Karmdeep Singh

11/24/12
P.5
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Death of a loved one leads one to ponder the importance of life. Everything they
encounter becomes absent with meaning. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, presents the
protagonists contemplation of the significance of life. Macbeth paints a very dreary picture of
life in which he asserts the nature of ever present mortality leads him to believe that life
signifies nothing.(10) Furthermore, his disdain of life is exemplified when he states how death
creeps upon people day by day (2). He continues by saying that life is just tale (8) and told
by an idiot (9). These statements show the obvious negative portrayal of life.
Macbeths attitude is that of a person who has lost loved ones early in life. Through the
use of a metaphor, Shakespeare compares life to a brief candle.(5) The significance of this
metaphor is how the flame of the candle can be extinguished easily. The emphasis is placed on
the flame because it represents the fragility of life. Since Macbeth had lost someone early in life,
it is understandable that he uses the metaphor to explain the fleeting, insignificant, nature of life.
Alongside of this metaphor, Shakespeare also utilizes diction such as creeps (2) to imply
emphasis on how death is an ever lurking presence in life. He describes death in such a way that
it sneaks up on the living , youth or in old age, hinting that its only a matter of time.
Troubled by his beloveds death, Macbeth goes on to say that life is a tale told by an
idiot (7-8) that signifies nothing. Shakespeare uses the loss of Lady Macbeth to stress that life is
a tale (8) and people try to do good in their lives to be recognized only to be forgotten. A
person struts and frets throughout life on the stage (7) during his/her golden hour only to be
heard no more.(8) The meaning behind these quotes is to show that the accomplishments made

by the people stay with world, however the persons character, personality and love for his/her
family disappears. This ties to the overall theme of the insignificance of life because Macbeth
was in love with Lady Macbeth, however her death made the connection disappear giving way to
Macbeths bitterness to life. Furthermore, Shakespeare utilizes a simile to compare life to a
talefull of sound and fury(8-9) to make life seem like its full of excitement and content, but
in the end its the same story of death. Macbeth continues by saying that lifes but a walking
shadow, a poor player.(6) Shakespeare uses this analogy to explain that life is a poor actor and
that it is a misrepresentation of who a person is. This ties to theme because when a person dies,
they are like a shadowy figment of memories thus making their impact in the long term
insignificant.
Like Robert Frost in his poem Out, Out, both Shakespeare and Frost talk about that a
single life is nothing and insignificant. These two authors approach this subject with different
perspectives. Frost uses a young boy whose life ends early and Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth
whose death was anticipated throughout story. Through these pieces of literature, the authors
ideas about the significance of life and the presence of death are illustrated.