To Be A Man

The qualities that make a man a man haven't really changed much in the course of human history. Although technology has advanced, cities have grown, masculinity remains a constant. There is a reason that the works of William Shakespeare are still so widely taught and valued and that is because the way Shakespeare portrays the human condition remains accurate in modern times. This includes his representations of manhood, particular in Macbeth. Macbeth is as much a tale about masculinity as it is about the struggle for power. In Shakespeare's time and our own, these pursuits are one and the same. Shakespeare conveys the values of manhood mainly through the character of Lady Macbeth.


In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth views her marriage to Macbeth as leaning to her side in terms of power balance. She lacks respect for him because she views him as weak-willed. When he sends her the letter informing her of his heightened status she muses, "Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way." She desires more power and wishes for Macbeth to gain more titles so she can taste it at least indirectly. Lady Macbeth views his human kindness as weakness and thus not manly. This is mirrored in modern society as well. We do not view men who show emotion or kindness as real men, nor men who are not overtly ambitious. Men are instead expected to desire promotions and 'make the bacon.' In modern times we would probably see Lady Macbeth as the provider and Macbeth as more of a homemaker, which wouldn't give him value as a man either.


Another truth Shakespeare reveals about manhood is the negativity associated with mental illness. At the banquet Macbeth is haunted by the ghost of Banquo and begins behaving erratically. Embarrassed and concerned that the noblemen will suspect them of foul play, Lady Macbeth dismisses Macbeth's behavior as something trivial. She then turns her attention to Macbeth about his behavior and asks him, "Are you a man?" in hopes of shaking his strange behavior. The implication is that it is not suitable for a man in this time to suffer from mental illness. Illnesses of the mind are considered womanly. Modern times also see this stigma. It's bad for both genders but particularly nuanced for men.

Blog Post Number 5

This artwork is known as "Reliquary Casket with Scenes from the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket, ca. 1173–80" (The piece ) (my sketch) and is made of silver with niello and a gemstone. The artist is unknown but the box is believed to be of English or German origin. The silver box was created to house a relic of the Saint Thomas Beckett. Its panels depict images of his death and ascension to heaven and subsequent sainthood.  Thomas Beckett was the archbishop of Canterbury and quarreled with King Henry II. The king sent four of his knights to kill Beckett, but that just turned him into a martyr. Beckett remained beloved by the people and was named a saint. The box formal of the piece is effective because its many panels allow different facets of Beckett's story to be told. The edges of the box are golden in color and the scenes are etched in silver. t is topped with a red gem.


A reliquary is a container designed to create relics. These relics might be physical remains of religious figures such as body parts or things like shreds of their clothing. Relics have been an important part of many religions including Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism. Since relics were considered priceless for Christians, they were always made out of precious materials, like the silver in this one. Many were designed to be portable to they could travel and be shown to followers. Others had followers make pilgrimages to view them. Pieces such as this were important because they were all that was left of beloved religious figures.