ipl-logo

Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

743 Words3 Pages

In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, Shakespeare criticizes the violence and cruelty that is present in masculinity even though masculinity was seen as a strong and respected trait in men.

In the beginning of Macbeth Shakespeare views masculinity as a trait of a warrior and a protector. This is shown during the war between Scotland, the Norwegian King, and Scottish rebels. A servant brings a report to Duncan and tells him that they (Scotland) are winning the war and Macbeth is a big part of their success. The servant reports , “For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name -/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution.” (1.2.18-20) . When Macbeth faces “disdaining fortune”, meaning fortune goes against him he is still able to be a successful warrior. He is strong and fights with “brandish’d steal”, confidence. The servant sees Macbeth as a brave, strong, and masculine man because he is able to fight in war. During the time period of Macbeth, men were seen as protectors and warriors. Masculinity is important when it comes to war and violence. The stronger and more …show more content…

The more masculine a person becomes, the more violent and cruel they become. Macbeth writes a letter to Lady Macbeth telling her about the prophecy he received from the witches. He was destined to become king. When Lady Macbeth received the letter she called the spirits and demanded, “…unsex me here,/ And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!”( 1.5.48-50). Lady Macbeth is telling the spirits to “unsex” her, meaning make her a man. She then states that the reason she wants to become a man is to become cruel and evil so she can kill Duncan. Women were seen as weak and emotional people that can’t do harm to anyone. On the other hand masculine men were seen as strong and cruel, because they aren’t held back by morals. This is why men are able to fight and

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    1143 Words  | 5 Pages

    My poem, Mournful Macbeth, tackles the topic of toxic masculinity that exists in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Macbeth’s ferocious masculinity is such an integral part of his character that the very mention of its lacking sends him spiralling, as shown through the five stages of grief Macbeth confronts in Mournful Macbeth. It focuses explicitly on Macbeth’s inner turmoil following Lady Macbeth’s questioning of his masculinity when she asks, “Are you a man?” (Macbeth 3.4.70). I chose lyric poetry because it provided an opportunity to explore the emotions of Macbeth in a deeply personal way.

    Read More

  • Manhood In Macbeth

    1337 Words  | 6 Pages

    In one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Macbeth, some argue that the whole play is about a man and contrary to what you’re thinking, not Macbeth himself. A brief overview is simply this: Macbeth receives three prophecies from three strange witches and in an effort to gain all power he becomes an mad serial killer and eventually dies in the end. However, throughout the play we learn a lot more about being human than just not being greedy. We learn what it means to be a man.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    395 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, masculinity is a recurring theme. The play explores various aspects of masculinity like bravery, loyalty, and honor through characters like Banquo and Macduff and using Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to demonstrate a more destructive and toxic approach to masculinity. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is brave, loyal and respected. But his ambition to become king changes his idea of masculinity to one of strength, ambition and ruthlessness. Lady Macbeth takes an even more aggressive approach to masculinity, and pushes Macbeth into the murder of King Duncan and his own friend, Banquo.

    Read More

  • Pursuit Of Power In Macbeth

    729 Words  | 3 Pages

    Well Lady Macbeth, who is dead set on having absolute power, disagrees with that. She convinces Macbeth to kill, to cover up the murders, and tries to convince him that these murders will get them to the top. Lady Macbeth calls upon the witches and states, “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 lines 31 and 31). This shows that while in the pursuit of power, Lady Macbeth wanted it so much that she asked the witches to “unsex” her and make her more like man. But along with that you see the theme of gender roles are uncertain which ties into Lady Macbeth leading Macbeth in this pursuit of power, also giving him the ambition that she wants him to

    Read More

  • The Most Responsible For The Downfall Of Macbeth

    957 Words  | 4 Pages

    This quote symbolizes not only Lady Macbeth threatening his manhood. However, Macbeth's acceptance of the prevalent male archetype during the time period demonstrates that he is

