Throughout Macbeth William Shakespeare touches on a number of key themes, one of the more crucial being the connection between honor and manhood, most notably displayed through the characters of Macbeth and Banquo, who demonstrate the difference between possessing honor and integrity and possessing status.
Honor, as Macbeth sees it, is synonymous with fame and status, he believes that honor is simply how much you outrank other men. Tieing this idea of honor to masculinity, he comes to believe that the ultimate sign of manliness would be to be king. Banquo, however, understands honor to be consistent strong moral values, that one stands by, stating,
MACBETH. It shall make honor for you
BANQUO. So I lose none
In seeking to augment it (2.1.35-37) …show more content…
And though Banquo stays consistent and content with his own level of honor and masculinity throughout the play, despite how his honor is reflected in his social stature, Macbeth’s abandonment of his morals leads to a plummet of his honor and ultimately his masculinity. At the start of the play, Macbeth clearly does not have anywhere near the level of honor, in the sense of status, as he does once he is king, however, he has far higher moral integrity. When confronted by his wife about his decision not to kill Duncan, he says to her “I dare do all that may become a man./ Who dares do more is none.” (1.7.51-52) He is willing to do anything that will make him a more just man, and conforms to his moral identity but he knows that if he does anything opposed to his morals he will be a man no longer. And though this principle seems strong in his mind, he is ultimately corrupted by power and greed and murders Duncan, consequently losing his moral honor, just as he gains honor in
Honor, as Macbeth sees it, is synonymous with fame and status, he believes that honor is simply how much you outrank other men. Tieing this idea of honor to masculinity, he comes to believe that the ultimate sign of manliness would be to be king. Banquo, however, understands honor to be consistent strong moral values, that one stands by, stating,
MACBETH. It shall make honor for you
BANQUO. So I lose none
In seeking to augment it (2.1.35-37) …show more content…
And though Banquo stays consistent and content with his own level of honor and masculinity throughout the play, despite how his honor is reflected in his social stature, Macbeth’s abandonment of his morals leads to a plummet of his honor and ultimately his masculinity. At the start of the play, Macbeth clearly does not have anywhere near the level of honor, in the sense of status, as he does once he is king, however, he has far higher moral integrity. When confronted by his wife about his decision not to kill Duncan, he says to her “I dare do all that may become a man./ Who dares do more is none.” (1.7.51-52) He is willing to do anything that will make him a more just man, and conforms to his moral identity but he knows that if he does anything opposed to his morals he will be a man no longer. And though this principle seems strong in his mind, he is ultimately corrupted by power and greed and murders Duncan, consequently losing his moral honor, just as he gains honor in