Analyzing Macbeth’s Soliloquy After Lady Macbeth’s Death in the Play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Life has a multitude of meanings for everyone. Sometimes it means an opportunity for better chances and others, a life of bad luck and mishaps. In William Shakespearës Macbeth, Macheth, the main character and protagonist, experiences a life changing moment: his wife, Lady Macbeth, diesl This unfonunate event causes Macbeth to rethink life and its purpose› His response to the news is shown through a very popular “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow“ solíloquy filled with rhetorical devices and profound significance› This rather small soliloquy is full of rhetorical devices. The entire soliloquy is a comparison to life and how it means nothing. For example, “Out, out, brief candle!” is a comparison to how quickly Macbeth wants life to be over (V‹v‹23)› Life is also comparable to an actor who is not very successful in his field.

According to Shakespeare, this actor is nervous and anxious to perform and after his performance, he is not seen ever after that (V.v.25-26). More comparisons involve metaphorsl “Life's but a walking shadow. . .” refers to an understudy waiting to get his chance to be in a play, but never getting the chance (V.v‹24)l Life is a disappointment in Macheth's eyes› Further analyzing this soliloquy, other rhetorical devices include repetition, alliteration, tone, and foreshadowing. The concept of the soliloquy is repetition: “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day" (Vle-ZO), Tomorrow and day are repeatedl Repeating these words seem like Macbeth is prolonging an action or general feeling but that is irrational because the future brings no hope for him.

Grammar-related, “petty pace" in line 20 and “poor player” in line 24 are examples of alliteration. The tone of the soliloquy is melancholy, reflective, and depressing› Macbeth finds out that his wife dies. It catches him off guard and now he finds n0 amusement in life and the future› The soliloquy can be seen as foreshadowing because the last line, “It is a tale told by an idiot, fill of sound and fury signifying nothing” is similar to Macbeth’s story (V.v.26-28). The ending of the soliloquy is parallel to Macbeth’s life, The “idiots” can be the three witches that told his and Banquo’s prophecy Macbeth allows the “great sounding” prophecy to get to his head because he is raging with power, orchestrating Banquo‘s and Lady Macduff and son’s death. But in the end, the hunger for power was not worth it because his supposed companions and advisers were all against him Macbeth is eventually murdered by Macduff, a nobleman from Duncan‘s reignr The beginning of the soliloquy refers to Lady Macbeth’s death. One view on the death could be that Macbeth knew that she was going to die, her passing was inevitable.

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Another take on it is that he does not want her to die and that it is not her time, “She should have died hereafter; there would have been a time for such a word" (Viv,17-18)t After that, Macbeth goes to explain that the days are going by in a slow pace The past means nothing to him and neither does the future (V.vt20-22) Macbeth does not have a positive outlook on life, The several rhetorical devices and intense meaning of Macbeth’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy reveals his final conclusion on life It is devoid of any meaning and full of punitive strugglest According to Macbeth, life is packed with lost opponunitiesr The soliloquy also exposes Macbeth’s life as a tragic character. It is accurate that his “vaulting ambition” is his downfall Wanting to be the best and achieve greatness was just too much for him and in the end; he lost his mind, his wife, and eventually his life.

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