Just because masculinity is viewed as "superior" to femininity it doesn't give men the right to inflict pain on women or any other person. Although in the Elizabethan this view was supported in society, men were expected to care look after the female in the family. This quote, demonstrates the view seen in the Elizabethan times. “He was expected to take care of her, make sure she had everything she needed, and most importantly to love her and be a good father to any children they had. If a husband felt the need to chastise his wife, then he was not allowed to be cruel or inflict bodily harm. If he did abuse his wife, then he could be prosecuted or prevented from living with her.” http://www.elizabethi.org/us/women/ As it can be seen from the quote above that women in the Elizabethan times were seen as inferior to men, this didn’t give the male position to hurt any women in the society.
I wasn't really sure how long it was suposed to be and whether it was just one paragraph...
I must agree with you on this one. I think that masculinity in Shakespeare's time from what we have seen/heard about is seems that you have to be cruel or nasty to be masculine. But in today's society it has changed and most men are more respective to women, which I believe is a good thing. In Shakespeare's times it was not strange for a man to hit his woman, but these days a lot of men would get quite defensive if they saw a lady get hit by their husband.
I found this question really hard to answer, I wasn't entirely sure what it was asking but i attempted it anyway :)
Being a man in Shakespeare’s time seems to mean that they had to be capable in cruelty. The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare himself, Macbeth’s attempts to be masculine is by being cruel to those who stand in his way of reaching the power he desires. It’s not clear why this is Macbeth’s interpretation of what masculine means, however, it is extremely evident throughout the play. The quote, ‘I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat,’ is said just as Lady Macbeth has finally convinced Macbeth to go through with the planned murder of King Duncan. He is telling his wife that he promises to expend all of his energy on killing the King. To summarise, in Shakespeare’s time, the common interpretation of masculine was that men had to be capable of cruelty, which can be seen through the character Macbeth in the play. Thankfully, times have changed and the meaning of masculine has changed with it.
In Shakespeare’s time masculinity was partially based on a man’s ability to be violent and in some cases cruel. In battle you were required to be violent as it was your objective to defeat the other country, and a man’s strength in battle defined his masculinity or manhood. Also in Shakespeare’s time it was acceptable or justifiable for a man to beat or abuse his wife so as to keep her in line and prove to other men that they were the dominant partner, whereas today, there are laws in place against domestic violence, and amongst men it is now frowned upon to lay a hand on a women, in pursuit of violence or cruelty.
I think that because being masculine means to have big muscles people might think that being cruel is part of being masculine. I think that being masculine on the inside is being honest, treating women right, responsible and having values but not being cruel. In Shakespeare’s times it was different as it was a normal thing to hit or be mean to your wife. In Macbeth it wasn’t Macbeth who was cruel it was Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was cruel to Macbeth because she called him a wimp and said that he wasn’t a man. This is because Macbeth didn’t want to kill the king but Lady Macbeth persuaded him to.
In Shakespeare’s times, to be a man or to have masculine features meant to be strong, dominant, tough, fit, etc. One of the key aspects named was to be dominant, especially over women. In Shakespeare’s times men were known to have a certain power and dominance over women. In Macbeth, we see that this is not the case between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Instead, it is Lady Macbeth that shows more control, power and dominance over her husband. As Aimee has previously mentioned, being a man nowadays means to be honest, treat women right and be responsible but in Shakespeare’s times it was considered “normal” to abuse/harass the wife, whereas in today’s society it is considered illegal to abuse women.
In Shakespearian times men were labelled as being a man only if he was capable of being cruel, was polite to woman, was of a strong nature and showed no emotion. Although I don’t believe this was the right way to act this is how many women and man of the Elizabethan time thought a man was defined as. The play, Macbeth positions the men characters to portray that they were a man and were capable of being cruel. Shakespeare positioned Lady Macbeth to feel that if her husband was not of a cruel nature he was not a man. This shows how man were stereotyped as being capable of cruelty in Shakespeare’s time because Lady Macbeth told Macbeth that if he did not kill Duncan he would not be a man. Man were thought to be capable of cruelty and be able to kill people in Shakespeare’s times which can be seen throughout Macbeth when Macbeth manhood is threatened if he is not cruel and if he does not murder Duncan.
