English

Masculinity

            In the book Macbeth, Shakespeare pushes the relationship between gender and power. He plays with the idea that to have power, you must be a man, which in those days, was pretty much how it worked. He linked values and power to the thought of masculinity, such as courage, pride, and loyalty.

            First, courage is related to manliness because you’re afraid but you face that fear and you get through it.  Lady Macbeth is questioning her husband’s masculinity when she says, “When you durst do it, then you were a man,” (Shakespeare 43). She’s commenting on his courage, which in turn comments on his manliness.

            Second, pride is linked by boasting of all the awesome things that you have done. The more you have to boast of, the manlier you seem. Macbeth once portrays this idea when he said, “ I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares do more is none.” (Shakespeare 41). He is implying that because he has done so much (or is going to do as much), he is more the man for it. The more he can push his activities and accomplishments, the more people will see the masculinity that resides in him.

            Last, Shakespeare connects loyalty and masculinity. When Macbeth and his wife are fighting over whether or not he should kill King Duncan, the topic of loyalty is brought up in connection to both his masculinity and courage. Lady Macbeth implies that because he will not keep his promise to her by killing Duncan, he is not so much a man as he is a coward.