” between Beowulf and Ulysses still lies under the