Macbeth themes: Manhood

Macbeth themes: Manhood

1. Lady Macbeth belittling Macbeth- persuading him to commit the murder

   • 'When you durst do it, then you were a man'
     • 'you would be so much more the man'
   • Repeated questioning throughout the play
     • Banquet scene
       • 'Are you a man?'
         • Yet again trying to control the situation and Macbeth
           • responds by telling her:
             • 'What man dare, I dare'
               • reassertion of his bravery
         • Asides
           • humiliation- in a public situation
       • When Macbeth responds in utter fear and shock- trembling in the sight of the ghost
         • What, quite unmanned in folly?'
     • contrast to the 'brave Macbeth' that 'carved out his passage' in battle at the beginning of the play
       • Manhood is linked with bravery
   • the aggression of the female characters is more striking because it goes against prevailing expectations of how women ought to behave. Lady Macbeth’s behaviour certainly shows that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men. Whether because of the constraints 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 ends.

2. 'greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs....etc'

   • Like dogs men can also be similar ranked by their qualities
     • Lists
       • Macbeth is attempting to manipulate them into killing Banquo
     • questioning their bravery 'rank'
       • Similar of Lady Macbeth's persuasion techniques