Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Macbeth represents one of Shakespeare’s most powerful speeches about life’s meaninglessness.
Picture this: You’re watching a man who once had everything slowly realize that his entire existence amounts to nothing.
That’s exactly what happens in Macbeth’s famous soliloquy from Act 5, Scene 5.
This speech comes right after Macbeth learns about Lady Macbeth’s death, and it reveals his complete despair about life itself.
The lines have become some of the most quoted words in all of English literature.
What Is the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Speech?
The Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow speech is Macbeth’s response to hearing about his wife’s death.
Shakespeare wrote this soliloquy to show Macbeth’s final transformation from ambitious warrior to broken man.
The speech appears in Act 5, Scene 5 of the play, near the very end of the tragedy.
It’s only 28 lines long, but these lines pack more emotional punch than entire novels.
Critics consider it one of the greatest examples of dramatic poetry ever written.
The speech begins with the famous repetition of “tomorrow” and ends with the metaphor of life as a “tale told by an idiot.”
The Complete Text
Here’s the full speech that we’ll analyze line by line:
“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.”
Line-by-Line Analysis
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow”
This opening line uses repetition to show the endless cycle of time.
The word “tomorrow” appears three times, creating a rhythm like a funeral march.
Each repetition makes the word sound more meaningless and empty.
Shakespeare uses this technique to show how Macbeth views the future as pointless.
The repetition also mirrors the way depressed people often feel trapped in cycles.
Literary techniques:
- Repetition (anaphora)
- Alliteration with the “t” sound
- Slow, heavy rhythm
“Creeps in this petty pace from day to day”
The word “creeps” suggests slow, disgusting movement.
“Petty pace” shows that Macbeth thinks time moves in small, unimportant steps.
This line reveals his frustration with how slowly life moves toward death.
The alliteration of “petty pace” emphasizes the insignificance of daily life.
Macbeth sees each day as barely worth mentioning.
Key imagery:
- Slow, crawling movement
- Smallness and insignificance
- Endless repetition
“To the last syllable of recorded time”
This line suggests that time has a definite end point.
“Recorded time” implies that human history will eventually stop being written.
The word “syllable” makes time seem like a long, boring speech.
Macbeth imagines time as a document that will eventually run out of pages.
This connects to his later metaphor of life as a meaningless story.
Significance:
- Time has boundaries
- Human history is finite
- Life is like a written record
“And all our yesterdays have lighted fools”
“Yesterdays” refers to all past human experiences.
“Lighted fools” suggests that the past only helps people make stupid decisions.
This line shows Macbeth’s bitter view of human learning and progress.
He believes that history teaches nothing useful.
The word “fools” includes himself and everyone else who has ever lived.
Macbeth’s cynicism:
- Past experience is worthless
- Humans never learn from history
- Everyone is equally foolish
“The way to dusty death”
“Dusty death” refers to the biblical idea that humans return to dust.
The word “dusty” suggests something dry, forgotten, and worthless.
This connects to the phrase “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” from funeral services.
Macbeth sees death as the only destination that matters.
The path to death is the only thing that past experience really provides.
Biblical connections:
- Genesis 3:19 (“dust thou art”)
- Funeral liturgy
- Universal human fate
“Out, out, brief candle!”
This line directly addresses life as if it were a candle flame.
“Out, out” shows Macbeth’s desire to extinguish life completely.
“Brief candle” emphasizes how short and fragile life is.
The exclamation point shows his sudden burst of emotion.
This is one of the most famous metaphors in all of literature.
Candle symbolism:
- Life as flickering flame
- Fragility and brevity
- Darkness after death
- Something that can be blown out easily
“Life’s but a walking shadow”
This line compares life to a shadow that moves but has no substance.
Shadows are dark, temporary, and depend on other things for their existence.
“Walking” suggests that life appears to have purpose but really doesn’t.
This metaphor shows life as an illusion without real meaning.
Shadows disappear when the light source is removed.
Shadow imagery:
- Lack of substance
- Temporary existence
- Dependence on external forces
- Darkness and emptiness
“A poor player”
Here Shakespeare uses theater as a metaphor for life.
“Poor player” refers to a bad actor who doesn’t perform well.
This connects to Shakespeare’s own experience in the theater world.
The metaphor suggests that humans are all acting in a play they don’t understand.
“Poor” emphasizes both the quality of the performance and the actor’s low status.
