What does this quote from macbeth mean?

Question

"The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees

Is left this vault to brag of."

Does anyone know what this quote means? (act 3, scene 1)

thanx already

Answer 1

"Had I but died an hour before this chance,

I had liv'd a blessed time; for, from this instant,

There's nothing serious in mortality;

All is but toys; renown, and grace, is dead;

The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees

Is left this vault to brag of" (2.3.89-94).

Macbeth is talking about dying young.

"lees" according to dictionary.com is the sediment from fermentation of an alcoholic beverage.

His wine was poured or "drawn" too soon. He's saying has hasn't fermented very long, the small amount of "lees" or dregs is nothing to brag of.

Answer 2

i always took it as:

The older you get the less sweet life becomes.

Answer 3

Had I but died an hour before this chance,

I had lived a blessèd time, for from this instant

There's nothing serious in mortality.

All is but toys. Renown and grace is dead.

The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees

Is left this vault to brag of.

Meaning:

If I had only died an hour before this event I could say I had lived a blessed life. Because from this moment on, there is nothing worth living for. Everything is a sick joke. The graceful and renowned king is dead. The wine of life has been poured out, and only the dregs remain.

Answer 4

=O

i d k