Can anyone mark this english lit essay? AQA mark scheme

Aaliyah2007

How does shakespeare present the theme of masculinity?

Shakespeare explores the theme of masculinity through the characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Malcolm and Macduff, to demonstrate the different expressions of masculinity and the roles associated with it during the Jacobean era. Shakespeare exhorts his audience to consider the allocation of power between the genders, and the natural order of society in which women are subservient to men- this order should not be altered, in order to maintain society. This is especially pertinent to King James, someone who held heavily misogynistic views, including his attribution of evil witchcraft to women. By making Lady Macbeth’s usurpation of masculinity an act of evil aided by the supernatural, Shakespeare appeals to the king and his beliefs, whilst simultaneously warning his audience to respect and adhere to the god-given natural order of society.

Firstly, Shakespeare utilises Macbeth, a character who disobeys the great chain of being by stealing the throne, to be insecure in his masculinity- something he struggles throughout the play. When Lady Macbeth accuses him of being a ‘coward’, Macbeth replies, ‘Prithee peace/I dare do all that may become a man’. The use of a plea when he says ‘prithee’ indicates the fragility and weakness of Macbeth’s masculinity as he cannot withstand an attack on it. This is ironic as his dominant manhood is dependent on a woman’s perception of it. When Macbeth is at his ‘prime’- a ‘valiant cousin’ of Duncan, and a ‘brave’ warrior, he is at the height of his masculinity, which implies that fear is incompatible with masculinity; a man should be ‘brave’ and ‘valiant’, even in the face of violence and battle. However, after killing the king, Macbeth becomes feminised and his bravery is replaced with fear: this highlights how his disruption of the great chain of being and the natural order of the kingdom has negatively affected his gender. Furthermore, when Macbeth says, ‘I dare do all the may become a man- who dares do more is none’, masculinity is implied to have limits- the verb ‘dare’ indicates how men must be brave and powerful, but ‘who dares do more is none’ suggests that men still must not go against the laws of society and God. Furthermore, this demonstrates Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s differing definitions of masculinity: he is conscious of the laws of society but Lady Macbeth actively disobeys them by rejecting her gender, perhaps suggesting that she does not understand the limits of masculinity and only longs for its power. Ironically, Macbeth is inadvertently describing his own downfall here; he has taken his masculinity too far, beyond the laws of society, and has killed the king- now he has become ‘none’, which refers to him being emasculated. The fact that he is confronted with his feminisation by his wife, who tells him he is ‘too full of the milk of human kindness’ further worsens his ‘transformation’ because he is no longer the powerful one in the relationship who decides what is and what is not; his wife must now tell him what he is, demonstrating his vulnerability and need to be guided. Not only has Macbeth adopted stereotypically feminine traits of the time, but Lady Macbeth has taken over the masculine role in their marriage. This reversal triggered by something as evil as regicide highlights the dangerous consequences of disrupting the natural order and rejecting the place God has given you in society.

Secondly, Shakespeare portrays masculinity through Lady Macbeth, who depicts it as powerful, but also cruel. After reading her husband’s letter, Lady Macbeth calls out to dark spirits. Instead of asking them to make her powerful, she asks them to remove her femininity and replace it with masculinity. This suggests that even with the aid of the supernatural, Lady Macbeth knows it is impossible for women to wield power- this is something exclusively reserved for men. Her lust for power as a woman is unnatural, thus she cannot ask God to give her masculinity; she must turn to evil spirits in order to take what is not meant for a woman. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth says ‘take my milk for gall’. The use of a declarative emphasises her determination and will to remove her femininity in favour of masculinity, which further reinforces how powerful it is. Additionally, this quote highlights the contrasting nature of men and women: women use milk to nurture, because it is in their nature to be caring, while men use poison to harm, because it is in their nature to be aggressive and cruel. This is because power cannot exist without cruelty, which explains why only men can have it. Therefore, Lady Macbeth must reject the emotional nature of a woman that stops her from being cruel; she must ‘stop up the access and passage to remorse’. Alternatively, the noun ‘gall’ is ironic because in the literary sense, poison is traditionally a woman’s weapon. This highlights how Lady Macbeth can disrupt the natural order, but can never truly alter it permanently or have control over it- no matter how much she tries to absolve herself of femininity, it will always be a part of her, manifesting in her nature regardless of whether caring or cruel.

Lastly, Shakespeare explores the contrast in masculine roles amongst the ‘good’ characters- Malcolm and Macduff. When Malcolm finds out about Macduff’s murdered family, he tells Macduff to ‘dispute it like a man’. This quote highlights the universal belief that men should not feel remorse as Malcolm who is on the ‘good’ side believes men should not feel it by not dwelling on the past, and Lady Macbeth, who is on the ‘evil’ side also believes men should not feel regret, as she wishes to ‘stop up the access and passage to remorse, in order to become masculine. The fact that a noble future king and an evil ‘fiend-like queen’ share the same beliefs about masculinity, suggests that manhood is not ‘good’ or ‘bad’; it simply has rules and roles that are intertwined with an individual’s morality to become good or evil. Lady Macbeth wants to be free of regret so that she can be cruel and commit acts of evil without her feelings of remorse getting in the way. Malcolm believes men should not feel remorse, but he says this with good, far less twisted, intentions: he wants Macduff to move on from tragedy and have a clear mind going forward. Macduff, similarly to Malcolm, offers a view on masculinity, however he provides an alternative perspective, replying to Malcolm, ‘I must also feel it as a man’. This suggests that unlike the previous interpretations, masculinity can be caring and feeling. The different ideas and views of masculinity suggest that it is not set in stone- perhaps Shakespeare is warning his audience that the natural order can be disrupted, and while this may not always entail destructive consequences (Macduff is still ‘good’), the risk is extremely real- Macbeth serves as a deathly reminder. This suggests that Macduff is a parallel to Macbeth- both highlight the fragility of masculinity in different ways; Macduff allows us to understand that the rigid stereotypes of masculinity can be relaxed in times of tragedy, while Macbeth serves as a warning: God can take away masculinity when one refuses to accept their place in the great chain of being. However, Macduff’s words are ironic, as while he acknowledges his feelings, he does not acknowledge the fact that he is the one who abandoned his family and left them vulnerable, unknowingly allowing them to die. This further perpetuates the dominance of masculinity as even when men do feel remorse, they pick and choose what they will feel guilty for.

In conclusion, the characters within Macbeth represent different ideas about masculinity, and Shakespeare portrays it as powerful and cruel, while also fragile and emotional all at once. However, the overarching warning that Shakespeare urges his audience to understand, is that while masculinity can be viewed in different ways, the natural order of society must not be disturbed- regardless of what masculinity is, it must always be exclusive to men, and must always be superior to femininity.