Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, / To the last syllable of recorded time;
Macbeth speaks these lines on hearing that Lady Macbeth is dead, in the last act of the play. The speech goes on to call life “a walking shadow” and “a tale told by an idiot”.
All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;
Cowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once.
Doubt thou the stars are fire; / Doubt that the sun doth move; / Doubt truth to be a liar; / But never doubt I love.
Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me –
Break, break, break, / On thy cold gray stones, O Sea! / And I would that my tongue could utter / The thoughts that arise in me.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, / Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;