Boccioni and Shakespeare on the Significance of Time

Umberto Boccioni’s “Dynamism of a Cyclist” is an oil painting that brings together Boccioni’s study of dynamic movement. The vivid and spirited painting abstractly depicts a cyclist in motion. Boccioni uses different colors and textures to portray the movement of a person paired with the technology of a bicycle. In this painting, Boccioni captures the essence of a bicyclist as if time is paused. Similarly, Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores the complex notion of time.

In Macbeth, the idea of time is explored as Macbeth kills King Duncan in order to take his place. In the play, time seems to stop when Macbeth kills Duncan. From the time that King Duncan is killed and onwards, time seems to come to a halt as the whole future of Scotland is no longer set in stone. After Macbeth kills Duncan, the entire system of the country is disrupted and everyone in Scotland is unsure of what the future holds. Because of this, the events of the play seem to be happening in a different, alternate time. The notion of time is forgotten as the people of Scotland lose direction and meaning in life because of the death of their ruler. The idea of time in Macbeth is closely studied in the “Tomorrow” monologue. Through this speech, Macbeth talks about the significance of time, and the importance of the order of events. He talks about how the timing of the death of his wife was inconvenient, and how he wishes it could have occurred at a different time. The significance of time and the order of events is emphasized in Macbeth. Specifically, the order of the lineage of rulers, the timing and order of death and other significant events, and how certain events can make time lose meaning.

Boccioni’s “Dynamism of a Cyclist” and Shakespeare’s Macbeth both explore the idea of time. In both works, the idea of time stopping is illustrated. In “Dynamism of a Cyclist”, time pauses for a mere moment, and Boccioni captures the movement and energy of this moment in his painting. In Macbeth, the idea of time is altered and almost forgotten when the king is killed, because the meaning of life is diminished. Boccioni’s “Dynamism of a Cyclist” and Shakespeare’s Macbeth both explore the complex notion of time.