The stage directions of this scene show his trembling hands which is a symbol of fear and his growing paranoia towards the situation. He admits defeat to his fear towards what the future can hold for him. Moreover, Macbeth failing to meet the masculine ideal of the time period he lives in is a greater sin and is being punished by God for not being a man enough. He forgets his gender and becomes a fearful man and begs Lady Macbeth to put him out of his misery. .
Furthermore, once Macbeth is crowned king of Scotland he throws a celebration banquette with ulterior motives of celebrating Banquo's death. When he is asked to join a table of his guests, instead of seeing an empty seat, he sees dead Banquo's ghost. Macbeth is shocked and loses his sanity for a brief moment and he is yelling at his hallucinations:.
Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, .
The arm'd rhinoceros .
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves .
Shall never tremble .
And dare me to the desert with thy sword.
If trembling I inhabit then, protest me .
The baby of a girl. (3.4.100-105).
Macbeth says that if the ghost had taken any other form of animal or even human he would never be afraid to slay it, but since the ghost is of Banquo, Macbeth believes that it will haunt him for spilling his innocent blood. Macbeth says that his nerves world not tremble had it been a Russian bear or even an armoured rhinoceros but since it is his best friend's ghost it shall turn him into a coward. Macbeth also challenges Banquo's ghost to come back to life and dare him to a duel in a deserted place and if Macbeth trembles then as well then he will accept being called a little girl. However, while Macbeth is yelling at his hallucinations, he does not realize that his guests are still sitting startled at the new king's childish behaviour. Macbeth creates his own punishment for not acting on his sexist role in this scene when all his guests are disgusted and are pushed out of his castle.
