Beginning as early as the 700s, a written record was kept to preserve the stories told by previous generations so that they may not be lost. As the tradition continued, many authors, mostly male, added to the growing plethora of literature and a central ideal began to develop. From an unknown author’s Beowulf, to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Sonnet number 29, authors took turns chiseling at that ideal with their diction until one general shape began to develop. As a whole, men are obsessed with their image, something that these authors were not immune to. The topic of the ideal that they sculpted with their words is one that gets at this obsession: what makes men desirable. By reading British Literature such as Beowulf, Macbeth, and Sonnet 29, the reader is able to realize that the very thing that makes men desirable is the property that they own. In the opening scenes of Beowulf, the ideal that owning property is what makes a person desirable is immediately set up. The “good king,” (11) Shield serves epitomize who a king should be when he is introduced at his funeral when he is sent out with “far-fetched treasures/…and precious gear” (36-7). At the …show more content…
The speaker is so distraught that he says that he “alone beeweeps my outcast state” (2) and proceeds to list all of the things that he wishes that he had. The speaker feels like he isn’t desirable to anyone, including himself and so calls himself an outcast. He laments the fact that he doesn’t have some things that other men have like their looks or their “scope” (7). He feels that if he possessed what others have that he would be desired again and wouldn’t be an outcast anymore. The speaker in Sonnet 29 uses a very depressed tone during the poem before its early turn between lines 9 and 10 because he is thinking about all of the things that he doesn’t possess, not all of the things that he
Over time, there’s been obsession over whom is the most dominant man in all of Scotland and whom can be the best king of Cawdor. There’s sacrifices made and many deaths. It’s a tragic book with people whom carry a lot of pride in what they believe in. William Shakespeare from the play, Macbeth, in 1606, expresses how there’s a lot of integrity and hatred that everyone will have to go through in order to grow into a better a better person and role model for others. Masculinity shows pride. When you’re male, you would instantly have more power and control then if you were female. Some people, like Lady Macbeth, wish to be a gender they’re not in order to have the dominance they want so they’re treated with respect. You can appear to be someone you’re not. Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth who is a powerful commander in the Scottish Army. Lady Macbeth wishes to have the masculinity a man has so that she could overthrow Macbeth and take his place. She won’t be able to succeed that goal if she is a woman. Because of that, Lady Macbeth decides to “work with” Macbeth to kill the king of Cawdor, who is Duncan. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth will kill Duncan after the battle in the defeat of the Scottish traitor. Lady Macbeth's need for masculinity will lead her to having the success of becoming the King of Scotland. She will overthrow Duncan and take his place as king. Lady macbeth is the tragedy in this play, and will do anything it takes to overthrow the King. Lady Macbeth is willing
In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, gender plays a pivotal role in the development of the overall plot and as the play advances, certain characters, including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience a reversal in traditional gender behaviors. Additionally, we see gender confusion among other characters that enhances conflict in the play. Originally, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are portrayed in ways that enforce their respective masculinity and feminism in accordance to the society around them. As Macbeth begins to contemplate his decision regarding the killing of Duncan, his marriage becomes the primary driving force behind his action and thoughts in this matter. Although in some cases, male and female roles in this play remain static, the
A prominent and permeating theme in Macbeth is the roles and characteristics of masculinity and femininity. Throughout the play Shakespeare presents the audience with strong and sometimes conflicting views of these gender roles. What exactly defines being a man or a woman? How does an individual’s grasp of these roles effect their actions? Shakespeare shows that a clear and accurate understanding of the concept of masculinity is of critical importance in the success of a ruler. In particular, he illustrates how Macbeth’s acceptance of a perverted, violent view of masculinity leads his kingdom into chaos and turmoil, and leads Macbeth to his inevitable demise. Moral order can only be restored
In this day and age people define masculinity as a strong person with no fear and having all the power, destroying everyone who comes in the way of gaining power or taking their power away. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the author develops the definition of being masculine as a strong person and also by manipulating others. To start with, in Macbeth, all the characters act masculine, but the strongest character that acts is Lady Macbeth because she is a person that manipulates her husband in many ways. Lady Macbeth embodies the ideals of masculinity because she manipulates her husband to kill the king , she is ambitious, and she thinks that she is a man.