Theater metaphors:
- Life as performance
- Humans as actors
- Lack of control over the script
- Temporary nature of performance
“That struts and frets his hour upon the stage”
“Struts and frets” shows the actor moving around nervously and proudly.
“His hour” emphasizes the brief time each person has to perform.
“Upon the stage” reinforces the theater metaphor.
This line captures the anxiety and arrogance of human behavior.
People worry about things that don’t matter in the grand scheme.
Human behavior:
- Mixture of pride and anxiety
- Brief time to make an impression
- Ultimately meaningless activity
- Self-important posturing
“And then is heard no more”
This line shows the finality of death.
Once the performance ends, the actor disappears completely.
“Heard no more” suggests that human voices become silent forever.
This emphasizes the temporary nature of human existence.
No one remembers most people after they die.
Themes of silence:
- Death as final silence
- Forgotten individuals
- End of communication
- Permanent absence
“It is a tale / Told by an idiot”
This metaphor compares life to a story told by someone who doesn’t understand it.
“Idiot” originally meant someone who couldn’t speak properly.
The storyteller doesn’t know what the story means.
This suggests that life has no intelligent design or purpose.
Even the person telling the story of life is confused about it.
Story metaphor:
- Life as narrative
- Lack of intelligent author
- Confusion about meaning
- Incompetent storytelling
“Full of sound and fury”
“Sound and fury” refers to lots of noise and activity.
This line suggests that life seems dramatic and important.
The words echo the noise of battle and passionate emotion.
But this noise doesn’t actually mean anything significant.
It’s just empty drama without real substance.
Sound imagery:
- Loud, dramatic noise
- Intense emotions
- Appearance of importance
- Ultimately empty activity
“Signifying nothing”
This final phrase delivers the speech’s main message.
“Signifying” means pointing toward or representing something meaningful.
“Nothing” is the complete absence of meaning or purpose.
This line concludes that all human activity and emotion is pointless.
It’s the most nihilistic statement in all of Shakespeare.
Final nihilism:
- Complete absence of meaning
- Rejection of purpose
- Ultimate emptiness
- Philosophical despair
Literary Devices and Techniques
Metaphor Usage
Shakespeare layers multiple metaphors throughout this speech.
Life appears as a candle, a shadow, an actor, and a story.
Each metaphor adds another layer of meaninglessness.
The metaphors build on each other to create overwhelming despair.
This technique shows Shakespeare’s mastery of poetic language.
Primary metaphors:
- Life as candle flame
- Life as walking shadow
- Life as theatrical performance
- Life as meaningless story
Rhythm and Meter
The speech uses iambic pentameter, Shakespeare’s favorite rhythm.
However, the rhythm breaks down in places to show Macbeth’s emotional state.
The repetition of “tomorrow” creates a slow, heavy beat.
This rhythm mirrors the way depressed people often speak.
The broken rhythm shows Macbeth’s mental breakdown.
Rhythmic effects:
- Slow, funeral-like pace
- Occasional disruptions
- Emphasis on key words
- Emotional intensity
Alliteration and Sound
Shakespeare uses repeated sounds to create emotional effects.
“Petty pace” and “dusty death” stick in the reader’s memory.
The sounds often match the meaning of the words.
“Creeps” sounds like slow, disgusting movement.
These sound effects make the speech more powerful when spoken aloud.
Sound patterns:
- Repetitive consonants
- Matching sound and meaning
- Memorable phrases
- Emotional resonance
Themes and Meaning
The Meaninglessness of Existence
- The central theme is that life has no ultimate purpose or meaning.
- Macbeth concludes that all human activity is pointless.
- This theme connects to existentialist philosophy centuries later.
- The speech influenced many writers and thinkers about the nature of existence.
- It remains one of literature’s most powerful expressions of nihilism.
Time as Enemy
- Throughout the speech, time appears as something hostile to human happiness.
- Time moves too slowly when people are suffering.
- The past provides no useful guidance for the future.
- Time inevitably leads everyone to the same destination: death.
- This view of time as meaningless repetition influences the entire speech.
Death as Release
- While the speech is pessimistic, it also suggests that death might be a relief.
- Macbeth wants to blow out life’s candle.
- Death would end the meaningless performance of existence.
- This connects to his exhaustion with his own evil actions.
- Death represents escape from the burden of consciousness.
The Illusion of Importance
- Macbeth realizes that human concerns are ultimately trivial.
