Unferth and Grendel on Heros (Grendel)

"Go ahead and scoff," [Unferth] said, petulant. "Except in the life of a hero, the whole world's meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what's possible. That's the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worthwhile."

~Grendel by John Gardner