I disagree totally. Take Macbeth for example. He was definetaly not cruel to his wife, she was infact cruel to him. Lady Macbeth immasculated him and pushed him into doing something against his own sense of judgement. Macbeth was still seen as a man by his fellow characters because in the beginning he was a great army personel in war. The only way Macbeth would be said to be cruel in the play was after internal and external forces messed with his mind. I believe being masculine in Elizabethan times was more about being brave and having the ability to protect your family and the people you serve.
In the earlier times it was known that masculinity is more 'superior' to femininity. However, personally I must agree that in Shakespeare's time being masculine was the same as being cruel. There may have been some things shown otherwise, although there are many more important things such as abuse and murder that way out those things. It was evident that in the Shakespearian times that there was a lot of things that made men thirst for power and authority. It was obvious that a king would have much respect from many people, which was why many men would have longed to be king and to be treated how they 'thought' they deserved to be treated. As shown in Macbeth the urge for power forced him to insanity and lead him to kill King Duncan. However, he did have pressures and threats that also led him to this. Although, in today's society, I wouldn't say that masculinity is known to be cruel, because many men would not harm a women or anyone for that matter, however, there are a few that sin and are unable to fight their good over their evil.
HOLA amegos! Stereotypical and more traditional social perceptions view men as being powerful, strong, successful, courageous and dominant. During Shakespearian times, the societal beliefs about the roles of men and women were very distinct, and almost entirely different to those of today’s modern society. Shakespeare’s Macbeth highlights the roles of men and women within the Elizabethan period, challenging the prevailing societal beliefs during the era, particularly expressed through the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The play promotes the idea that being a man means being capable of cruelty, and is only further encouraged through the manipulative actions and words of Lady Macbeth. Also in Act 1 Scene 5 before the arrival of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth says “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. “ (In modern language - Come, you spirits that assist murderous thoughts, make me LESS LIKE A WOMAN AND MORE LIKE A MAN, and fill me from head to toe with deadly cruelty!) Lady Macbeth seeks to become more masculine and subdue her feminine qualities in hope of becoming more of a ‘man’ in order to find enough courage to be able to kill (inflict cruelty) Duncan and takeover the throne. She uses the words ‘unsex’ demonstrating how she wishes to be freed of mercy, compassion and other qualities traditionally associated with the female gender (referenced from the book). Hence this example only highlights the fact that the belief is that only a man is able to commit such a cruel act, complying with social norms. Also, Lady Macbeth constantly manipulates Macbeth into believing that in order to become a man, he MUST kill King Duncan and prove his masculinity, and he must be cruel to be what she deemed as a man. Emma also pointed out a very good point as well, about battle and war.
I definitely agree with the statement: masculinity is synonymous with cruelty in Shakespeare's time. I'm sure, even in the eyes of women in Shakespeare's era, men are cruel beings, and is not out of the ordinary to see a male using violence to dominate over another person. However, it is out of the norm for a woman to behave this way. Although Macbeth kills other humans within a blink of an eye, his actions are quite comfortable as he is a knight, killing enemies is his job. Macbeth is no doubt a male icon in his time as he is good in battle. As mentioned earlier in previous posts, males are superior to women in Shakespeare's time, and one of the key elements is because they are rougher/tougher/stronger than women. However, we all know Lady Macbeth is not the typical woman mentioned above, but is quite the opposite. Therefore, in Shakespeare's time, violence/cruelty is definitely a part definition of masculinity.
I agree, I believe that in Shakespeare’s time, when a man is cruel, it shows the meaning of being ‘masculine’ in a way, as it shows that they have the authority and the power. For example, in Shakespearian time, it was completely normal when a man hits and abuses his wife, this was a way to show that men had the power over women. I think what made the play Macbeth interesting, was how Shakespeare changed the interpretation of power and created a character, Lady Macbeth having the dominance over her husband instead of the husband over the wife. Though in the end, we see that Macbeth became cruel as he killed many people which finally reveals his manhood, this was also due to the power he had as King.
