Macbeth, a play by WIlliam SHakespear, i sabout the deterioration of a man (Macbeth's) humanity and snaity. Macbeth had fought valiantly for his king, and ironically, he kills the king. Macbeth is mentally pulled in two directions; being weak of will, he is easily coerced by his wife to carry out the slaying of his monarch. A person's gender mandates the reactions and actions of the person; that theme is echoed throughout this play. .
In Acxt IV scene iii, Macduff laments the murder of "all (his) pretty chickens and their dam", and Malcolm tells Macduff to "dispute it like a man." Malcolm wants Macduff to stop grieving and take action. In response to Malcom, Macduff says that he "shall do so", but he cannot help remembering "such things/that were most precous to (him)." Macduff "play(s) the woman with (his) eyes and a graggart with (his) tongue." Macduff could say that the murder of his family does not bother him, and that he is finsihed grieving, btu his eyes, which show his feelings, say the contrary. By acting like a "man", Macduff is expected to make himself callous, stoic, unfeeling. A "man" is also ecpected to stop at nothing to pursue his asiprations, which, in Macduff's case, is to revenge his family upon Macbeth.
Similarly, this definition of "man" appeared earlier in the play. Lady Macbeth had wanted to steel herself to carry out the plot against the king. Lady Macbeth wanted to be "unseced", calling upon "gall". She associated feminie qualities with weakness and frailty.
