Question

macbeth

1. what do you think of macbeths reaction to the news of his wifes death?
2. look back to act 1, scene 5, and the letter macbeth sends: find a phrase in this to describe how he felt about lady macbeth then. how has this changed?
3. identify the personification and discuss the effect.
4. discuss and comment on macbeths view of time.
5. what is this brief candle macbeth refers to? what figurative technique is used here?
6. why compare life to ashadow? what elements of a shadow is life like?
7. comment on the effect of the wordsstruts and frets - what tone do these words create?
8. what does macbeth mean when he says that the tale of life is full of sound and fury?
9. what is the effect of the length of the last line here?
10. what sort of state of mind is macbeth in at this point? how has he come to this point?

after reading this short, but important, soliloquy from act 5, scene 5, answer the questions on the left, and then annotate the text with your answers. tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow soliloquy
she should have died hereafter.
there would have been a time for such a word.
tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
to the last syllable of recorded time:
and all our yesterdays have lighted fools
the way to dusty death. out, out, brief candle!
lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player,
that struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
and then is heard no more. it is a tale
told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing.

Explanation:

1. Macbeth's reaction to his wife's death shows a sense of resignation and weariness, as he has become desensitized to tragedy.
2. In Act 1, Scene 5, Macbeth was affectionate towards Lady Macbeth. Now, his feelings have changed to indifference due to his descent into evil and the chaos of his life.
3. Personification in the soliloquy, such as "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" giving time human - like creeping behavior, emphasizes the slow and endless nature of time for Macbeth.
4. Macbeth views time as a meaningless, endless procession leading to death, as shown by his description of days passing "To the last syllable of recorded time".
5. The "brief candle" refers to life. The figurative technique used is a metaphor, comparing life's brevity to a candle that burns out quickly.
6. Life is compared to a "shadow" because it is fleeting, insubstantial, and lacks real substance, just like a shadow.
7. The words "struts" and "frets" create a tone of frustration and futility, highlighting Macbeth's sense of life as a pointless performance.
8. When Macbeth says life is "full of sound and fury", he means it is a chaotic, noisy, and passionate experience that ultimately amounts to nothing.
9. The length of the last line emphasizes the finality and emptiness of Macbeth's view of life, drawing out the sense of meaninglessness.
10. Macbeth is in a state of despair and nihilism. He has come to this point through his guilt, the loss of everything he valued, and his realization of the emptiness of his actions.

Answer:

1. His reaction shows resignation and weariness.
2. Initially affectionate, now indifferent.
3. Personification emphasizes time's slowness and endlessness.
4. Views time as meaningless and leading to death.
5. Refers to life, metaphor used.
6. Because life is fleeting and insubstantial like a shadow.
7. Create a tone of frustration and futility.
8. Life is chaotic and ultimately meaningless.
9. Emphasizes life's finality and emptiness.
10. In despair and nihilism, due to guilt and loss.