Masculinity and Macbeth
Uploaded by blossomkj on Sep 22, 2002
Masculinity is a sensitive subject often defended in bar fights or made fun of in juvenile jokes. A man will go to great lengths to preserve his masculinity and to prove he truly is a man. It may seem strange and even silly to most women for a man to parade about, chest thrust out, head held high and swaggering like their hip joints are stuck, but men find pride in this primal display of manliness. This may seem like some bizarre mating ritual (and actually it probably is) for the outside observer, but by strutting around like a baboon in heat, men are showing their masculinity and showing women that yes, they are real men. But what makes a real man? Is it size, a deep voice, facial hair, athletic ability, and natural skill with all mechanics? Or is it bravery, cruelty, loyalty, and lack of sensitivity as in the play Macbeth? In Macbeth we see time and time again that to be brave, cold-blooded, and stone faced is to be a true man.
From the beginning we see signs that manhood is measured in slain enemies. Macbeth is hailed as a great warrior and leader after killing hundreds of men on the battlefield. The bravery of Macbeth is the subject of discussion among Malcom, Duncan, and the Captain in the second scene of act one. When Macbeth “unseams” a man from “the nave to the chops” he is praised and his manhood is admired. Macbeth is truly a man on the battlefield.
But once he returns to the castle, he is stripped of his manhood by his wife, Lady Macbeth. She seems to be more masculine than he because, while she puts on a ladylike front, she is deep down a very wicked woman. Cold-bloodedness is the second of our criteria. Once Macbeth returns from the front, glowing with good news and testosterone, Lady Macbeth implants in his mind a plan so evil Macbeth is plagued with hallucinations and nightmares for the rest of his life. Lady Macbeth commissions her husband to carry out this plan by insulting his manhood, saying he is less of a man for not killing Duncan and will be more of a man for doing it. This insult is quite the low blow for Macbeth and he consents to killing his King and continues to murder anyone who gets in his path. Powerful...