The ‘Tomorrow’ soliloquy is one of the most famous in the Shakespearean cannon. The speech comes from act 5, scene 5, of Macbeth and although there is a further three scenes of the play, in many ways this speech marks the end or, at the very least, the beginning of the end for the eponymous hero.
Context of the Speech
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” is actually the third line of the soliloquy. It begins with Macbeth’s response to the news of his wife’s suicide, which is rather muted and almost indifferent. This is a far cry from the affectionate relationship that the pair shared at the beginning of the play.
Additionally, it is worth bearing in mind Macbeth’s mental state at this point in the play. It’s interesting to consider that his sanity begins to unravel even before the murder of Duncan, “A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” (II,i). By act 5 insomnia and increasing notions of paranoia have caused him to murder everyone whom he perceives as a threat to his throne.
The news that he is ‘invincible’ only placates him for a short time and, as the armies draw closer to Dunsinane, Macbeth displays denial, “I have almost forgot the taste of fears.”(V,v), which is indicative of his impending downfall. In fact, it could be argued that the ‘Tomorrow’ soliloquy is Macbeth’s first moment of lucidity since the regicide plot was concocted.
Content of the Soliloquy
As mentioned above, the speech takes place directly after Lady Macbeth’s plummet to her death. The soliloquy suggests that Macbeth is struck by a clear recognition of the fragility and ephemeral nature of human existence. In other words, it is his “All the world’s a stage” moment.
However, unlike Jacques’ epiphany in As You Like it, Macbeth’s speech is an extremely melancholy view of human mortality. His assertion that “Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more.” (V,v) suggests that he believes his efforts to become King have largely been in vain, because the temporary nature of existence will ensure that his memory dies with him.
He goes on to state that “It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” (V,v), which further emphasizes the notion that an individual’s life has no lasting meaning.
Poetic Form
The soliloquy is written in iambic pentameter, with lines one, three, seven and nine having a feminine ending (eleven beats instead of ten). It is probably no coincidence that Shakespeare chooses to use the same poetic technique in Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech. This provides an accentuation of Macbeth’s feeling of hopelessness and pointlessness.
A regular beat coupled with the repetition of the word ‘tomorrow’ gives a reader, or audience, a sense of the incessant march of time, which leads to the “last syllable” and, ultimately, death.
To learn more about this soliloquy in performance, view Sir Ian Mckellen’s interpretation in Sir Trevor Nunn’s production with the RSC (televised in 1979).
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