Question

Read the passage. MACBETH. … 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. What is the main idea of this famous speech from Act V of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare?

1. Macbeth is expressing concern about the upcoming battle.
2.Macbeth is gathering his strength for the battle that is to come.
3.Macbeth is realizing that all of his striving for power has been for nothing.
4.Macbeth is refusing to accept the idea of his wife’s death.

Answer 1

I would say 3. The passage speaks about how life is brief and that everything a person does is meaningless in the end. 

Answer 2

3. Macbeth is realizing that all of his striving for power has been for nothing.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given lines, Macbeth speaks about his thoughts related to life and death. He gets the news of the death of wife after which he spoke these lines. He wonders what life is all about. He explains his view that life is not more than an illusion. It is a story which an idiot tells and which has no meaning behind it. He also highlights that power now means nothing as it would not be felt throughout life.