What makes a hero a hero? By definition, a hero demonstrates courage in adverse situations and is willing to sacrifice himself in positions of weakness. Based on this definition, the character Macbeth is not a hero but a man whose lust for power led to his own destruction and opposed Ian Johnston's Introduction to Macbeth. I believe that the character Macbeth in Shakespeare's tragedy is not a hero because he is responsible for Duncan's murder, killing people for wrongful reasons, and causing his own demise. In Johnston's lecture he says that Macbeth cannot be held responsible for his death. by Duncan. The lecture says: “His (Macbeth) imagination committed him to evil before his conscious mind realized that the decision had been made. » The lecture further describes Macbeth's state of mind and the exact manner in which Duncan's death occurs. Johnson makes a good point about Macbeth's mental behavior, but it must also be said that he agreed to kill Duncan before he even entered the room. In Act 2, Scene 1, Macbeth says, “I go and it is done.” The bell beckons me/ Don't listen, Duncan, for it's a toll/ Calling you to heaven or hell. He came to a consensus that he would kill Duncan and his soul would face the entrance to Heaven or Hell. I am certain of Macbeth's obvious consent to Duncan's murder. Later in this act, after Duncan's death, Macbeth goes to his wife to tell her that Duncan is dead. They then begin to discuss all the incidents that happened after his death, such as the hooting of the owl. Macbeth said to his wife: “I seemed to hear a voice crying: “Sleep no more! / Macbeth kills sleep” - innocent sleep, / The sleep that knits the frayed sleeve of cares, / The death of everyday life. .. middle of paper ...... the tragedy Macbeth is not a heroic tragedy. Using both Shakespeare's Macbeth and Ian Johnston's Introduction to Macbeth, I believe I have proven my point. To be a hero, your character must be willing and able to sacrifice themselves. Macbeth's character and decisions do not allow him to be a hero. Works Cited “Heroes”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, January 20, 2014. Web. January 16, 2014. .Johnston, Ian. “An Introduction to Shakespeare’s Macbeth.” An introduction to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Np, and Web. January 20, 2014. “No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth.” SparkNotes. SparkNotes and Web. January 16, 2014. .Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.