Question:
“How does Shakespeare present Macbeth’s deteriorating state of mind?”
In answering this question, refer both to the extract below and the whole play. Analyse the language, structure, and the use of dramatic devices in Macbeth’s famous speech.
Concentrate on the excerpt itself, but feel free to expand your examination to included matters of context, like the situation he finds himself in.
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The Extract:
MACBETH
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
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.
Working Notes from the Classroom
