Set in the 11th century, when women were treated as lesser beings and men were expected to provide and protect their family's William Shakespeare's Macbeth showcases the prominent topic of masculinity. To be a man one was expected to be courageous, assertive, unapologetic, and independent. Although masculinity is normally a positive trait in protagonists, masculinity is depicted as a negative quality throughout the play because Lady Macbeth associates masculinity with evil, and his obsession to be seen as a masculine figure allows him to be controlled by those around him.
Lady Macbeth depicts masculinity as a negative quality because, she sees masculinity as an equivalent to evil. To her being a man is being ruthless and emotionless. She
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When Macbeth realizes that he would have to kill Duncan to be named king he is one the fence about going through with it. Responding to his apprehensiveness Lady Macbeth tell him, “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” (I. VII. 49-51). Telling him that when he said that his was going to kill Duncan proved his masculinity, but going back on this decision took away his manhood. She continues to play games with Macbeth telling him that when he “toughens up” enough to kill, he will be much more than a man. But being constantly told that he is not a man, creates a psychological need to prove his masculinity.While tries to wash his hands of Duncan’s he talks of already building guilty to which Lady Macbeth responds, “My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white” (Shakespeare II.II.63-64). Lady Macbeth states that she to has help kill that king, yet she would be ashamed to feel as guilty as he does. She tells him to essentially man up because to her he is not acting as a man. This continuous questioning of him masculinity allows Macbeth to be controlled. His need to prove himself has deadly consequences, for example Banquo was more liked by the people of scotland and his children were prophesied to be king,
The great masterpiece Macbeth, which is written by William Shakespeare, deals with many different hidden themes. One of the best-hidden themes in Macbeth is manhood. Shakespeare's descriptions of his characters give real descripitions of living beings, not actors upon a stage. His manuscript is able to show the masculinity of men as well of women. Masculinity is not just for men; some women are just like men in their quest for ambition.
In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth‚ the theme of masculinity is explored. As Macbeth matures‚ there are times when his masculinity is put to the test, mostly after the murder of Duncan. There are four main themes in which masculinity is presented in the play.
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
A prominent theme in William Shakespeare’s novel Macbeth is the idea of universal masculinity. Throughout the play, Shakespeare utilizes male gender stereotypes to present conflicting views on the definition of manhood. Macbeth tells the reader about a man who allows both societal pressures inflicted upon him by his wife and his intense ambition to drag Macbeth into a spiral of committing obscene acts of violence. Characters often associate being a man with courage, cruelty and power. This pervading caricature of a “man” is evident to the reader throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, for instance, goads Macbeth about his masculinity to the point of murder. Additionally, Malcolm and Macduff’s rigid discussion on revenge reveals a defined notion of “true” masculinity. Perhaps the culmination of rigid gender stereotypes is evident in Macbeth's pondering of the legitimacy of the hired murderers' manhood. Clearly, Shakespeare upholds male gender stereotypes throughout Macbeth.
In general, it could be said that Lady Macbeth takes advantage of her femininity and uses it and her frail image to manipulate the situation to suit her purposes. In Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth ‘bullies’ her husband by doubting his masculinity and provoking a response. She called Macbeth “afraid” and a “coward”. I am inclined to think that Lady Macbeth chose these words as Macbeth values his courage and fierce nature as it has positioned him highly in society. It is possible that Macbeth’s greatest vulnerability is his love for Lady Macbeth, and that enables her to exploit his love for power.
The Relationship between Cruelty and Masculinity Characters in Macbeth frequently dwell on issues of gender. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband by questioning his manhood, wishes that she herself could be?unsexed,? and does not contradict Macbeth when he says that a woman like her should give birth only to boys. In the same manner that Lady Macbeth goads her husband on to murder, Macbeth provokes the murderers he hires to kill Banquo by questioning their manhood.... ...
Although Macbeth's character greatly changes throughout the play, in the beginning, he is seen as a good model of what a man should be like. Known as a "valiant cousin [and a] worthy gentlemen", Macbeth wins the great respect and admiration from his king, Duncan, and his soldiers through his actions on the battlefields. His views on manhood are that one must be loyal to his king, honorable to his friends and honest and loving to his wife. He shows his belief in loyalty to his king by "dar[ing] to do all that may become a man", by fighting seemingly losing battles for the safety of Duncan. Also, the idea of murdering Duncan makes him feel that he would lose his manhood. This is because he feels that if he "dares to be more" that what he is then he is not humble but instead greedy and therefore not a man. Macbeth, as well, shows that although he is cold-hearted on the battlefield, he is not with his wife. Deeply in love with his wife, Macbeth shares everything with her example here. Although this leads him to his eventual doom, his powerful affection towards Lady Macbeth makes him feel complete in his definition of a man.
