Values of Manhood

How do the values of manhood differ in modern times? What do you think it takes to be a good man?
I think that becoming a man is a very important process that all boys travel through as they mature and learn what being a Man is.  To me, becoming a man is one of the most important parts of a boys life.  It is a journey that takes a lot of learning from mistakes, a lot of pain and suffering, and creates a lot of memories.  I think there are many aspects that are very important when being able to call yourself a good man.  Some of the few simple characteristic that a good man needs to posses is the ability to love, ability to support, kindness, strength(physically and mentally), and finally a good attitude.  I believe that these simple characteristics are necesary in creating a strong foundation for a boy to become a man and develop even more dynamic characteristic revealing of his man hood.  I believe that if a male has the ability to love most of these other characteristics will also be present, the ability to care for something so much that you are willing to do anything for that person no matter what.  You are able to support that person, be kind to that person with everything they do and to everyone they are associated with.  You are also able to help them with your strength physically by solving problems are completing projects to save money, but most importantly by strong for the metally, when their love is hurting emotionally they are the brick wall that holds their loved one up even though it might not be the most "manly" way to be according to today's society.  Many of these characteristics are not easy to come buy and learning by experiences is what helps a boy become a man and develop these characteristics.  Becoming a man is a very important process that I have just started to crack the can on, it is a process that is very important for me and I'm very excited to become my own man eventually.

I don't think that the values of manhood differ greatly in todays society from the society of Macbeth.  I think that the oppurutnities that are present to man in Macbeth are more regularyly available to males only in Macbeth's society than in today's society.  Due to this I think the differance in manhood from today to Macbeth's is the importance placed on having manhood or being a man.  A great example of this is through Macbeth's wife during the play, she wants to unsex herself so she will be able to have more power.  This is a prime example of how the importance of being a male provides more oppurtunities in Macbeth's society.  As to what it took to be a good man, I believe there was a little bit of difference, I think that men in that society did not require as much of an ability to love or be strong mentally for their wives.  I believe that these were two very differing aspects due to the difference in treatment of women from todays society to the time Macbeth was written, today women have much more freedom and power, which is still not as equal to man, but this more balanced equality of power amound each gender allows a man to change his characterisitcs and still be a man.  Women in Macbeth didn't have very much power so men did not have to truly love their wives and their wives would stay with them because of fear or because it would be wrong not to even if they were miserable and the it was not common for men to support their women emotionally during the time of Macbeth, that would be viewed is not manly during the time.

Art Analysis Post

Piece: Reliquary Casket with scenes from the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket

Creator: Unknown, suspected to be English or German

Time Period: 1173-1180

Medium: Sculpture and Painting

This piece was created out of silver and niello, and includes a gemstone on the top of the casket.  Many believe that the piece was created somewhere in England.  The piece was created to hold a relic piece that belonged to Saint Thomas Becket.  Becket was an Archbishop of Canterbury, which is a place in England.  Becket was killed by the knights of the King of England due to a long disagreement between the two.  The piece contains pictures on the sides of the casket portraying images of the Saint’s murder and what was thought to have happened.  This piece is a very unique piece that required a great amount of skill that the author needed to create the piece.  It required steady handwork to create the vivid images that are included on the faces of the casket.  It also required great building skills to create the casket itself and make it so unique.  The images that the artist painted on the faces of the casket are in greyscale, which makes them seem very dark and dull.  I think that the artist did this for a reason, which was to so they negative aspect of how Becket was murdered and it is revealing of the artists feelings of Becket’s murder.  I think that this piece has a very important religious value to many people.  The Canterbury tales is a collection of writing by Geoffrey Chaucer that revolves around the pilgrimage to Becket’s site of death.  This was a religious role for people in that time and Becket was main of great religious power.  Becket was also murdered in the Cathedral of Canterbury, which also makes this piece have an even greater religious value as well.