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| Macbeth |
| 作者Author / William Shakespeare 威廉．莎士比亞 |
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Study Questions
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Soliloquy from Macbeth, Act V Scene V
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| Group Discussion and Journal |
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- This short speech by Macbeth takes place at the point in the play when he has just learned that his wife is dead. He presents a pessimistic view of life and living. Does he, like the speaker in "To His Coy Mistress," present a carpe diem view of each day? If not, how does he feel about the passage of time? For Macbeth the passage of time only leads to what?
- Lines 25 and following use a variety of figures of speech. What does Macbeth compare life to in those metaphors?
- hen Macbeth describes life as being "a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury / Signifying nothing," what does he mean? Explain this metaphor.
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| Application and Wild Association--Time, Life and Aging |
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Contrast the attitudes toward life and time expressed in this poem with "That Time of Year." You can also compare the different views about life, time and aging expressed inhese two poems, as well as "To His Coy Mistress" and "Ulysses." How is time, or experiences in life, looked in these poems? Does the speaker of each poem look at life as process of gain or loss or both? How about you?
Readings in Context:
We need to read the whole play to understand why for Macbeth life is emptied of significance. It suffices now to know what before Act five, Macbeth has gone through a rise to power and then a serious downfall, during which he commits one murder after another and goes through some psychological struggles, too. In other words, his life is an eventful one, but why is it "a tale told by an idiot"? This is a question for you to keep in mind, but not to answer now.
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