Historically, roles of men and women were established to ensure the power of the head of the household. In the early centuries, the head of the household was always male. Shakespeare reflects and at times supports the English Renaissance stereotypes of women and men and their various roles and responsibilities in society. In Macbeth, Shakespeare supports this idea by developing the constant theme of power through masculinity. The idealistic role of men in society goes along with the idea that significant power results in higher ranking in the social hierarchy of this time period.
In ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. The essay’s focus is masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Primarily, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized masculine quality which was respected in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth yearns for masculinity but she fails to acquire it. Shakespeare thus displays masculinity in two different lights.
In ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. The essay’s focus is masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Primarily, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized, respected masculine quality in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth yearns for masculinity but she fails to acquire it. Shakespeare thus displays masculinity in two different lights.
Macbeth's primary wellspring of frailty was his better half Lady Macbeth questioning his grit. Indicated when she utilized her appealing approaches to inspire Macbeth to execute Duncan, "When you durst do it, then you were a man;/And be far beyond the man" (1.7.49-51). Macbeth turned into his own adversary when he attempted to demonstrate his masculinity to his significant other and executed Duncan. Subsequently of his weakness of his absence of masculinity, Macbeth's spirit couldn't be cleaned once more. Macbeth demonstrated to his significant other that he was a "man" however the consequence of killing the ruler was the start of the deceptive activity of Macbeth's spirit on account of the feeling of force he had. Macbeth saw his activities
In Macbeth, the conflict between manhood and femininity is very apparent. The differences between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are profound. Over the course of the play, Shakespeare skillfully changes the role of the two characters. Macbeth is frightened at the beginning and frightened at the end while Lady Macbeth is seeming confident and ends up frightened in the end. Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manhood many time throughout the play, making the conflict between their two personalities very apparent.
In society, dwelling upon material goods usually connotes shallowness, and the pursuit of riches is often prefigured as an inclination towards greediness. However, in Beowulf, the collective reverence for wealth plays a defining role in the acts of heroism and manifestation of power. In fact, the poem oftentimes professes the idea of wealth and glory, most cherished, as an embodiment of strength and obedience among cultural values.
Yet in Macbeth we are shown that it is not only because of the patriarchy that women were oppressed and not allowed to excel in society, but the very concept of gender roles woven into the minds of everyone including the females. Lady Macbeth begs for the spirits to “unsex [her] here And fill [her] from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty” which suggests that in order to be cruel she must deny her femininity. Moreover, through the use of dramatic irony, this concept of females lacking in cruelty is shown through Macduff, who addresses Lady Macbeth as “O gentle lady”. This is ironic as Lady Macbeth is far from it: she is willing to pluck her baby from her “nipple… and dashed the brain out, had [she] so sworn”. Moreover, this solidifies the view of the time that women are automatically perceived as tender and kind.
In Beowulf, the cultural traditions of the ancient Germanic tribes are expressed. Throughout the poem, treasures are a symbol of achievement, glory, and wealth in the Germanic culture. The possession of treasures such as gold earns one respect within the Germanic tribes. Moreover, the act of partitioning is celebrated and it earns you a title of a good king and warrior. While the doing the opposite condemns you and titles you a greedy king and warrior.
Many readers of the poem Beowulf may find it difficult to distinguish the 'good' kings from the rest – indeed, almost every man who holds a throne in the epic is named at one point or another to be 'good'. By examining the ideals of the time period as identified by the 'heroic code', it becomes clearer that a truly 'good' king is one who generously distributes treasure and weaponry to deserving retainers to honour courage and strength displayed in battle and to encourage the defense of the kingdom (Intro). When Beowulf ascends the throne of the Geats, the heroic traits of courage and strength for which he was so highly praised as a warrior do not serve well in making him a good king. Indeed, by exhibiting the traits of a thane, that is, by
In Macbeth and The Mask You Live In, both Shakespeare and Newsom use the motif of masculinity to demonstrate the masks that men wear and its relation to violence.
The portrayal of men and women has varied in different stories throughout history. Many portray women as beautiful, deceptive, manipulative, and smart, while men are portrayed as being strong, masculine, and easily tricked. In many of the works covered in the course “Major British Writers to 1800,” men are advised to refrain from acting lustful, believed that it would harm their overall ability to succeed in whatever the characters aimed to do. An example of this is seen in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” when Gawain is deceived by Lady Bertilak in an effort to prove that Sir Gawain is imperfect. The depictions of men and women are very similar in Fantomina by Eliza Haywood, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Phyllis and Aristotle. .