Discuss attitudes towards masculinity in Macbeth.

There are several ways that we could focus and structure this answer.·      Exploring Macbeth’s changing masculinity throughout the play. (From brave warrior to submissive husband to Lady Macbeth and his progression to try to assert his authority through violence and masculinity)·      Looking at the wider presentations of opposite genders (male and female) thinking about the difference between the domestic female and military male roles and how Shakespeare blurs these distinctions.·      Contrasting Lady Macbeth and Macbeth (thinking about Lady Macbeth’s early rejection of her femininity and descent throughout the play into a more vulnerable state of female hysteria as opposed to Macbeth’s early emasculation by Lady Macbeth and his reassertion of masculine authority throughout the play.) OR Macbeth and Macduff (especially Macduff’s Act 4 Scene 3 lines, “But I must also feel it like a man” as opposed to Lady Macbeth’s mocking of Macbeth’s early show of emotion and conscience as demonstrating female weakness: “milk of human kindness”.)Once you have decided upon the focus you want to use in your answer, pick out 3-5 sections or quotes which address these issues. For example, you may focus solely upon the presentation of Macbeth’s masculinity by studying the difference between the Captain’s description of Macbeth’s military prowess in battle and Macbeth’s appearance in Act 1 Scene 5 when he is belittled by his wife, Lady Macbeth. The report of Macbeth is more masculine than his reality. Think about why this may be. Is it because of the shift from a military to a domestic setting? Can masculinity only be proven on a battlefield? Or is it flattery on the part of the captain or exaggerated language to emphasise Scotland’s success?You need to put your point into an answer focus now using a PEEL structure: your point (P) is the discrepancy between the report and reality of Macbeth. This can be evidenced (E) with a quote from the general, eg. “For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name)/ Disdaining Fortune with brandish’d steel”, discussing briefly how his quote affects our image of Macbeth. Then move to evidencing Macbeth’s subservient behaviour when with Lady Macbeth and explain how this differs from the Captain’s bold report. Next let’s think about how we can evaluate (E) both pieces of evidence in relation to how they show attitudes towards masculinity. Both show military achievement and lack of emotion as crucial to masculinity but whilst the Captain praises these qualities in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth criticises him for not having enough masculinity. Finally, you need to link the paragraph(s) back to the question with a corresponding sentence. For example, ‘This shows that masculinity can only successfully exist on a battlefield in which physical strength and bravery is crucial’. Make sure that you are using the buzz words (key terms) of the question you are answering.