Reading comprehension worksheet based on Shakespeare's *Macbeth*, focusing on Act V, Scene 5, with a portrait of William Shakespeare and a passage from the play.

Here are the answers to the questions on the worksheet based on Macbeth's speech.

1. What is the main theme of Macbeth’s speech?
The main theme is the meaninglessness and brevity of life. Macbeth feels that life passes very quickly ("tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow") and ultimately amounts to nothing. He compares life to a bad story told by a fool that makes noise but has no real meaning or importance.

2. Shakespeare uses several metaphors in this speech. Identify one and explain it.
* Metaphor: "Life's but a walking shadow"
* Explanation: A shadow is not a solid, real object; it is just a dark shape that disappears when the light changes. By calling life a "walking shadow," Macbeth is saying that human life is insubstantial, fake, and temporary. It doesn't have any real weight or permanence.

*(Alternative Option)*
* Metaphor: "Out, out, brief candle!"
* Explanation: Macbeth compares life to a candle flame. Just like a candle burns for a short time and can be blown out easily, human life is short ("brief") and fragile.

3. Explain the contradiction, “full of sound and fury / Signifying nothing.”
This phrase describes a situation where there is a lot of loud noise, action, and anger ("sound and fury"), but underneath all that chaos, there is absolutely no meaning or purpose ("signifying nothing"). It highlights the irony that humans make such a big fuss and struggle so hard during their lives, but in the end, it all adds up to zero. It emphasizes how empty and pointless Macbeth believes existence is.