Abstract:
In an attempt to find in Macbeth a transcendental view of manhood, this article offers a brief description of some of the ways in which Shakespeare pursues the fragmentation of gender barriers and problematizes traditional representations of masculinity. Through a comparative analysis of the play and the 2015 film adaptation of it by Justin Kurzel, aspects such as heroic violence, sexuality, boyhood, fatherhood, and the loss of humanhood are addressed. In the end, Shakespeare’s uncertainty and Kurzel’s interpretation thereof combine in order to further illustrate the issue of masculinity.
Keywords: masculinity; literature and film; masculine steretotypes; Shakespeare; humanhood