“When you first do it, then you were a man, And to be more than what you were, you would, be so much more the man” (I. VII, 54-56). After struggling with the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth is reprimanded by Lady Macbeth for his lack of courage. She informs him that killing the king will make him a man, insinuating that he isn’t a man if he doesn’t go through with the murder. This develops Lady Macbeth as a merciless, nasty, and selfish woman. She will say, or do anything to get what she desires, even if it means harming others.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he uses the theme of manhood to create motives for characters to act like a man. This is seen in many occurrences in Macbeth where characters try to act like men for certain reasons. Characters that apply this action are Macbeth, the first murderer, Macduff, and Young Siward. These actions are seen throughout the play, and play a key role in the development of the performance.
Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that questioning whether or not someone is a man is highly effective in getting them to do what they want. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare dramatically shows what can happen when our common gender roles are broken. He shows the power that people can have over others when they aren’t acting the way they’re expected to.
Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity suggests that there is a distinction between “sex, as a biological facticity, and gender, as the cultural interpretation or signification of that facticity” (Butler, 522). Performing certain actions that society associates with a specific gender marks you as that gender. In this way, gender is socially constructed. Alfar defines the societal expectation of women as the “constant and unquestioning feminine compliance with the desires of the masculine” (114). Considering Macbeth from a modern perspective and taking this distinction into account, it is necessary to determine if the play is concerned with sex or with gender. Before the action of the play even begins, the audience is warned that “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.11). The first scene of the play casts the world of Macbeth as a land where everything is opposite or disordered. This line at the very start of the play cautions audiences to not take the play at face value because things are not always as they appear to be. Because of this, “all the binaries become complicated, divisions blurred. Thus the binary nature of gender identities, male/female, is eliminated” (Reaves 14). In the world of Macbeth, the typical gender constructions are manipulated and atypical. If the play does not deal with sex, the qualities of Lady Macbeth cannot be applied to all women but rather, representative of society’s construction of gender, “the patriarch, and the limited, restrictive roles of women” (Reaves 11). Within this reading of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s examination and questioning of gender construction allows modern day readers to recognize the enduring relevance of
...hout the play, he continually worries about his own portrayal of masculinity, something that Lady Macbeth is quick to jump upon to make him do what she wants. When Macbeth says is challenged by lady Macbeth he says that he will do anything to be a man. ’when you durst do it, then you were a man’. Lady Macbeth is tormenting Macbeth by getting inside his head. This symbolises how he is being controlled by evil and corruption. Lady Macbeth and her desires on one side and the witches on the other. This shows how the two control is entangled and entwined. The word ’man’ is used to great effect here, it shows the true desires of the heart. Macbeth wants the recognition of his achievements. Lady Macbeth’s attitude explains how this is not enough. She wants Macbeth to be king, maybe more than he does. She is pushing him forwards.
Gender is evidently out of its traditional order within the play, and thus the three chosen exemplar characters to showcase this are Lady Macbeth, the Witches, and Macbeth. In saying this, Lady Macbeth is a clear example of how the traditional characteristics of a woman are non-existent as they are taken over by masculinity and strength. The witches challenge their womanhood due to the power they hold and attributes they have, all while Macbeth challenges his gender as he shows femininity through weakness and fretfulness.
Shakespeare is known for strong male heroes, but they are not laying around in this play, not that Macbeth is full of strong female heroines, either. The women in the play, Lady Macbeth and the witches have very uncommon gender belief, and act as inhumane as the men. While the men engage in direct violence, the women use manipulation to achieve their desires. As Lady Macbeth impels Macbeth to kill King Duncan, she indicated that she must take on some sort of masculine characteristic in order to process the murder. “Come, you spirits/ that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ of direst cruelty.” (i v 31-34) This speech is made after she reads Macbeth’s letter. Macbeth, she has shown her desire to lose her feminine qualities and gain masculine ones. Lady Macbeth's seizure of the dominant role in the Macbeth's marriage, on many occasions, she rules her husband and dictates his actions. Her speeches in the first part of the book give the readers a clear impression. “You shall put this night’s great business into my dispatch, which shall […] gi...
.... The theme of masculinity being displayed throughout the play, particularly by Macbeth himself, reinforces his position in terms of importance. This revolving notion can be justified through the manner in which the audience views Macbeth’s own urge for power- over femininity and also for the throne; thus slowly developing a setting for the preceding plot. Once again Macbeth is also imperative in regards to the story line, as he is the figure in which Shakespeare tends to propose certain principles and consequences.