I believe that to be a man you are capable of cruelty. In Shakespeare's era I do believe that cruelty to women meant being masculine. However, in modern society it is frowned upon. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is seen as masculine after being cruel to those who stand in his way of becoming and remaining the king. Lady Macbeth was also cruel to her husband Macbeth. However, this was a different type of cruelty. She played with his mind and insulted his masculinity. In the 11th century I believe that to be a man that you were quite capable of cruelty.
I agree with this statement. Masculinity and cruelty go hand in hand in Shakespeares time. Though men in Shakespeares day were chivalrous they were also cruel to show their power and authority. In todays society, the definition of masculinity does not include men being cruel or capable of violence. For example In Shakespeares day, men could be cruel to women to show them power but in todays society violence against women is frowned upon. In Shakespeares day being masculine meant being capable of cruelty.
I agree with this statement. In Shakespearean time to be considered masculine you had be cruel and you had to do it without squirming away from it. As we have seen and read in the play Macbeth, the men in the play show that they have power by showing their subjects that they are not scared to fight and to show their power over them. This sort of behavior now days is frowned upon , if a guy is seen abusing a woman in any way there would be some serious actions against that person, but if we were in Shakespearean time it would be normal to see a man beating his wife. They did this to show that he was the man of the house and had the most power.
Ultimately, one’s capacity to express cruelty is not dependant on their gender, although, generally, throughout history and even still in our contemporary society, males are regarded as the more vindictive sex and are more often associated with acts of cruelty. In the Shakespearean era and even more so the time period when the play was set, the male was recognised as the fighter and provider, the dominant gender, fearless and strong, capable of demonstrating his masculinity. Indeed, committing an act of cruelty and behaving, in general, callous and fierce, especially physically displaying their authority over women was considered manly and even possibly an obligatory illustration of masculinity. Society’s association of masculinity and cruelty at the time is emphasised and somewhat challenged throughout Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. For example, Lady Macbeth frequently challenged Macbeth’s masculinity in order to manipulate him into committing the murderous act. In particular she states ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man,’ [Act 1, scene 7] which, in short, means that by intending to commit murder Macbeth was acting a man. Similarly, Macbeth influences his hired assassins to kill Banquo by questioning their manliness. Murder and violence is constantly correlated to masculinity throughout the play. Macbeth especially is led to believe that murder and hostility satisfies his image as a man. There are various other instances throughout the play when this connection is brought into light especially the ‘unsex me now’ quote which Michelle thoroughly covered [good work bro!! :)].
However, Shakespeare appears to be challenging the ideologies of society in regards to masculinity through his construction of powerful women. The witches and Lady Macbeth played a crucial role in the murder Macbeth committed. Respectively, they implanted the seeds of ambition in Macbeth’s mind and fertilised them into full maturity and flower [quote Kiara and Miss V]. The females’ involvement within the plotting and committing of the murderous deed which Macbeth conducts, characterises women as in many ways as equally and even more cruel and ambitious than Macbeth, the man, the fighter, the provider, the supposedly dominant. This portrayal of women challenged preconceived notions and the prevailing expectations at the time.
So soooo sorry its a tad late [ :C ] but it wouldn't post before (as in when I got home from school) and then I had to go to dancing and then I only got back from dancing a while ago and... well it just decided to work now. Really sorry.
I think being 'masculine' does not have anything to do with being cruel, Macbeth was masculine but not cruel by any means. Okay so yes he was cruel to kill king duncan but he was obviously brainwashed by Lady Macbeth. In today society being masculine is about being cruel expecially involing young men. So to sum up my point i believe that in Shakepeares time being masculine was not synonymous with being cruel, however i do believe that is the case in today society.
