Life is but a Netflix queue...

Happy Holidays from Rudolph!

Random, but doesn't Hermie the elf totally

remind you of Andrew Kaplan?!

Welp. I am incredibly stupid for saving my last Beowulf FREEBIE for the easiest blog post ever... at least that's less work for me? Anyways, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope you actually have a vacation from all the IB stress! As for me, its time to relax with all the classic Christmas cartoons and become even more of a kid again!

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Witch-slapped: Macbeth's fall from grace

How does the values of manhood differ in modern times? What do you think it takes to be a good man? Explain how your views are like or unlike those in the play, using examples from the text.

     While the concept of manhood has become more lenient in American society, many of the basic concepts still apply to modern men as they did in Shakespearean times. One societal definition of manliness is provided by artofmanliness.com, which states a "male who aspires to be a man must protect, procreate, and provide". The specific role of provider has a partially dominant position, where there is a 70/30 split between husband and wife in the household. This concept of a "real man" can be seen in Shakespeare's work, as Lady Macbeth expects for her husband to have the strength and courage to kill Duncan due to his gender. After she learned about the prophecy, she claimed "Yet I do fear thy nature. It is too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way"  (Shakespeare 20). Lady Macbeth views the trait of kindness as rather effeminate, viewing Macbeth as less desirable because he does nut fulfil societal standards of how a man should act. The situation they are in is quite extreme and cannot be applied specifically to modern audiences, but the idea does. Modern women also tend to desire men with physical strength, gameness, and are self-reliant, but are more willing to accept someone outside these precise standards. Millennials-including my fellow classmates- would probably say these standards only apply to the superficial, but the conversations I overhear about the latest attractive guys on magazines and television shows say otherwise. 

     In my opinion, the societal traits outlined by society are somewhat desirable, but not a requirement. I would much prefer a man I could have a conversation with over a built physique, as well as having an equal marriage. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have an equal relationship, where they are open with each other and respect each other's opinions. This trait is synonymous with how I view what a "good man" is, because I would like to feel valued in a future partnership. However, as Macbeth's mental state determinates he begins making more primal decisions, such as killing Macduff's family without consulting his wife. Lady Macbeth exclaimed, "The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now?...No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that. You mar all with this starting" (Shakespeare 99). The couple's equivalent standing has thus faltered; Macbeth has now begun making all decisions that will affect his family. Possibly this change was due to Macbeth's sense of manhood shifting to a more societal one, because his lack of control over external forces made him shift his power from Scotland to his marriage. War during this time period was typically among men alone, meaning women were excluded from these matters because of their more kind nature. Lady Macbeth was obviously distressed by this shift in power, but was unable to say anything due to the norms of the 11th century. Since I live in the modern era, my views are different than those in the play since I would not passively take this without talking to my husband. Even though having a discussion is nothing dramatic and would likely be accepted by my spouse, it shows how the idea of a man has changed. No longer are men forced to make decisions themselves, because they can consult their wives without being looked down upon. Having an equal partnership in the United States is no longer an issue because manhood is no longer defined by dominance, but by the respect a man treats his wife with in and outside of the household.