A hero doesn’t have to be the protector of other people.  The best example of this is Prince Hal from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I.  Prince Hal is still a hero, even though he does not physically benefit another’s life.  He is a hero for himself because he thinks for himself.  He takes everything that others tell him with a grain of salt.  He listens to what they say but forms his own opinions about it first, doing what he believes is best.  

          For example, when Falstaff pretends to be kind in the tavern with Hal, Hal then takes the throne and banishes Falstaff, half pretending and half being serious.  He is tired of watching Falstaff, one of his only friends and mentors, waste his life being fat, drunk, and passive.  He desires to be unique.  He wants an individuality that is different than the expectations other people have for him.  This causes him to be in between the tavern and the court, in terms of who he models himself after.  At the court, he is expected to be a great prince but everyone known him as irresponsible.  Because of this lack of guidance, Hal is forced to think for himself and make his own decisions, which are neither court nor tavern.  This turns out well for him because this allows him to learn from the people before he becomes their king.  

          He is actively learning from and teaching those around him while he looks passive on the surface.  He desires to be a great man and he does so by thinking as a strong, individual leader.  Overall, Hal took control and changed his future and became the hero of himself.