Manhood In Macbeth

In ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. The essay’s focus is masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Primarily, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized, respected masculine quality in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth yearns for masculinity but she fails to acquire it. Shakespeare thus displays masculinity in two different lights.

Macbeth uses his manhood to portray his solider like qualities, but Lady Macbeth’s masculinity manipulates Macbeth’s actions, however, in the end it is Macbeth who uses his masculinity to do heinous actions.

In Macbeth, the conflict between manhood and femininity is very apparent. The differences between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are profound. Over the course of the play, Shakespeare skillfully changes the role of the two characters. Macbeth is frightened at the beginning and frightened at the end while Lady Macbeth is seeming confident and ends up frightened in the end. Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manhood many time throughout the play, making the conflict between their two personalities very apparent.

Macbeth tells himself to act like a man in the following lines: “Prithee, peace! / I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none” (I, vii, 45-47). This quote by Macbeth shows how he wants to be a man by killing King Duncan, but he does not think this would be an act of righteousness. Macbeth is in a controversy with

In Act 1, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth with admired masculine qualities countered with Lady Macbeth criticising his idiosyncrasies. Lady Macbeth’s definition of a man is disparate to others’. In Scene 2, the captain labels Macbeth as “brave”. This is a venerated and respected quality on the battlefield. King Duncan later refers to Macbeth as “valiant cousin”. These pronouncements show that an

In Act One, Scene Seven, Lady Macbeth attacks Macbeth’s pride in order to manipulate his decision. Macbeth doubts the choice to kill the King, but Lady Macbeth wants the power and the title for Macbeth and herself. She asks Macbeth, “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem,” (1.7). Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manliness, by asking if he is a coward or a noble king. No man wants to be called a coward by his female companion, or anyone else. In doing this, she mocks his fear of committing regicide, by calling his masculinity into question. Consequently, this affect’s Macbeth’s decision to kill King Duncan. Macbeth believes that men should be violent, cruel, brave, and unremorseful. This viewpoint has been instilled in him by people surrounding him such as his wife. His pride and masculinity were superior to any future punishment for this action. His myopic view prevents him from truly seeing the consequences to come of his decisions. The egotism of some men seems to take over their perspective of right and wrong. Males today do not want to be inferior to women, because they would seem weak.

The play opens with a battle against the King of Norway. Ultimately, both parties hope to obtain dominance. This is the first introduction to the constant theme of power. Macbeth reveals his physical power by slaying Macdonwald, a traitor of Scotland. Macbeth believes that through this victory he has proven his masculinity and strength. This is one example of how the male characters believe that by proving their manhood they will receive power and a higher position in society. Macbeth, along with other male characters, strive to obtain their goal of dominance constantly through their actions. Macbeth’s disappointment in King Duncan’s announcement of the next King of Scotland demonstrates that Macbeth was looking to be rewarded with power for

However once they accomplish the deed, the torment that the guilt brings is too much for Macbeth but he gets used to the evil of killing people meanwhile the opposite happens to Lady Macbeth who becomes paranoid about killing Duncan. Shakespeare presents the play in such a way that the audience sees how more and more their relationship changes dramatically as a result of how they each handle their emotions following the murder of King Duncan. Although Macbeth was weak at first, it was the strong Lady Macbeth who helped him through the first murder, but in sacrifice to controlling Macbeth and his conscience, she lost control of her own and consequently became insane and committed suicide. Lady Macbeth repeatedly convinced her husband by questioning his manhood “When you durst do it, then you were a man, / And, to be more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man” (Shakespeare 1.7.54-56). She is a strong, powerful character in comparison to her easily influenced husband, until towards the end of the play where he seems to take on her role.

Manipulation, the act of controlling something or someone, is prevalent in all societies and drives the plot of Macbeth. Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, is about a loyal soldier who commits horrible atrocities to become king, only to be defeated in the end. Throughout the play, male characters are influenced into doing awful acts, which they would not normally have thought to do, after having their manliness questioned. They strive to match the stereotype of an aggressive and dominant man. In Macbeth, Shakespeare reveals that men are manipulated into accomplishing violent deeds in an attempt to live up to the definition of masculinity through his portrayal of male character.

