Question

instructions: read the following poem respond in a paragraph to the following prompt.
speech: \tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow\
by william shakespeare
(from macbeth, spoken by macbeth)
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!
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.
prompt 1:
discuss the theme of the selection. what does the author seem to be feeling and expressing?
be sure to cite specific examples of your opinion.

Explanation:

The poem (speech from Macbeth) explores the theme of the futility and transience of life. Macbeth’s repetition of “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” (line 1) emphasizes the monotonous, slow march of time toward death, showing his despair. The metaphor “Out, out, brief candle!” (line 5) likens life to a short - lived candle, highlighting its brevity. “Life’s but a walking shadow... Signifying nothing” (lines 6 - 11) portrays life as empty and meaningless, especially after the losses Macbeth has faced (like Lady Macbeth’s death). These elements reveal Macbeth’s profound sense of hopelessness and the idea that life, in the end, has no real significance.

Answer:

The theme of the selection is the futility and transience of life. The author (through Macbeth) feels despair and hopelessness. For example, the repetition of “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” shows the monotonous march of time toward death. The metaphor “Out, out, brief candle!” likens life to a short - lived flame, emphasizing its brevity. Also, “Life’s but a walking shadow... Signifying nothing” portrays life as empty and meaningless, especially after Macbeth’s losses, revealing his sense that life has no real significance.