Crushing it at Manliness

What is manliness? Who decides what is manly and what is not?  In modern times, manliness is changing. Different groups in the United States interpret manliness in different ways. However, there is one constant in manliness, from plaid-shirted hipsters to men that are the most interesting to bloodlines of duck-hunters: facial hair. Facial hair is something that is unique to men, that only they have the ability to produce. It acts as a sort of certificate of manliness, telling others, "You can trust me; I am definitely 100% a real, manly man."

Even the most interesting man in the world knows that facial hair is
key to being a manly man, and that Crush™ soda isn't the most
terrible drink known to man. 

This raises the question as to why men feel a need to prove that they are in fact "real, manly men." This makes more sense once you consider the advantages that come with being a male in a male-dominated society. With the inequality in pay and in attaining higher-level positions in the workplace between men and women, as well as the harsh views still held by some people of gender roles, there are advantages that exist for men in modern-day society. Social pressure for men to show their manliness in obvious ways makes it easier for people to be properly classified by others as either male or female and to be treated accordingly.

Similar to in The Shaggy Dog,
in which Tim Allen faces
challenges because of changes
to his form, Lady Macbeth faces
challenges with her form stopping
her from being able to address
her problems.

In Macbeth, the idea of manliness is interpreted in a similar way that emphasizes the physical aspects associated with being a man. When Lady Macbeth wants to take matters into her own hands and kill Macbeth, she asks spirits to, "make thick [her] blood," and to, "Come to [her] woman's breasts, And take [her] milk for gall." This shows that at the time, gender was seen as originating from the body and its physical composition rather than as a concept defined by society itself. However, Lady Macbeth asking for these physical changes also shows how the gender roles in Shakespeare's time defined men as being physically stronger than women. Although we may have a looser connection today between gender and physical strength, the idea of strength is still a part of what makes a "good man" in our culture.

There are many aspects to manliness that still separate men from women today. Men are discouraged from sharing their emotions with others. This isolates men from others, but it also stems from the idea that men should be strong. Emotions are difficult to control and are a huge part of who we are as individuals. For a man to share something that close to him would make him weak, as other men could use that against him for their own gain. The elements of manliness that still linger in and compose our culture define a good man as a strong man.

Being male, I don't like to think that manliness influences my actions or thinking at all, but it certainly does. I do absurd things in the name of concepts like strength, independence, and endurance. No, I don't need any help writing with my sprained wrist. No, I don't need to use the heat in my car when it's 30 degrees outside. No, I can carry this baby elephant up 30 flights of stairs by myself, because I am a strong, independent MAN who can complete any task without assistance. From my personal experience, being a good man involves acting in an irrational manner in order to present how strong and useful you are to others.

Macbeth also acts in an irrational manner in the name of being manly. However, my irrational behavior doesn't involve killing all of my friends in a delirious attempt to fulfill a prophecy and crown myself king. Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth to kill King Duncan by peer pressuring him, claiming that, "When you durst do it, then you were a man." Apparently it is totally manly to kill people. But Lady Macbeth pushes it even further, saying, "to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." So killing people that have a cool job so that you can take their job and have a better job is the manliest thing you can do in the early 17th century. Seems like they needed some Netflix or something to calm them down.

This image vaguely ties in to the content of this
blog post.

I also find that being a good man involves being ignorant of certain things. I don't know if a cardigan is an article of clothing or a country that Fox News wants to stop all air travel to and from. I couldn't tell you the difference between eyeliner and eyeshadow if my eyes depended on it. A good man has to be ignorant of things that aren't manly. Macbeth interprets manliness as almost the exact opposite when he hides knowledge of the killing of Banquo from Lady Macbeth. He tells her to, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,till thou applaud the deed." As a man, he feels the need to protect Lady Macbeth from unsettling knowledge, using his strength to handle the unsavory deed.

In Macbeth, manliness is represented as almost a synonym for courage. As a man, you must be strong enough to overcome your fears and your doubts, and you must take on the dirty work that has to get done. As we can see from the reading, it seems like it is going pretty well for Macbeth, and it isn't affecting him mentally or emotionally in the slightest.