Act 4 - Dreams and Revels
MACBETH
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And 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.
Take a look at each of the attached selections
from three of Shakespeare’s plays.
What does each of these soliloquies have in
common? What is the thematic link between all
three?
THE TEMPEST
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
In what ways is Shakespeare using each of these
soliloquies to “kill two birds with one stone?
What two distinct subjects is he talking about in
each speech?
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
Why do you think Shakespeare chose to end
many of his plays with the idea of dreams and
visions?
The Tempest was Shakespeare’s last play and
his farewell to his craft. How does this
knowledge affect your understanding of the
Tempest soliloquy?
Act V
1. Why does Prospero show mercy
to his foes?
2. What will he do to show he has
rejected his “rough magic”?
3. What services does Ariel perform
for his master in this act? How
will Ariel be rewarded?
4. How does Miranda’s view of the
courtiers differ from her father’s?
5. In what ways has Caliban
changed?
6. Compare and contrast Prospero
with Ariel.
7. What quality does Miranda
reveal when she exclaims, “O
brave new world….”? How do
you think Shakespeare wants us
to view her remark? Explain.
8. What do you think Antonio’s
silence indicates about his state
of mind?
9. What does Prospero mean when
he says in the epilogue, “Now
my charms are all
o’erthrown,/And what strength I
have’s mind own,/Which is most
faint”? How does his request for
“Mercy” relate to his own
behaviour toward Antonio and
Sebastian?