This comment was posted to reddit on Nov 19, 2020 at 10:31 pm and was deleted within 11 hour(s) and 49 minutes.
Macbeth’s “tomorrow and tomorrow” speech.
Say It Out Loud: Since Shakespeare's plays were meant to be heard by an audience (rather than read), it can help to start an analysis by breaking down the sounds within the texts. It helps get to the heart of what Shakespeare would have wanted his audience to take in. What sounds are repeated throughout the text, and where in your body do you feel those sounds resonate? Historically, the actors performing these plays were performing to very large crowds in very large spaces, so they had make the sounds just as large to match - don't be afraid to make big sounds as you explore the text aloud, it'll help identify patterns and key areas. Try and record it and play it back so you can hear it.
Feminine Lines: Iambic pentameter allows for five "pairs" of syllables, but a feminine line has those five pairs plus an additional syllable. Feminine lines typically indicate to the audience that something is...not right with our character, or the situation is otherwise "off". There are a few feminine lines in this soliloquy, especially towards the end. The "poor player" line is feminine. Identifying those feminine lines can help you identify where the character's thoughts are when he's "not right" of "off".
Visualize the Imagery: There's a LOT of imagery in this passage. Read the passage line by line and then close your eyes and really imagine those images. Be specific with what you're imagining. What do those images make you feel? If you want to go further - find parallels between the imagery used and similar imagery in other media (TV, film, song, etc.) Compare and contrast the imagery between mediums.
Look Up The Words: No, really, like...all of them. Even the words you know. It'll help SO much! Some of the words used in this passage don't carry the same meaning today that they did when this play was written. Make sure you understand the context in which the words are being used. Additionally it'll help lend a more thorough understand to the word chosen, and allow your imagination to fill in that imagery even more. The words were specific, so investigating why THOSE words were chosen will go a long way. This is a quick and dirty tool that'll help: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.03.0079
Read the Lines Carefully: This is a very small note, but worth mentioning only because it seems you were asked about specific details in the text. Since you're being asked to specifically look at the imagery of the "poor player", it's worth noting that Macbeth isn't referring to himself as the "poor player". The line reads,
"LIFE's but a walking shadow, a poor player"