Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

In Macbeth, originally written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century, masculinity is a reoccurring theme within the play. Shakespeare tells the story of a man who’s 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 the extent that masculinity determines success. Shakespeare shows the progression of Macbeth from innocent thane a power hungry and evil leader who is willing to annihilate anything that gets into his way of the throne. In Macbeth, In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth assumes stereotypical masculine qualities in order to control Macbeth’s rise to power in Scotland, this leads to Macbeth conforming to the

Lady Macbeth plots to usurp King Duncan so Macbeth can ascend to the throne take his place. After inviting Duncan to their castle, Lady Macbeth creates a plan for Macbeth to execute Duncan in his sleep. As demonstrated in this quote, “That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Come to my woman's breasts And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances ”(Macbeth, 1.5 47-56). Lady Macbeth uses demeaning language to assert dominance over her husband. Lady Macbeth is a willful woman that takes on the role of a male character in the beginning scenes in order to instigate the ambition in her husband. She exploits Macbeth's masculinity when she says, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it”(Macbeth, 1.5, 15-20). Lady Macbeth admonishes her husband by saying that although he has ambition, that will not get him anywhere near the throne if he is too