Masculinity Essay (LCo)

“Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me
here.”
Cruelty and ruthlessness are often regarded as the
primary qualities of manhood in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. To
what extent do you agree with this statement?
The masculinity of Elizabethan England can be described as cruel and “noble”, yet ruthless
and “worthy”. It may seem incongruous to the modern audience, but these traits were
intertwined in the values of the time. William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Macbeth, analyses
the role and nature of manhood in his society. The play reflects the Renaissance values of a
man who is able to act and reflect on his emotion. By portraying that a man can “savagely
slaughter”, yet also “feel”, Shakespeare contends that there is not a defined view of
manhood, but ultimately demonstrates the consequences of either course. Macbeth, the
“worthy thane” of Cawdor, portrays the violent Elizabethan man, and Shakespeare conveys
the consequences of this hubristic attitude through his eventual death. However, by
juxtaposing Macbeth’s cruelty with Macduff’s compassion, the playwright gives an alternate
view of the characteristics of masculinity. Shakespeare ultimately conveys to his audience
that the ‘strength of manhood’ is not inherently ruthless; they must be aware of its cruelty.
Centuries after the play was first performed, Macbeth remains a name whose connotations
of ruthless, “savage” murder have resounded throughout the ages as a symbol of barbarity.
Shakespeare thus analyses the predominant values of his society that promote the
“undaunted mettle” of manhood. Throughout his tragedy, Shakespeare not only
stereotypically depicts manhood as powerful and righteous, but also synonymous with
“cruelty”. His initial description of Macbeth endorses his violent “unseaming” of a man as
the actions of “valour’s minion”. It seems incongruous to a modern audience, and shocking
that these values could be considered as equal. However, these values were prevalent in the
society of his time, and throughout the course of Macbeth, Shakespeare critiques its role in
the Elizabethan era. Macbeth’s eventual death is perhaps indicative of the author
condemning the values of his time. Lady Macbeth’s “unsex me here” soliloquy further
highlights the role of masculinity in Elizabethan society. She calls upon the “spirits” to make
her a man so that she can have the steel will to achieve her “black and deep desires”. By
further begging them to “stop up the passage of remorse”, Lady Macbeth draws a parallel
between her view of masculinity and her inhuman detachment from human life. Ultimately
through the course of the play Shakespeare presents the flawed view of masculinity to his
audience. He condemns the cruelty that seems to be the prevalent perception of manhood.
Shakespeare contends throughout the play that the lines between the prevalent perceptions
of gender roles in his society are not necessarily confined to the status quo. By contrasting
the traits of Macbeth and Macduff, Shakespeare contends that manhood is not simply a
measure of “a devil more damned in evil”. The playwright highlights Macduff’s ability to “feel
like a man” and suggests that the element of compassion, in a stark contrast with the
brutality of the “tyrant”, is not necessarily limited to the Elizabethan perception of
femininity. After hearing of the slaughter of his family, Macduff looks to “dispute it like a
man.” Throughout the scene where he converses with Malcolm, Macduff proves himself any
man’s equal in intellect and integrity; he is open to a thoughtful process to make a decision.
Revoking the traditional values of manhood, Shakespeare ironically portrays the “coward” as
in fact an admirable “man”. Endless distinctions can be drawn between the tyrant and
Macduff; at the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth condemns her husband’s indecision as
unmanly and he, within moments, proclaims that “I am settled”. Lady Macbeth condemns
the role of compassion in the male psyche when she asks the spirits to fill her “with direst
cruelty” to become a man. Her urges for Macbeth to “screw [his] courage to the sticking
place”, force him to discard his philosophical approach to the “wicked” world around him.
He slowly loses the qualities that we associate with being human in an effort to become
“more the man”. Throughout the play, Macbeth, there is a sharp distinction drawn between
manhood and femininity, and the modern reader can understand that the respective values
are mutually exclusive. However, Shakespeare is perhaps conveying that the lines are blurred
between the genders and that above all, retaining the values of humanity is paramount.
Shakespeare’s tragedy is steeped in “blood”, but provides a medium through which he

critically analyses the stereotypical values of his society. He condemns the traditional
distinctions of masculinity and femininity, instead urging his audience to adopt the traits of
humanity as a whole. Macbeth’s radical changes throughout the play provide a focal point
through which the audience can assess his qualities. Described as “valour’s minion”, at the
beginning of the play, the “worthy thane” later “savagely slaughter[s]” a family of innocents
in order to achieve his own personal desires. While this may be attributed to the “vaulting
ambition” which is the “illness” of the play as a whole, it is in the process of becoming
“more” of a man that Macbeth is the most brutal. Thus Shakespeare ultimately warns his
audience about conforming to the traditional values of masculinity and unchecked ambition
and action. By highlighting the incongruity of nobility and thoughtless murder as a motif
throughout the play, the author draws a parallel between the “wicked” actions of Macbeth
and his conformity to Elizabethan manhood. The role of femininity is subverted from the
beginning of the play in Lady Macbeth’s ‘unsex me here’ soliloquy. However, by portraying
the tyrant’s wife’s “madness”, which accompanies her adopting the qualities of manhood,
Shakespeare suggests that the nurturing qualities of femininity may not go astray in his
brutal society. Instead of providing a ‘solution’ to the flaws of his society, Shakespeare urges
his society to embrace traits that are beneficial to all, rather than be restricted by the
age-old values that led, in Macbeth, to “bloody murder”.
Macbeth is a play of brutality contrasted with feeling, and the juxtaposition of contrasting
characters irrespective of gender. Shakespeare provides a background through which his
audience is able to evaluate their perceptions of manhood. By setting the play in the distant
past, Shakespeare urges his audiences to shed the lenses of their own values and
“judgment[s]” and evaluate the flaws present in Macbeth, and by extension, their own
societies. While Elizabethan audiences may gain an insight into the flaws of their
stereotypes, the modern audience can learn of the consequences of blindly accepting
tradition. Unique in its ability to inform the modern reader and the Elizabethan audience,
Macbeth provokes thought through the subtle contrast of opposing ideologies, and
ultimately provides context for audiences of all ages and times to evaluate their own
personal and societal values.

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“Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me

Shakespeare’s tragedy is steeped in “blood”, but provides a medium through which he

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