The dictionary defines masculinity as the state of being a man or a boy. However, William Shakespeare's Macbeth, conveys a much deeper and more individualistic view of the word. Shakespeare intertwines his own definition of manhood into the novel by equating masculinity with aggression and self-expression and emphasizing it with the use of irony.

Macbeth, thane of Glamis, is established as a power-thirsty man in the beginning of the novel. And so, when three witches greet him as "king hereafter," Macbeth quickly contemplates killing Duncan, king of Scotland, so that he himself may become king. After conspiring with his wife, Lady Macbeth, about Duncan's murder, Macbeth's conscience, for a moment, overcomes his desire for power and he considers why he should not murder Duncan, "as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself" (39). Lady Macbeth, with a tone of firmness, scolds...