Lady Macbeth's Monologue

Words: 444
Pages: 2

Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, traces the life of Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman, through his rise to power and ultimately his downfall. At this point in the story, Macbeth begins to prepare for battle against Malcolm and Macduff two of his rivals. While getting ready for battle, Macbeth learns that his wife, Lady Macbeth, has been killed. Throughout his monologue one can see Macbeth reacting without true grief, as well as providing his cynical view on life. From the beginning of the play one can see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have been a team. It is Lady Macbeth who steers Macbeth to kill all of those who stand in his way. Her influence on him was so profound it transcends a typical marital relationship. As time goes on and Macbeth’s mental sanity begins to diminish, it is shocking to see that he does not grieve the death of his wife. This is shown when Macbeth states, “ She should have died hereafter;/ There …show more content…
He states, “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” (5.5.23-25). Macbeth is reflecting on how quickly life can be snuffed out like a candle. Furthermore, Macbeth states that one is a shadow on a stage implying a lack of meaning and purpose in life. At this point, Macbeth is left alone to face a doomed future. Overall, this reaffirms Macbeth’s cynical outlook on both life and death. After Lady Macbeth’s death, the play illustrates the conflicting emotions that Macbeth feels: his inability to mourn, his cynicism, and his need to prepare immediately for battle. The impact had on her husband. In addition, Macbeth goes on to speak of how meaningless life is. This outlook reflects how unhinged Macbeth’s mind has become throughout the play due to his guilt over his evil deeds, and utter madness. Macbeth will lose everything he has worked for in the events following Lady Macbeth’s