Macbeth’s Nihilism

“‘It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.’ This is one of the most eloquent nihilistic speeches of all time. Macbeth no longer has anything to live for; time itself is empty, void of hope or regret, merely an objective succession of moments. Macbeth experiences the narrative of human life as a cruel and unintelligible anti-providence, a ‘tale told by an idiot.’ Nihilism is not, however, the final word of the play; given Macbeth’s multiple defeats, we have reason to associate his nihilism, not with the nature of things, but with the consequences of his traitorous and murderous acts.” [Thomas Hibbs, Shows About Nothing, (Dallas, Tx: Spence Publishing Company, 1999), p. 106.]