The value of manhood is transient through time. It has always been held higher than womanhood. And there's no sound justification for it. It stems from the roots of patriarchy. The patriarchal system has achieved and maintained hegemony across cultures and time because men are collectively stronger than women and are able to dominate as well as dictate what ideals are upheld because it's easy to control the "weak ". For the most part, no one wants to be viewed as weak. The antithesis to weakness by default is masculinity and manhood because it is the polar opposite of femininity and womanhood. This makes sense. At first. Then I think about the resilience of women as a collective, and not just pertaining to the body. I think females draw their strength through hardships that would not exist if there had not been a patriarchal system in place. So women and men are both strong because of how they react to situations. Individuals however, tend to slip up. Macbeth had a major slip up. He killed people. He's exerting power and strength but he is weak in mind and spirit. Intrinsically, he is not a good man nor a good person. I think the definition of a good man is muddled down to whether a man does everything that's expected of him imposed by society and even further, the system of patriarchy. He's supposed to be successful and building a life for himself, his family, and the generations that follow. He's supposed to have financial wealth and must maintain respect from his peers and community. These are all aspects of what a man does and not how a man thinks. I believe the mentality of a person defines their character more than how they act toward others. Before anyone performs an action they must think about it first. Before Macbeth went on a killing spree he first had to think about killing them and have the character to be willing to kill. The pressures of being a "good" man plagues all men because it creates unrealistic expectations. Macbeth had the unrealistic expectation that he would be able to get away with the murder of king and take his place. Lady Macbeth had these expectations as well and this highlights the permeating notion that men are the sole "movers and shakers" of society which in the end hurts everyone.
