When the play begins, Macbeth is considered a hero. He has fought and defeated the enemy with bravery, strength and skill. The wounded sergeant reports the victory to King Duncan. He declares that Macbeth has ended the battle by killing Macdonwald and has his bloody sword to prove it:
For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,(20)Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.(25)
King Duncan expresses his admiration for Macbeth's heroic qualities. In fact, he honors Macbeth with a new title. King Duncan declares that Macbeth will be the new Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan uses heroic adjectives to describe his cousin:
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!
King Duncan continues to exalt Macbeth. He refers to the previous Thane of Cawdor as a man who has lost his title. Now, Macbeth is the Thane of Cawdor. In the King's eyes, Macbeth is noble and honorable:
What [Macdonwald] hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.
Macbeth is a true hero. He has heroic qualities. When King Duncan describes Macbeth, he states that his kinsman is incomparable. On the battlefield, Macbeth's character speaks for itself through his bravery and determination to defeat Macdonwald. King Duncan states that Macbeth cannot be compared to any other.
It is a peerless kinsman. (65)
Clearly, King Duncan holds Macbeth in high esteem. When the King of Scotland has so much respect for a soldier and relative, that proves Macbeth has the qualities of a hero.
Of course, Macbeth changes and becomes a power-hungry murderer, but he was a hero at the beginning of the play.
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