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REVIEW

Waith, Eugene M. "Manhood and Valor in Macbeth."

From "Manhood and Valor in Two Shakespearean Tragedies." ELH: A Journal of English Literary History, 17.4 (1950), 265-68. Rptd. in Twentieth Century Interpretations of Macbeth. Ed. Terence Hawkes. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1977. 63-66.

Thesis: Waith writes, "In Macbeth . . . there is an explicit contrast between two ideals of manhood" (63). One defines a man by his physical courage; this is an ideal which many characters in the play, including Lady Macbeth, believe in. Macbeth believes in this ideal, too, but "His mental torment grows out of the conflict between the narrow concept of man as the courageous male and the more inclusive concept of man as a being whose moral nature distinguishes him from the beasts" (64). In contrast, "Macduff is a complete man: he is a valiant soldier, ready to perform 'manly' deeds, but is neither ashamed of 'humane' feelings nor unaware of his moral responsibilities" (65).

Bottom Line: Obviously true.