- People “strut and fret” as if their actions matter.
- But from the perspective of eternity, nothing humans do has lasting significance.
- This theme challenges readers to consider what really matters in life.
- It questions whether anything can have genuine meaning.
Teaching and Educational Value
Curriculum Relevance
- This speech appears in high school and college literature courses worldwide.
- It introduces students to complex philosophical themes.
- The language is challenging but accessible with proper guidance.
- Students learn to analyze metaphor, rhythm, and meaning.
- It provides excellent practice in close reading skills.
Discussion Questions
Teachers often use these questions to explore the speech:
Thematic questions:
- Does Macbeth’s view of life reflect his evil actions?
- Is the speech universal or specific to Macbeth’s situation?
- How does the speech relate to modern views of existence?
- What alternative perspectives might challenge Macbeth’s nihilism?
Literary analysis:
- How do the metaphors work together?
- What is the effect of the repetition in the opening line?
- How does the rhythm support the meaning?
- What makes this speech so memorable?
Student Responses
- Students often find this speech both disturbing and fascinating.
- Many relate to feelings of meaninglessness, especially during difficult times.
- The speech helps students understand the connection between literature and philosophy.
- It demonstrates how personal experience can lead to universal insights.
- Students learn to appreciate the power of poetic language.
Modern Relevance and Applications
Contemporary Resonance
- The speech remains relevant to modern discussions of mental health.
- It appears in suicide prevention materials as an example of depressive thinking.
- The themes connect to current debates about purpose and meaning.
- Social media has made the speech more widely known and quoted.
- It speaks to contemporary anxieties about climate change and social problems.
Popular Culture References
- The speech appears in numerous films, TV shows, and books.
- “Sound and fury” became the title of a William Faulkner novel.
- The “brief candle” metaphor is widely used in everyday language.
- Musicians have set the speech to music or referenced it in lyrics.
- It demonstrates the ongoing cultural influence of Shakespeare’s work.
Therapeutic Applications
- Mental health professionals sometimes use the speech in therapy.
- It helps clients understand and articulate feelings of despair.
- The speech can be a starting point for discussing depression and hopelessness.
- It shows that even the darkest thoughts have been expressed before.
- This can provide comfort to people struggling with similar feelings.
FAQs
What does “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” mean in Macbeth?
It expresses Macbeth’s despair at life’s slow, meaningless progression. Each “tomorrow” drags life closer to inevitable death.
What is the deeper meaning of “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow”?
It reflects the futility of existence—life is repetitive, empty, and ends in death. Macbeth sees time as a cruel illusion.
What is the full quote of “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow”?
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time…”
What does the soliloquy “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” reflect Macbeth’s feelings of?
It shows Macbeth’s deep nihilism, regret, and emotional numbness after Lady Macbeth’s death. He sees life as purposeless.
What is the summary of “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow”?
Macbeth reflects that life is a series of meaningless days leading to death. He compares life to a “poor player” acting on stage briefly, then gone.
What is the main theme of Macbeth’s soliloquy?
The main themes are the meaninglessness of life, the passage of time, and death’s inevitability. It’s one of Shakespeare’s darkest meditations on existence.
Conclusion
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Macbeth stands as one of literature’s most powerful explorations of existential despair.
The speech transforms a moment of personal loss into a universal statement about the human condition.
Shakespeare’s masterful use of metaphor and rhythm creates an unforgettable expression of nihilism.
The line-by-line analysis reveals how carefully crafted language can convey profound philosophical ideas.
Students and readers continue to find meaning in this exploration of meaninglessness.
The speech challenges us to consider our own responses to life’s apparent absurdity.
Whether we agree with Macbeth’s conclusions or not, we must grapple with the questions he raises.
The enduring power of these lines proves that great literature transcends its historical moment.
Shakespeare’s insight into human psychology remains as relevant today as it was four centuries ago.
The speech reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we are not alone in our struggles with existence.
Key Takeaways
- The speech occurs at Macbeth’s lowest point, triggered by Lady Macbeth’s death
- Multiple metaphors (candle, shadow, actor, story) layer meanings about life’s emptiness
- The repetition of “tomorrow” creates a rhythm that mirrors despair
- Themes include meaninglessness, hostile time, and the illusion of importance
- The speech anticipates modern existentialist philosophy
- It remains educationally valuable for teaching literary analysis and philosophical thinking
- Modern applications include mental health awareness and popular culture references
