Macbeth's Reaction to Lady Macbeth's Death

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!Life's but a walking shadow, a poor playerThat struts and frets his hour upon the stageAnd then is heard no more. It is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and furySignifying nothing."  (5.5.17-27)


Macbeth's reaction or words that he shares with news being brought fourth of Lady Macbeth's death are despondent but also heartless. "There should have been a time for such word," indicates that Macbeth is too busy with his own matters to even mourn or take on the full actuality of his wife being dead. He has descended so far into evil that he barely feels any emotions at all, especially in this hectic time of battle approaching, Macbeth is more concerned about himself. Macbeth, early in the play, derived tremendous inspiration from and was heavily influenced by his wife, Lady Macbeth. I feel that a part of him is saddened when he says, "creeps in his petty pace from day to day," meaning although he has lost everything, he is also not bothered.