Just because masculinity is viewed as "superior" to femininity it doesn't give men the right to inflict pain on women or any other person. Although in the Elizabethan this view was supported in society, men were expected to care look after the female in the family. This quote, demonstrates the view seen in the Elizabethan times. “He was expected to take care of her, make sure she had everything she needed, and most importantly to love her and be a good father to any children they had. If a husband felt the need to chastise his wife, then he was not allowed to be cruel or inflict bodily harm. If he did abuse his wife, then he could be prosecuted or prevented from living with her.” http://www.elizabethi.org/us/women/ As it can be seen from the quote above that women in the Elizabethan times were seen as inferior to men, this didn’t give the male position to hurt any women in the society.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really sure how long it was suposed to be and whether it was just one paragraph...
I must agree with you on this one. I think that masculinity in Shakespeare's time from what we have seen/heard about is seems that you have to be cruel or nasty to be masculine. But in today's society it has changed and most men are more respective to women, which I believe is a good thing. In Shakespeare's times it was not strange for a man to hit his woman, but these days a lot of men would get quite defensive if they saw a lady get hit by their husband.
ReplyDeleteI found this question really hard to answer, I wasn't entirely sure what it was asking but i attempted it anyway :)
Being a man in Shakespeare’s time seems to mean that they had to be capable in cruelty. The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare himself, Macbeth’s attempts to be masculine is by being cruel to those who stand in his way of reaching the power he desires. It’s not clear why this is Macbeth’s interpretation of what masculine means, however, it is extremely evident throughout the play. The quote, ‘I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat,’ is said just as Lady Macbeth has finally convinced Macbeth to go through with the planned murder of King Duncan. He is telling his wife that he promises to expend all of his energy on killing the King. To summarise, in Shakespeare’s time, the common interpretation of masculine was that men had to be capable of cruelty, which can be seen through the character Macbeth in the play. Thankfully, times have changed and the meaning of masculine has changed with it.
ReplyDeleteIn Shakespeare’s time masculinity was partially based on a man’s ability to be violent and in some cases cruel. In battle you were required to be violent as it was your objective to defeat the other country, and a man’s strength in battle defined his masculinity or manhood. Also in Shakespeare’s time it was acceptable or justifiable for a man to beat or abuse his wife so as to keep her in line and prove to other men that they were the dominant partner, whereas today, there are laws in place against domestic violence, and amongst men it is now frowned upon to lay a hand on a women, in pursuit of violence or cruelty.
ReplyDeleteI think that because being masculine means to have big muscles people might think that being cruel is part of being masculine. I think that being masculine on the inside is being honest, treating women right, responsible and having values but not being cruel. In Shakespeare’s times it was different as it was a normal thing to hit or be mean to your wife. In Macbeth it wasn’t Macbeth who was cruel it was Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was cruel to Macbeth because she called him a wimp and said that he wasn’t a man. This is because Macbeth didn’t want to kill the king but Lady Macbeth persuaded him to.
ReplyDeleteIn Shakespeare’s times, to be a man or to have masculine features meant to be strong, dominant, tough, fit, etc. One of the key aspects named was to be dominant, especially over women. In Shakespeare’s times men were known to have a certain power and dominance over women. In Macbeth, we see that this is not the case between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Instead, it is Lady Macbeth that shows more control, power and dominance over her husband. As Aimee has previously mentioned, being a man nowadays means to be honest, treat women right and be responsible but in Shakespeare’s times it was considered “normal” to abuse/harass the wife, whereas in today’s society it is considered illegal to abuse women.
ReplyDeleteIn Shakespearian times men were labelled as being a man only if he was capable of being cruel, was polite to woman, was of a strong nature and showed no emotion. Although I don’t believe this was the right way to act this is how many women and man of the Elizabethan time thought a man was defined as. The play, Macbeth positions the men characters to portray that they were a man and were capable of being cruel. Shakespeare positioned Lady Macbeth to feel that if her husband was not of a cruel nature he was not a man. This shows how man were stereotyped as being capable of cruelty in Shakespeare’s time because Lady Macbeth told Macbeth that if he did not kill Duncan he would not be a man. Man were thought to be capable of cruelty and be able to kill people in Shakespeare’s times which can be seen throughout Macbeth when Macbeth manhood is threatened if he is not cruel and if he does not murder Duncan.
