Significance of the Porter scene in Macbeth.pdf

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SignificanceofthePorterscenein
Macbeth
InMacbeth,theactIIsceneiiiisfamouslyknownastheportersceneanditisstrategically
placedbetweenthemurderofkingDuncananditsdiscovery.Theporterscenestartswith
themomentoflightcomedythatincreasestheintensityandservestoheightenthethrilling
suspenseofthetragedy.Therearealotofdebatesaboutthissceneanditssignificance.
WhetherShakespearewrotethissceneornotisdebatable.
Intheplay,aftercommittingthemurderofthekingbyMacbeth,atthenextscenethe
Porterappearsintheplay,makingsomekindofcomedyinthemindsofaudiencesthat
takesanimportantpartforthedevelopmentoftheplay.Attheinitialpartofthescene,the
drunkenPortercomestothecastleofMacbethandhecomplainsthathisjobisworsethan
thePorterofhell.Andheengagesinapieceofstandupcomedywiththeaudienceinwhich
heimagineshimselfthebeleagueredservantofhell,openingandclosingthedamnedgate
ofthehell.HeimaginesthreeSinnershavearrivedinthegateonebyoneandheopens
thedoor.Healsogivesthedescriptionoftheirsins.Thefirsttwoexamplesheusesofthe
FarmerandtheEquivocatorhavespecificreligiousandhistoricalconnotations.Thefirst
sinneristhefarmer.AfewmonthsbeforeMacbethwasplayedbeforetheEnglishking
JamesI,theinfamousGunpowderplot(aimofwhichwastomurdertheking)tookplace.
TheconspiratorsincludingGuyFawkeshavebeenencouragedbyacatholicconvertcalled
JohnGarnettwhosenicknameistheFarmer.AndtheEquivocatorhaspracticedlyingin
thecourtaboutone'sreligionbyemployingambiguouslanguagethatisknownasthe
equivocation.AndthethirdsinnesisatrailerwhohasstolenaFrenchhose.Afterallofthis
thePorterhasstartedtofeelthatthehotplacelikehellisturningtocoldandattheendafter
someconversationwithMacduffthePorterleavesthestage.Someofthecriticssaythe
Portersceneisirrelevant.Ontheotherhand,somecriticsdebatethatithasacrucial
functionintheplay.
TheprimaryfunctionofthePortersceneisthecomicrelief.Shakespearefollowstheoutline
ofGreektragedyalthoughShakespeareantragedyhassomekindofnewlikethecomic
relief.Comicreliefisapartoftheplayinwhichsomespecialcharactersplayalittlebitof
comedyonthestageanditiswiselyplacedbetweentwohorriblescenes.Intheplay,the
murderofKingDuncananditsdiscoveryaretwohorriblescenesandthePortersceneis
setbetweenthesescenestomakesomebreathingspacefortheaudience.Ontheother
hand,itincreasestheintensityandthrillingsuspenseinthemindoftheaudience.
AnotherimportantsignificanceofthePortersceneisitcreatestheatmosphereofhellat
Inverness.ThePortertellstheFarmerwhenhecomes-
"Comeintime-havenapkinsenoughaboutyou,hereyou'llsweatfor't"
ThroughtheobservationofPorter,herepresentsthatInvernessistoohotlikehell.Anditis
asignthatInvernessaswellasScotlandisturnedintohellisgiventhroughtheporter
scene.Moreover,thisscenealsorepresentsMacbeth'sfate.TheSinsofthosesinners

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whomthedrunkenPorterimaginesarethereflectionofMacbeth'scrime.Thefirstsinner
hastriedtokilltheEnglishkingJamesIandsimilarlyMacbethhasalreadykilledtheking
howeveritisnotrevealedyet.
Macbeth:"Ihavedonethedeed"
Inthesameway,likewisetheEquivocator,Macbethequivocateswiththeking.Infrontof
KingDuncanheshowshisloyaltyandthankfulnesstotheking.Ontheotherside,healso
showshisevilthoughts,sohisbehaviorisconsideredasanequivocation.Andhis
equivocationisnoticedinhiswords-
Macbeth:"Falsefacemusthidewhatfalseheartdothknow"
Identically,liketheEnglishtrailerMacbethaccusesthesonsofKingDuncanasthe
murderersandstealsthethroneofScotlandfromthem.Theporterscenehasanimportant
roletodramatizetheplaysuchastheporterscenemakessomefreespaceforthe
audiencetotakerelief.Similarly,throughthespacetheprotagonistscharacterssuchas
MacbethandLadyMacbethgetsomespaceforrestandwearthe"nightgown".
Meanwhile,Macbethclearshisbloodyhand.
"Alittlewaterclearsusofthisdeed"
Sowithoutthespace,therewillbesomekindofchaosintheaudiencewhichdisruptsthe
intensityandsuspenseofthemurder.Thisscenereflectsthethemesoftheplay.Inthis
scene,theimaginationofthedrunkenPorterdealswiththethemesofmurder,conspiracy,
equivocation,sin,punishment.Similarly,wefindthethemeofmurderandconspiracyof
Macbethintheplay.Duetothis,Macbethcommitsthesinsandattheendhegets
punishment.TheequivocationisobservedinMacbeth'scharacterandalsointhewordsof
thewitches.Soitwillbejustifiedtosaythattheporterscenedealswithallkindsofthemes
whicharespreadoutintheentireplay.Dramaticironyisanessentialthingofatragedy.
Thisscenecreatestheirony.WehavenoticedtheironyintheentirePorters
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cene.
Unknowingly,thedrunkenPortergivesustheimageofconspiracyagainstthekingand
murderofthekingthroughhisimagination,meanwhileMacbethhasalreadycommittedthe
murderofKingDuncanwhichisanirony.
Somecriticssayatthattime,therewereallkindsofpeopleintheaudience(lowertohigher
class)comingtothetheatertoenjoytheplays.Sotheauthoritiesoftheaterinterpolated
theporterscenetoentertainthoseilliterateandlowerclass'speoplebytheconfusingand
ambiguouslanguageofthedrunkenPorter.AndsomesaythePorterisnotanykindof
comedyinspiteofthefactthatitisatragicmomentduetoitbeingacomparisonof
Macbeth'sfateandasignoftheconsequencesofMacbeth.So,attheendpartoftheporter
scenewhenheleavesthestagehesays-
"Anonanon.Iprayyou,remembertheporter"
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Throughthesewords,theporterleavesanimpactontheaudience.Hiswordsarevery
muchrelevantandhetellsustorememberallthingsofthesceneanditssignificance.As
wellas,throughhisfarewellwordshetellsustobepreparedforthenextscene.
AnywaytheporteralsoprovidessomecontinuityofsubjectmatterbylikeningMacbeth’s
castletohell,varyingthetopicalreferencesandvulgardescriptionsofdrunkennessandits
effectswithmorefantastical,supernaturalmaterial.