Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare: Passage V Analysis

Macbeth- Passage V. v. L 19-28 -1/2

“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.”

These words expressed by Macbeth reveal the theme of the play. Aspiration, Macbeth a mighty Scottish General reveals his yearning for power and his aspiration to become King of Scotland. To make his dream a reality, Macbeth kills King Duncan after making him feel a false sense of security. Once the King was out of the way Macbeth tries to eliminate all other threats to the throne, Banquo, Fleance, and Macduff. Macbeth uses his violent ways belligerently to eliminate these threats. Macbeth’s success drives him into madness as the play progresses.

When Macbeth makes the statement “a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,”. He reveals the fact that a poor player must have ambition to make his role come to life. Poor players of that time would practice all day every day and do any thing that they could just to add a little extra to the play. Similarly the ambition that Macbeth has to become King goes untested and Macbeth kills the King. In reality Macbeth is only a player in the play himself. Macbeth’s comment points out that in the Elizabethan era there was a kind of conspiracy between players and the audience as to the play’s reality.

“it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” These lines spoken by Macbeth make it known that once Macbeth loses Lady Macbeth and his power is ruined. Macbeth is desolated, with armies coming to get him and his love gone. Macbeth breaks down to pessimism. Macbeth tries to justify his words by saying they “signify nothing” and since every thing is ruined. The evils he committed seem less so

The line “all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death” is an illusion to the death of Duncan. Macbeth calls him a fool for not catching on to Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth’s plan to kill him.