LIFE’S BRIEF CANDLE

Sawaran Jit Kaur Kolej TDTHB Miri 5.9.08

LIFE’S BRIEF CANDLE


WHO IS SHAKESPEARE?


What you need to know:

• Background information on Shakespeare.

• The story of Macbeth and the three witches.

Who?When?

Why?

What?

Sypnosis


Setting

• Macbeth ‘s Castle

• 16 th century

• Scotland

• Age of military valour


SYNOPSISMacbeth received

news of his wife’s death.

Makes him reflect on life-

short

No time to mourn her

death-has many problems

Looks at life as being

meaningless

People who worry too much or do not think

of death are fools



Interpretation

• First 3 lines: Time creeps in a dull routine until life ends. ‘Tomorrow’ is personified as a person who walks very slowly.


Line 4 and 5

• Our past shows that people have been fools because they forgot that death awaited them at the end of life.

• When we die, we become dust.


Line 6 and 7

• Life is compared to a shadow. It is empty. Life is also compared to a poor actor who is forgotten the moment he gets down the stage.


Line 8 and 9

• Life is a story related by a fool who makes a lot of noise, but in actual fact, it is about nothing.

• Life is meaningless.


LITERAL MEANING

• Macbeth received news of his wife death.

Unhappy, in despair

Depressed, disillusioned

No time to be sad.

Realised life is short

Become dust and are quickly forgotten when we die

Literal meaning


FIGURATIVE MEANING

Expresses Macbeth’s feelings about life – like a candle, shines before burning itself out

Life’s like a shadow – has no substance – lights comes out – shadow disappears

Like an actor –worries about acting but forgotten once off stage

Like a story told by an idiot – means nothing


Told from King Macbeth’s point of view.

Tells how he feels about lifeBitter – life is short and meaninglessMany problemsLife is not worth livingPessimistic point of view

PERSONA


THEME

LIFE IS SHORT AND CAN END ANYTIME

• LIFE IS MEANINGLESS

AND UNCERTAIN


MORAL VALUES

• LIFE CAN BE MEANINGFUL• LIFE IS WHAT WE MAKE OUT OF ITMake the most of lifeHave a purposeDo good to othersLife will be more meaningfulIf we do wrong, we will not have any

peace of mind.


Language and style

• Metaphor

• Figurative language

• Personification

• Repetition

• Alliteration

• Symbolism


A tragic play - Macbeth

• ACT 5 SCENE 5

• A SOLILOQUY

For more details, gothrough slides

in the given folder for your PBL project.

www.literature.com.myRead for extra details

For extra exercises:

Practice B

Practice C X-Words

Practice A

http://www.literature.com.my/

Documents

LIFE’S BRIEF CANDLE