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!
Life’s 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.
1) Copy and paste the soliloquy. Count syllables in all lines and post your calculations. (“Hour” has only one syllable). How many lines have 10 syllables? How many lines have more or less? Scan any two lines to determine if Shakespeare is trying to write in iambic pentameter or not. After reading my summary of the tragedy and the moment, why do you suppose the rhythm is so irregular in this speech?
2) There is no end rhyme in this famous speech (nor in the famous soliloquy that starts “To be or not to be” from Hamlet). Why do you suppose Shakespeare did not try to make the lines end in perfect rhyme for this speech Macbeth speaks shortly after the death of his beloved wife, Lady Macbeth?
3) Look for alliteration throughout.
4) Define “metatheatre.” Here’s a good quick write up of it. Use this to understand determining factors of it.
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/What-is–Metatheatre–.html?soid=1101151674476&aid=kroCOi-SnxQLinks to an external site.
Shakespeare was famous for breaking the illusion of the “fourth wall” in theatre. (Look up the “fourth wall” and define that for us). What happens when someone breaks the illusion of the fourth wall and uses a metatheatre in a play? In #4, we’ll be looking for some tell-tale signs of metatheatre.
4) There are some amazing images, metaphors, and themes in this speech. Let’s try to translate them.
a) Why does Shakespeare refer to “the last syllable of recorded time”? Do your best to guess. Why is this an example of metatheatre?
b) Keep in mind that the play was written long before there was electricity. What do you think is meant symbolically by: “Out, out, brief candle!”
c) Paraphrase these famous lines: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.” Why is this an example of metatheatre?
d) Paraphrase these famous lines: “[Life] is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” How do these lines connect to a) “the last syllable of recorded time”? And how are they metatheatrical?
5) Macbeth’s very famous speech has always perplexed me! There is something really “weird” about the way Macbeth talks about the future and the past. Where does he position both on a time line? What doesn’t make sense about his understanding of time? Keep in mind that Macbeth’s future was foretold early in the play by witches, and their predictions come true by the end of the play!!!
6) The last short line always strikes me as nihilistic. What is nihilism? When was it “invented”? In contrast to nihilism, Shakespeare lived in a period of intense religiosity and unquestioning belief in God. In England, it was important to be observed to be Protestant, although many believe that Shakespeare was (secretly) a Catholic! What’s worrisome about Macbeth’s nihilism–or do you not understand his words that way?
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