Not Just for Laughs: Remembering the Porter Essay -- essays research p

Macbeth is one of William Shakespeares most far-famed plays-a story of murder, betrayal, and uninhibited ambition. After proving himself in war, the titular character is rewarded by Duncan and given the title Thane of Cawdor. Unsatisfied with his new position, Macbeth (partially due to temptations from the witches and his wife) decides to assassinate pansy Duncan and claim the throne for himself.The hall porter scene in Macbeth occurs at the starting signal of Act 2, Scene 3, just after Macbeths offstage murder of Duncan. The porters beer is the keeper of the gateway at Inverness Castle, and he occupies the stage while Macbeth, who hears the whack at the end of the second scene, wishes that that the knocking could bring Duncan back to life story (II.ii.88-89). Though the ostiarius scene is only 40 lines, it is quite memorable and also one of the most debated scenes in Shakespeare. The Porter is a extra character he speaks in prose rather than verse. His scene is also far- famed because it is a dividing point in the play. After his scene, Macbeths thirst for power worsens, and his wife becomes more and more mentally unstable.The Porter imagines himself as keeper of the Gate to Hell. It is a suitable analogy, as he is the porter of a fort which holds a great, ambitious poisonous that will soon send a nation to war. He imagines himself admitting three men into his castle a farmer, an hedger (a Jesuit priest), and a turn out. The farmer hangs himself in the expectation of plenty, the equivocator equivocates, and the tailor cheats his customers by using generic hose instead of high-quality French hose. The Porter also remarks that the castle is too cold for Hell, perhaps implying Macbeths inherent evil and sinister lust for power.The scene also advances the themes of equivocation and deceptive appearances. each of the men mentioned by the Porter has both(prenominal)how equivocated, and the Porter later speaks of alcoholic beverage and sex with Lennox and Macduff. He tells the men that such things are catalysts for equivocation. Drink, the Porter theorizes, equivocates him in a sleep, and giving him the lie, leaves him, meaning that drink creates a false legerdemain of sexual pleasure in a dream (II.ii.34-35). His dialogue, while humorous, reinforces some of the broader themes of the play.There are numerous bookish ar... ...nces to Hell are Christian, the psyche of Macduff as a Christ-like figure is also Christian. Though I say the Nicene Creed every Sunday at church, the idea of Macduff go down into Hell never occurred to me. If anything, he simply seemed nothing more than Duncans truehearted servant. I never made the connection to the end of the play, when Macduff brings about Macbeths downfall. It is an expansion on Shakespeares use of Christianity in the play. Macduff found Malcolm and an army to defeat Macbeth at the court of Edward I, a man believed to have the power to cure plurality with the touch of his hands. The Church provided redemption for Scotland, and by associating Macduff with a Christ-like figure, this motif is continued.The Porter scene is not as simple as it appears. A close, scholarly analysis produces a scene that is more layered than originally thought. Scholars of former centuries ignored the scene because of its seemingly crude, prose style however, it becomes obvious that without the scene, Macbeth loses some of its thematic significance.Works CitedHarcourt, John B. 1961. I Pray You, Remember the Porter. Shakespeare Quarterly 12 393-402.