Final answer:
The theme of guilt and the ephemerality of life are addressed through Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' and the vanitas theme in art, both underscoring the fleeting nature of life's pleasures and the inexorable progression towards death.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theme of guilt and the transient nature of life are recurring subjects in literature and art. For example, in Shakespeare's Macbeth, the protagonist grapples with guilt and the loss of meaning after the tragic events saying, 'There's nothing serious in mortality: All is but toys: renown and grace is dead; The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees Is left this vault to brag of.' This expression reflects Macbeth's profound sense of guilt and his realization that life's glories are fleeting. Similarly, the vanitas theme common in still life painting, emphasizes life's impermanence through symbolic items like skulls or wilted flowers to convey moral messages about the futility of earthly pursuits in the face of inevitable death.
Additionally, the vanitas concept is further explored through various texts that illustrate life's briefness and the certainty of death, such as the lines 'The grave's a fine and private place, But none, I think, do there embrace.' and 'Alike for those who TO-DAY prepare And those that after some TO-MORROW stare.' These lines suggest that no matter what one does, death is the ultimate equalizer, and thus one should focus on what truly matters during our temporal existence.