macbeth quote (clarification needed)

[lomocam]

uh oh.

i've been cracking my head open over this one, and i thought this was the best place to find an answer.

i was wondering what theme this quote illustrates, and what important literary devices are used. i could come up with: the theme is appearance vs. reality (someone please correct me on this ..) and the literary devices are repetition ("tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow"), metaphor/imagery (??) and foreshadowing ("the way to dusty death"). but i'm not sure if any of this is entirely correct.

can anyone help me out on this one? thanks muchly guys!

"She should have died hereafter;
there would have been time for such a word.
tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
creeps in this petty pace from day to day
to the last syllable of recorded time;
and all our yesterdarys are 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.

(ACT V, SC V, 16-27)

[Sarka]

Oi.
The theme could be appearance vs. reality, though I would say it is more likely fate–Fate is crazy everywhere in the play, right, and now it's all like "our end is inevitable" kind of thing. So the themes could be Fate or Life/Death. That's what I think anywayz. Your literary devices are right for sure though.
Good Luck,
§The Temporarily Misplaced Lenore§

[John Bushdies]

The theme is simple and well known to Americans - Life sucks and then you die.

[Gwenhwyfar2828]

well, his wife had just died, what the guy can't be just a little bleak??

[ladymacbeth8088]

dramasnot6 can help u. ds6 LOVES that quote.

[hitokaji]

This is the most famous soliloquy in Macbeth.

Although Macbeth always regret for the crimes he had done, he knew well that he can't bring back the time. He comes too far to turn back. So when his beloved wife and his only one conspirator died, Macbeth begins to look at life and death as an "objective". Life is a stupid, useless and meaningless thing.