Macduff's Definition Of Manhood In Macbeth

Throughout the play in Macbeth it seems many characters like Malcolm,Macduff, Banquo, Lady Macbeth and even Macbeth himself interpret the definition of manhood differently. To Macduff the definition of manhood means strength and responsibility which he feels he has failed at since his family was slaughtered and he was not able to protect them. Due to this Macduff is overcome with grief, although Malcolm is supportive and tells him to” dispute it like a man,” Macduff says he will be strong, but he cannot ignore his feelings. He demonstrates this by quoting “I must also feel it as a man.”
Malcolm defines manhood in terms of personal integrity. He describes what kind of man he is in Act IV scene III “ Scarcely has coveted what was my own, at no time broke my faith, would not betray, the devil to his fellow and delight no less in truth than life.” With this we come to conclude that Malcolm has learned the lesson Macduff gave him on the
She defines manhood as being cruel and cold-blooded. Lady Macbeth works herself into a killer's state of mind. She says, "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” Lady Macbeth, who is thinking deadly thoughts, calls on the spirits of murder to take away her womanliness. In her view she sees Macbeth as a coward. He must kill king Duncan to obtain the crown but he is afraid. Macbeth provokes the murderers he hires to kill Banquo by questioning their manhood. Such acts show that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth link masculinity with aggression, and whenever they converse about manhood, violence soon follows.
Lady Macbeth’s behavior certainly shows that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men. Whether because of the limitations of her society or because she is not fearless enough to kill, Lady Macbeth relies on deception and manipulation rather than violence to achieve her