Macbeth

Macbeth’s Destructive Manhood

During the Elizabethan era, manhood was sought after and glorified by many. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the use of manhood as a motif is frequently used as the plot thickens and character traits begin to reveal themselves. Manhood is something that is very important to the tragic hero, Macbeth. In addition, when Lady Macbeth challenges his manhood, it contributes to Macbeth’s inner-self conflict within his mind. As a result of Lady Macbeth provoking Macbeth’s manhood, it begins to fuel Macbeth’s murderous and power hungry rage within his own mind as he seeks to destructively claim back his manhood. The motif of manhood is used collectively throughout the play to advance the plot. Macbeth is notified that “Macbeth shalt be King hereafter!” (I,iii,51). As soon as Lady Macbeth perceives the witches prophecy, she calls out Macbeth’s manhood and immediately begins to challenge it. “When you durst do it, then you were a man/ And, to be more than what you were” (I,vii,49). Macbeth is humiliated by his wife’s accusation; therefore, he decides that he must prove his manhood to her by assassinating the King of Scotland, Duncan, fulfilling the prophecy which sees Macbeth as the new King of Scotland. In this very moment, while Macbeth concludes his last thoughts about murdering Duncan, is where Macbeth first displays his ability to reason with himself. This is also when Macbeth’s mind begins to rage within as he is confronted with a task at hand that will change the cosmos. Tyrant Macbeth affirms that manhood means a lot to him by putting aside his aptitude to reason with himself; however, this only directs him towards a life full of murder and chaos. Macbeth reveals a lot about his character by the way he acknowledges Lady Macbeth’s attack on his manhood. Macbeth shows how amorous he is about his manhood, by choosing to kill Duncan; he shows that his passion for manhood is more conspicuous than his ability to reason with himself. Macbeth’s ambition to become the King over rules his good side and truly displays Macbeth’s rage within the mind. When Macbeth hears the voice cry out “Glammis hath murther’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor/ Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more’’ (II,ii,50-51). This is the beginning of Macbeths battle inside his mind where the guilt of his recent killing is clearly shown by the voice he hears. Macbeth’s enduring contour on manhood assists in the developing two themes of power and corruption. The showcase of power is shown when Macbeth decides to fulfill the prophecy by his own agenda, taking fate into his own hands; once again, this displays a disordered cosmos where everything is out of line, a corruption of power. The tragic hero’s drive for sole power is also shown in the killing of Banquo, purely for his love of power; however, this also shows a much darker side of Macbeth and his jealousy towards Banquo’s prophecy of ‘’Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none’’ (I,iii,68). Macbeth loses his ability to reason, this path of corruption leads to the slaying of Banquo and Macduff’s entire family. The entire time Macduff was the real man and Macbeth was the villain. By now, Macbeth has completely lost all of his ability to reason and his mind is dark and full of guilt. This corruption is developed because of Macbeth’s admiration for power. “But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confin'd, bound in/ To saucy doubts and fears -But Banquo's safe?” (III,iv,24-25). Macbeth is now scared again. Otherwise he would have been perfect, as solid as a piece of marble, as firm as a rock, as free as the air itself. But now he is all tangled up with doubts and fears. Manhood is a very prestigious trait that every man desires and dire results will occur when it is challenged. Lady Macbeth’s barrage on Macbeth’s manhood fuels him to react in such a way that it changes his entire life. Macbeth displays how much manhood truly does mean to him by the actions he commits and the thoughts that run across his mind. He resorts to murder and chaos in order to regain his title of noble manhood that Lady Macbeth had verbally stripped from him. Macbeth’s life went into a complete downward spiral when he let his ambition get the best of him; therefore, a life full of darkness and guilt, with murder and chaos only has one bad ending.