ReplyDeleteI disagree totally. Take Macbeth for example. He was definetaly not cruel to his wife, she was infact cruel to him. Lady Macbeth immasculated him and pushed him into doing something against his own sense of judgement. Macbeth was still seen as a man by his fellow characters because in the beginning he was a great army personel in war. The only way Macbeth would be said to be cruel in the play was after internal and external forces messed with his mind. I believe being masculine in Elizabethan times was more about being brave and having the ability to protect your family and the people you serve.
ReplyDeleteIn the earlier times it was known that masculinity is more 'superior' to femininity. However, personally I must agree that in Shakespeare's time being masculine was the same as being cruel. There may have been some things shown otherwise, although there are many more important things such as abuse and murder that way out those things. It was evident that in the Shakespearian times that there was a lot of things that made men thirst for power and authority. It was obvious that a king would have much respect from many people, which was why many men would have longed to be king and to be treated how they 'thought' they deserved to be treated. As shown in Macbeth the urge for power forced him to insanity and lead him to kill King Duncan. However, he did have pressures and threats that also led him to this. Although, in today's society, I wouldn't say that masculinity is known to be cruel, because many men would not harm a women or anyone for that matter, however, there are a few that sin and are unable to fight their good over their evil.
ReplyDeleteHOLA amegos!
ReplyDeleteStereotypical and more traditional social perceptions view men as being powerful, strong, successful, courageous and dominant. During Shakespearian times, the societal beliefs about the roles of men and women were very distinct, and almost entirely different to those of today’s modern society.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth highlights the roles of men and women within the Elizabethan period, challenging the prevailing societal beliefs during the era, particularly expressed through the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The play promotes the idea that being a man means being capable of cruelty, and is only further encouraged through the manipulative actions and words of Lady Macbeth. Also in Act 1 Scene 5 before the arrival of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth says “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. “ (In modern language - Come, you spirits that assist murderous thoughts, make me LESS LIKE A WOMAN AND MORE LIKE A MAN, and fill me from head to toe with deadly cruelty!) Lady Macbeth seeks to become more masculine and subdue her feminine qualities in hope of becoming more of a ‘man’ in order to find enough courage to be able to kill (inflict cruelty) Duncan and takeover the throne. She uses the words ‘unsex’ demonstrating how she wishes to be freed of mercy, compassion and other qualities traditionally associated with the female gender (referenced from the book). Hence this example only highlights the fact that the belief is that only a man is able to commit such a cruel act, complying with social norms. Also, Lady Macbeth constantly manipulates Macbeth into believing that in order to become a man, he MUST kill King Duncan and prove his masculinity, and he must be cruel to be what she deemed as a man. Emma also pointed out a very good point as well, about battle and war.
nite nite everyone!!!
I definitely agree with the statement: masculinity is synonymous with cruelty in Shakespeare's time. I'm sure, even in the eyes of women in Shakespeare's era, men are cruel beings, and is not out of the ordinary to see a male using violence to dominate over another person. However, it is out of the norm for a woman to behave this way. Although Macbeth kills other humans within a blink of an eye, his actions are quite comfortable as he is a knight, killing enemies is his job. Macbeth is no doubt a male icon in his time as he is good in battle. As mentioned earlier in previous posts, males are superior to women in Shakespeare's time, and one of the key elements is because they are rougher/tougher/stronger than women. However, we all know Lady Macbeth is not the typical woman mentioned above, but is quite the opposite. Therefore, in Shakespeare's time, violence/cruelty is definitely a part definition of masculinity.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I believe that in Shakespeare’s time, when a man is cruel, it shows the meaning of being ‘masculine’ in a way, as it shows that they have the authority and the power. For example, in Shakespearian time, it was completely normal when a man hits and abuses his wife, this was a way to show that men had the power over women. I think what made the play Macbeth interesting, was how Shakespeare changed the interpretation of power and created a character, Lady Macbeth having the dominance over her husband instead of the husband over the wife. Though in the end, we see that Macbeth became cruel as he killed many people which finally reveals his manhood, this was also due to the power he had as King.
