Final answer:
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth's view on masculinity, equating it with ruthlessness and lack of compassion, is the most corrupt. Macbeth also associates masculinity with bravery and power, even when it leads to immoral actions. Society influences these ideals, but it is Lady Macbeth's manipulation that most starkly reveals a corrupt understanding of masculinity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Within Shakespeare's Macbeth, the concept of masculinity is corrupted and challenged by the actions and views of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth's perception of masculinity is deeply flawed, as she equates it with ruthlessness and a lack of compassion, suggesting Macbeth is only a man if he proceeds with the murder of Duncan. In her view, any hesitation or remorse shows weakness, an attribute she deems unmasculine.
Macbeth himself ties masculinity to bravery and action, even if those actions are morally reprehensible. He struggles with his own concept of masculinity, especially when it comes to doing what he believes is necessary to assert his power and authority. Society around them, albeit less directly explored, also plays into these corrupt ideals by placing value on violence and power as measures of a man's worth.
All in all, while society's expectations play a role, it is Lady Macbeth's distortion of masculinity that stands out the most. She weaponizes it to manipulate Macbeth into committing regicide, which indicates a deeply corrupt understanding of what it means to be a man.