Macbeth's appearance fluctuates from his true self. Macbeth depicts himself to be strong and prudent, but inside he is truthfully weak. This tragic flaw that Macbeth demonstrates is another significant weakness which questions his manliness. His masculinity was an issue for Lady Macbeth so she uses her expertise of manipulation to attack his manhood and persuade him to kill Duncan. "When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." This quotation compares Macbeth to “a baby that milks me” mocking Macbeth’s manhood. Stated by Lady Macbeth, this shows her determination and fearfulness pushing her husband into the path of the crime. Macbeth’s weakness is made observable when Lady Macbeth speaks “Are you a man?” She’s unquestionably praying on Macbeth’s imperfection, trying to use her manipulation to challenge his pride and manliness to get him to fulfil her needs and desires. This deceitful strategy influences Macbeth a great deal because he wants to see himself as a warrior above everything else. He is determined to show his excessive pride which leads to the continuation of immeasurable murders in the company of many other observed weaknesses.

Alternative characters in the play contrast Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's twisted perception of a man by allowing their emotions and not giving in to traditional gender roles. When taking a look at masculinity in Macbeth, MacDuff’s is an aforementioned character. Shakespeare gives MacDuff phrases, which contrast the misguided ways of Macbeth and his Lady, and also show that there is hope in masculinity. It is obvious that MacDuff is Shakespeare's ideological adaptation of a real man. MacDuff knows himself and he performs his duties, as he knows he must and settles his feelings with the stability a man needs. As he is told to take the news of their murders “like a man.” He retorts, “I shall do so, / But I must also feel it as a man” (4.3.

As an allotment of manhood, the essence of brutality, especially in a warrior, is deemed essential. Men are expected to have that ruthlessness among their character as it was envisioned by humans beforehand. “Because this state of mind is rarely attained, and when achieved, nearly impossible to maintain, androgyny is an ideal goal- a vision of unity and harmony beyond the confines of gender, within the confines of the human” (Kimbrough 133). They are envisaged to be very masculine and cruel in order to be able to kill their opponents in battle without feeling guilt or regret. It is a man’s job to prolong this aspect due to that women are defined to have a gentle heart and be regretful of any vicious acts.

One would not think that committing murder, or persuading someone to commit murder, would necessarily increase your masculinity. Yet, in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, failure to commit murder reduces a man to the status of a woman, by definition, a non-masculine person. Being a man puts one at a higher status, proving one’s manliness is beyond important. It is common to take advantage of someone by challenging their bravery, therefore putting them in a vulnerable state of mind. Vigor, strength, and leadership are three qualities that were extremely important for men to have. Committing murder is one way of showing a man possesses these qualities. Proving masculinity by committing murder, or influencing someone to commit murder,

In Macbeth, originally written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century, masculinity is a reoccurring theme in the play. Shakespeare tells the story of a man whose ambition overpowers his loyal qualities and later causes him to fall as a leader. Throughout the play, Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth both question what it is to be a man and to what extent masculinity should be played out in order to achieve success. Shakespeare shows the negative progression of Macbeth from being an innocent thane who would one day like to become the king, to a power hungry and evil leader who is willing to terminate anything that gets into his way of the throne. In Macbeth, stereotypical ideas about masculinity determine the fate of the characters because

About the murder of Duncan, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he is “his kinsman and his subject” and Duncan “hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead like angels” (1,7,13; 17-19). Thus, not wanting to kill Duncan for his own good. However, Lady Macbeth provokes Macbeth, as well his ambitions, to stand up like a man and take the chance. She tells him “Was the hope drunk...When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1,7,39; 56). Lady Macbeth’s criticism causes Macbeth to kill Duncan, and become the king of Scotland. Macbeth’s murder of Duncan clearly demonstrates his change in that, now, he is being selfish in that he killed Duncan to become a king, which would give him higher honors. Then, after killing Duncan, Macbeth forgets the feeling of sympathy and kills more people to secure his position as the king. He kills Banquo, who was his dearest friend, for Banquo figuring out Macbeth is the murderer, and also kills Macduff’s family since Macduff, who was also Macbeth’s fellow nobleman, has gone to England to fight against Macbeth. Furthermore, he does not feel any kind of sorrowness when he hears about Lady Macbeth’s death, only saying “She should have died hereafter” (5.5.20).” That is very cold of him since he does not even sympathize about his own wife’s death. Therefore, it is noticeable that Macbeth has completely changed from he was in the beginning, but the exact opposite. Macbeth, at the end, has become an cruel, senseless murderer that only cares about himself due to his ambitions to become a king taking over his