Question 1: Identify and explain one metaphor used in this extract.

Answer: The 'brief candle' metaphor signifies life's fleeting nature. It highlights the transient and fragile quality of human existence.

Question 2: What is the tone of Macbeth's speech, and how does it reflect his emotional state?

Answer: The tone is nihilistic and despairing, reflecting Macbeth's sense of life's futility and his own hopelessness.

Question 3: Identify the literary device used in 'Life's but a walking shadow'. What effect does it create?

Answer: It uses a metaphor to suggest that life is insubstantial and fleeting, creating a sense of illusion and meaninglessness.

Question 4: What does the phrase 'tale told by an idiot' suggest about Macbeth's view of life?

Answer: It suggests Macbeth views life as meaningless, chaotic, and without rational order, like a nonsensical story.

Question 5: How does this soliloquy reflect Macbeth’s character development from earlier in the play?

Answer: The soliloquy reveals Macbeth's deep despair and resignation, showing how he has become nihilistic and resigned to the futility of life, a stark contrast to his earlier ambition and confidence.

Question 6: Identify the volta (turning point) in this speech and explain its significance.

Answer: The volta occurs at 'Out, out, brief candle!', marking Macbeth's recognition of life's brevity and its inevitable end, deepening his despair.

Question 7: Describe the emotional tone of the final line, 'Signifying nothing.'

Answer: The tone is nihilistic and bleak, emphasising the meaningless and futility Macbeth perceives in life.

Question 8: Write a brief personal reflection: How does Macbeth's view of life in this soliloquy resonate with contemporary ideas about life's meaning?

Answer: Students should explore themes of existentialism and nihilism, reflecting on how feelings of despair and questioning life's purpose are universal, even today.

Question 9: Create a short creative response inspired by Macbeth's speech. Write a monologue that expresses a similar sense of despair about life's transient nature.

Answer: Students are expected to craft a monologue that uses poetic language, metaphors, and evocative imagery to convey feelings of hopelessness and reflection on mortality.