Subjects:
most violent plays. There are so many murders in the play that they are hard to keep track
of. Every murder that occurs happens offstage, so the audience never sees any of them,
but they do know when a murder is about to happen. There is a trend throughout the
entire play, one that is not very obvious to the naked eye. Shakespeare brings up the
question of manliness throughout the play, and shortly after the subject is brought up, a
murder will occur. Manliness has a different definition between the characters though, and
Macbeth gives other characters, like Macduff, a bad name.
Issues of gender and manliness are frequent problems that dwell in the characters
of “Macbeth”. Lady Macbeth is a very strong, free-willed women, and uses these
characteristics to manipulate her husband when questioning his manhood. “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,”(I.vii.49-51). Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband, saying that he
wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t kill Duncan. She also tells him that if she were a man that
she would kill Duncan herself, but she can’t
. . .
the theme of manliness. Macduff revises the previous definition of manliness and brings
forth a new one. Macbeth manipulates the actual
truth to make the murderers question their manhood. Macduff changes the audience’s perspective on the
definition of manliness. Macbeth also blames all
of the murderer’s hardships on Banquo, saying that if they wanted to better their family
and their social status they would have to kill Banquo. Macduff
reflects on his family and the sin that Macbeth has committed, and asks the heavens to
help guide him through the journey that he is about to face.
Macbeth uses manipulation himself when he questions the manhood of the murders
of Banquo, “Not i’ th’ worst rank of manhood, say’t,”(III. Malcolm learns a lesson
about manliness from Macduff and shows his maturity at the end of the play. He also says that he must take time to grieve like all men should.
Macbeth shows his last act of manliness when he tries to kill Macduff. Macbeth’s definition of manliness is influenced by Lady Macbeth’s constant
manipulation. Macduff is obviously
hurt deeply by the murders of his wife and children, and does agree that he will seek
revenge.
Essay's Topics
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