Macbeth- Soliloquy Analysis The opposition of light and darkness as symbols of life and death is the foundation on which much of Shakesphere's Macbeth is built. In Act V, Scene V of Macbeth, strong words convey all these thoughts to the reader. The tone of Macbeth's speech is set immediately after the news of Lady Macbeth's death. Having lost his queen and seen his hopes turn to ashes, the bitter Macbeth now comments on life with caustic words. “Tomorrow creeps into this mean rhythm.” The basic feeling of this brings a negative connotation to tomorrow. Continue to advance slowly and stealthily, as if to attack. What exactly does this mean beat refer to? It is the progression of life, as Macbeth now sees it. These negative and dark images continue to grow because tomorrow is relentless. “[T]ommorow creeps in… Down to the last syllable of recorded time.” With these bleak observations Macbeth presents his hopeless prospect. He feels that the only way to end the pain of life is through death. “And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death.” What can be deduced from this is that, from our earliest memories, we are constantly guided from yesterday until our death. If light is life, then light simply brings us to death. When these lines are read together, the reader can see the desperation and agony that Macbeth is now suffering. The past pushes him forward and the future creeps up on him. He has nowhere in time or space to escape. Death is the only place left to go. "Out, out the short candle!" Lady Macbeth's candle has gone out and soon so has her will. Although he speaks here of life as light (the flame of a candle), for him light is not desirable. He wants to turn it off. Macbeth has reached a point in his life where he is trapped by his destiny. The consequences of his actions have caught up with him. This may very well be why he has such a sad outlook on life. Life is associated with light, but Macbeth is in a state where he sees no meaning in having lived. "Life is but a walking shadow." Here Macbeth is saying that life is dark and sad and that the light of life only serves to cast a dark shadow. .