The Porter Scene

Most people think the porter scene is for comic relief. But that in fact is not true. In today’s society the Porter’s language seems normal and even comical but to the audience of this play, in the Elizabethan time, would think of this language as highly inappropriate and from the devil. Evidence of this is scattered throughout this scene. The first reason being that at this time the Divine Right of Kings was in place. To this mainly Christian audience the greatest crime of this time period is the assassination of the King. In their minds this is because this act of treason is equal to murdering God. Secondly the Porter scene makes reference to Christianity many times in an unsettling way to the people of this era. As the Porter stumbles to the gate he wonders who might be at the knocking and references the gates as the gates of Hell. The Porter also says “Who’s there, i’/ the name of Beelzebub?” (act 2, scene 3, lines 3-4) Beelzebub is another name for the devil. Macduff is meant to be depicted like Christ. Macduff was born not of a woman and Christ was born of a virgin. Macduff is foreshadowing the salvation to come in his knocking on the gates. Macduff also makes a sacrifice and leaves his family in order to save the kingdom; Christ makes the ultimate sacrifice and died to save his people. In conclusion, Macbeth’s castle is meant to seem like Hell this realization to the crowds of Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” would be an invasion of beliefs. Therefore this scene is not meant for comic relief.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7g3BDKYbLw