The thanes of Macbeth believed that for a soldier to embody the characteristics of a true man, he cannot merely fight. Rather, he must fight with determination and with purpose. The thanes, particularly Macduff, understood that bravery requires not only the determination to stand up for what one believes in, but the intelligence to stand up for what is morally right and just, not simply what one personally considers to be right and just. While Macbeth meets his wife's standards when it comes to what constitutes a real man, which in her case involves the ability to be both manipulative and cunning, he fails to gain the respect and admiration of his fellow thanes. Macbeth was not regarded by his peers as a real man because he acts out of selfishness and greed. While insecure and indecisive at the beginning due to the apparent power struggle between himself and his wife, Macbeth proves later on to be both impulsive (to the point of reckless) and extremely blood-thirsty, traits which greatly contrast with the levelheadedness and patience of the other thanes, namely Macduff.
The conflict of viewpoints concerning the image of a "real man" is most apparent in the following quotes:
While both quotes reinforce the idea of man as a hardworking, determined figure, they differ in terms of context. Young Siward can be seen as a true man because he died fighting for a rightful cause, whereas Lady Macbeth believes manhood is achieved when man goes after his desires, regardless of the potential consequences involved.
The conflict of viewpoints concerning the image of a "real man" is most apparent in the following quotes:
- On one hand, Lady Macbeth argues that manhood requires a certain level of fearlessness and nerve: "When you durst do it, then you were a man./And to be more than what you were, you would/Be so much more the man."(Act I,vii, 49-51)
- On the other hand, the thane of Ross believes that true manhood comes in the form of honest work and labor: “Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt/He only lived but till he was a man/The which no sooner has his prowess confirmed/In the unshrinking station where he fought/But like a man died” (Act V, ix, 5-8)
While both quotes reinforce the idea of man as a hardworking, determined figure, they differ in terms of context. Young Siward can be seen as a true man because he died fighting for a rightful cause, whereas Lady Macbeth believes manhood is achieved when man goes after his desires, regardless of the potential consequences involved.