ReplyDeleteI believe that to be a man you are capable of cruelty. In Shakespeare's era I do believe that cruelty to women meant being masculine. However, in modern society it is frowned upon. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is seen as masculine after being cruel to those who stand in his way of becoming and remaining the king. Lady Macbeth was also cruel to her husband Macbeth. However, this was a different type of cruelty. She played with his mind and insulted his masculinity. In the 11th century I believe that to be a man that you were quite capable of cruelty.
ReplyDelete:O GASP! Ijust realised how long that was-sorry guys :L
ReplyDelete:S my posts arent showing up after 5 minutes....can anyone else see them?
ReplyDeleteno
ReplyDeleteDude, mine ain't showing up either
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. Masculinity and cruelty go hand in hand in Shakespeares time. Though men in Shakespeares day were chivalrous they were also cruel to show their power and authority. In todays society, the definition of masculinity does not include men being cruel or capable of violence. For example In Shakespeares day, men could be cruel to women to show them power but in todays society violence against women is frowned upon. In Shakespeares day being masculine meant being capable of cruelty.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. In Shakespearean time to be considered masculine you had be cruel and you had to do it without squirming away from it. As we have seen and read in the play Macbeth, the men in the play show that they have power by showing their subjects that they are not scared to fight and to show their power over them.
ReplyDeleteThis sort of behavior now days is frowned upon , if a guy is seen abusing a woman in any way there would be some serious actions against that person, but if we were in Shakespearean time it would be normal to see a man beating his wife. They did this to show that he was the man of the house and had the most power.
Is being a man, being capable of cruelty?
ReplyDeleteUltimately, one’s capacity to express cruelty is not dependant on their gender, although, generally, throughout history and even still in our contemporary society, males are regarded as the more vindictive sex and are more often associated with acts of cruelty. In the Shakespearean era and even more so the time period when the play was set, the male was recognised as the fighter and provider, the dominant gender, fearless and strong, capable of demonstrating his masculinity. Indeed, committing an act of cruelty and behaving, in general, callous and fierce, especially physically displaying their authority over women was considered manly and even possibly an obligatory illustration of masculinity. Society’s association of masculinity and cruelty at the time is emphasised and somewhat challenged throughout Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. For example, Lady Macbeth frequently challenged Macbeth’s masculinity in order to manipulate him into committing the murderous act. In particular she states ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man,’ [Act 1, scene 7] which, in short, means that by intending to commit murder Macbeth was acting a man. Similarly, Macbeth influences his hired assassins to kill Banquo by questioning their manliness. Murder and violence is constantly correlated to masculinity throughout the play. Macbeth especially is led to believe that murder and hostility satisfies his image as a man. There are various other instances throughout the play when this connection is brought into light especially the ‘unsex me now’ quote which Michelle thoroughly covered [good work bro!! :)].
However, Shakespeare appears to be challenging the ideologies of society in regards to masculinity through his construction of powerful women. The witches and Lady Macbeth played a crucial role in the murder Macbeth committed. Respectively, they implanted the seeds of ambition in Macbeth’s mind and fertilised them into full maturity and flower [quote Kiara and Miss V]. The females’ involvement within the plotting and committing of the murderous deed which Macbeth conducts, characterises women as in many ways as equally and even more cruel and ambitious than Macbeth, the man, the fighter, the provider, the supposedly dominant. This portrayal of women challenged preconceived notions and the prevailing expectations at the time.
So soooo sorry its a tad late [ :C ] but it wouldn't post before (as in when I got home from school) and then I had to go to dancing and then I only got back from dancing a while ago and... well it just decided to work now. Really sorry.
Good night world and its inhabitants...
I think being 'masculine' does not have anything to do with being cruel, Macbeth was masculine but not cruel by any means. Okay so yes he was cruel to kill king duncan but he was obviously brainwashed by Lady Macbeth. In today society being masculine is about being cruel expecially involing young men. So to sum up my point i believe that in Shakepeares time being masculine was not synonymous with being cruel, however i do believe that is the case in today society.
ReplyDelete