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Macbeth Essay

    1372 Words  | 6 Pages

    Through the course of ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. In this essay, focus will be on masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In the beginning, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized masculine quality and the key to respect in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth has power comparable to man’s

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Femininity Quotes

    773 Words  | 4 Pages

    Instead, Lady Macbeth would rather embrace traditionally masculine traits such as ambition, aggression, and power. This desire to reject her femininity and embrace masculine traits reflects Lady Macbeth's hunger for power and her willingness to do whatever it takes to obtain it, even if it means defying societal norms.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    448 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1183 Words  | 5 Pages

    Why does she shame the slightest form of femininity? As the play unfolds, Lady Macbeth is seen stepping on Macbeth’s toes constantly about being weak and unmanly. But does weak mean unmanly? The construct formed from the beginning of time is that if a man is weak he is feminine, this is the self-conflict within Lady Macbeth. “Lady Macbeth consciously attempts to reject her feminine sensibility and adopt a male mentality because she perceives that her society equates feminine qualities with weakness”, explains that Lady Macbeth fears her femininity (“Be bloody, bold, and resolute”: Tragic Action and Sexual Stereotyping in Macbeth).

    Read More

  • Role Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    434 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this time a man’s masculinity was all that he had and for someone to question it would have almost forced the man to prove himself. In the twenty first century this same idea of being a masculine man still exist. If someone questions a man’s masculinity they most often seek to prove them wrong or prove that they are hyper masculine. In reality Macbeth had no choice to be aggressive because aggression and violence are what identified someone as being a true man, without these traits Macbeth would have been demasculinized. His pride, self-worth, and ambition would not allow that to happen, therefore, to prove himself as a man he killed his friends to meet his own self desires and ended up paying the price for his ambitious

    Read More

  • Violence And Masculinity In Macbeth

    402 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is a strong correlation between violence and masculinity. In the play, Macbeth by Shakespeare, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth constantly battle the challenges of manhood. This can be supported by Lady Macbeth and her “unsex me speech” (Act 1.5.47-61). During the play Macbeth, characters tend to dwell on issues of gender and their roles in society.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Macbeth

    834 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the beginning Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth was a ruthless and masculine woman. She showed the audience that, mentally and emotionally, she was stronger than Macbeth. Although as the story started to continue the audience began to see that she was becoming mentally insane. Throughout the story there was also evidence of shakespeare showing the more masculinity you had the more cuel you became.

    Read More

  • Manhood In Macbeth Essay

    1332 Words  | 6 Pages

    (An Analysis of the Theme Manhood Throughout Macbeth) What defines a man's manhood is different throughout many cultures. Some cultures define a man buy his wealth and property, by his success. Other cultures define manhood by how well a man fights, his strength and/or courage. This definition of manhood can be found in multiple cultures, including the setting in which Shakespeare wrote Macbeth. But there is a whole other side to what defines a man’s manhood that isn't physical at all, but mental.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby

    1959 Words  | 8 Pages

    “Come, you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts,/unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of dire cruelty” (1.5.41-44). Lady Macbeth is the personification of male dominance, ruthlessness and violence. She hopes that she could take control of all action. She yearns to be a man and her implication is that she is more masculine than Macbeth. Her drive and violent nature is more akin to men and their masculinity.

    Read More

  • Robert Kimbrough's Macbeth: The Prisoner Of Gender

    1152 Words  | 5 Pages

    In “Macbeth: The Prisoner of Gender,” Robert Kimbrough explores the topic of manliness in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. Kimbrough begins by examining how masculinity and femininity came about in the first place, stating that the origin can best come from the “Judeo-Christian version of God the Creator” (179). The differences between males and females created a hierarchy in Shakespeare’s time, where males were on the top and females were on the bottom. Kimbrough states that the differences betweens the two genders are “matters of the mind,” and believes “Shakespeare sensed that so long as one remains exclusively female or exclusively male, that person will be ... denied human growth" (179). These “matters of the mind” are what Shakespeare tackles

    Read More

More about Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

Open Document