macduff regards "manhood" as a matter of responsibility as well as strength. macduff's family has been murdered since he went against Macbeth; he feels heavy responsibility for their deaths. when macduff first realized that his entire family had been killed, he ended up in mourning. malcolm tells him to act like a man. macduff tells him he will be strong, but since he must feel like a real man, he can not ignore his emotions.
