Macbeth: Manhood

In our minds, we all have vague conceptions of what manhood is. But, aside from scientific specifics, how would we judge manhood? Merriam-Webster’s dictionary merely says that manhood is “the condition of being a human being; or qualities associated with men.” Clearly, the ideas of what really constitutes manhood are vague at best. This issue undoubtedly interested William Shakespeare, and he deliberated this in several of his works, including Julius Caesar. In the tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare uses varying definitions of manhood presented by different characters in order to debate the meaning of manhood and present his idea of true manhood.
            Through the entirety of the play, Lady Macbeth represents a more primitive and cruel definition of manhood, which she often uses against Macbeth. Soon after receiving a letter from Macbeth about the witches’ prophecies, Lady Macbeth calls on spirits to change her mentality, making her more like a man. “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. Make thick my blood. Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse” (1.5.47-51). This quote indicates that Lady Macbeth believes manhood is primarily based on relentless determination, lack of remorse, and cruelty. As the play progresses, Lady Macbeth sticks to her characterization of manhood, and frequently uses it to goad Macbeth into “proving” his manhood by ruthlessly killing those who opposed the new monarchs. Before slaying Duncan, Lady Macbeth reprimands Macbeth in that fashion, pointing out, “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” (1.7.56-58). Her meaning is that Macbeth’s adamant claims of being a man are all meaningless, unless he takes action to demonstrate it. From this excerpt, it is also clear that Lady Macbeth regards strong, uncompromising action as indicative of manhood. This quality, along with...