LIFE'S BRIEF CANDLE

By William Shakespeare
 The Poet :
William Shakespeare
l He was born on 23 April
1564 in Stratford-upon-
Avon, England.
l He wrote a total of 37 plays
and 154 poems.
l The most famous theatre
owned by Shakespeare
was THE GLOBE.
l William Shakespeare is
considered England’s
greatest poet and
playwright.
Shakespeare’s
LIFE’S BRIEF CANDLE
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 of 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.
 SYNOPSIS


l The poem 'Life's Brief Candle' is an

extract taken from William
Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act 5
Scene 5.
l This is a soliloquy by Macbeth, King of
Scotland.
l Macbeth is getting ready for a battle
when he is informed that his wife,
Lady Macbeth has passed away.
l He feels deeply sad because his wife
has been his partner in greatness in
his quest for kingship.
l

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 POINT OF VIEW


l It may seem to be a pessimistic point of view,

but it challenges us to look more closely at
the real meaning of life.

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THEMES
lLife is compared to a
candle
lLife has no meaning
lLife is full of pain
and sorrow
lLife is a story

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MORAL VALUES
l Lifemust be lived to the fullest or
one would regret later.
l We should take time to mourn
and remember our loved ones
who had died.
l We should try to find some
meanings in life.
l Time is precious and should not
seen as dull routine.

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3 SET QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS NO.1
l What is the tone of the poem?
A.Hopelessness and expectation
B.Bitterness and disillusionment
C.Regret and anger
D.Anger and fury
QUSESTION NO. 2
l The phrase ‘signifying nothing’ (line 10)
means that
A.Life is empty
B.Life is uneventful
C.Life is too difficult
D.Life is meaningless
QUESTION NO. 3
l Which of the following statements is true
about the poem?
A.Life is mean a great deal.
B.Everything ends in death
C.Everything ends too soon
D.Nothing is important in life
ONLINE LEARNING
The poet, William_Shakespeare
The play, Macbeth

Notes & Activities

The Complete Works Of Shakespeare

Life Brief Candle on YouTube