1. THE PORTER AND PORTENTS Act II, Scenes 3-4

2. THE PORTER Essentially he’s the doorman. Essentially he’s the doorman. Drunk Drunk Imagining what it would be like to be porter in Hell Imagining what it would be like to be porter in Hell

3. PURPOSE Comic relief Comic relief Shakespeare broke with tradition by always mixing elements of comedy in his tragedies and vice versa Shakespeare broke with tradition by always mixing elements of comedy in his tragedies and vice versa Provides a break from the tension of the previous scene Provides a break from the tension of the previous scene Jokes about the effect of alcohol on a man’s performance Jokes about the effect of alcohol on a man’s performance Shakespeare was always one for the dirty jokes Shakespeare was always one for the dirty jokes Appealed to the groundlings Appealed to the groundlings

4. EQUIVOCATOR??? Someone who speaks ambiguously/doesn’t tell the whole truth Someone who speaks ambiguously/doesn’t tell the whole truth Why does the porter include the equivocator as one of the souls he encounters in Hell? Why does the porter include the equivocator as one of the souls he encounters in Hell? Remember, remember the 5 th of November… Remember, remember the 5 th of November… A master of details, Shakespeare wove direct references to the Gunpowder plot right into Macbeth. To commemorate the discovery of the heinous scheme, King James had a medal created picturing a snake hiding amongst flowers. Lo and behold, we find a nod to the medal right in the play when Lady Macbeth tells her husband to look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it. Even more significant is an obvious allusion to a Jesuit priest named Father Henry Garnet, who had concealed his knowledge of the conspiracy. When Father Garnet finally confessed, he insisted “ A master of details, Shakespeare wove direct references to the Gunpowder plot right into Macbeth. To commemorate the discovery of the heinous scheme, King James had a medal created picturing a snake hiding amongst flowers. Lo and behold, we find a nod to the medal right in the play when Lady Macbeth tells her husband to look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it. Even more significant is an obvious allusion to a Jesuit priest named Father Henry Garnet, who had concealed his knowledge of the conspiracy. When Father Garnet finally confessed, he insisted that his previous perjury was not really perjury because he lied for God’s sake. For this bit of spin doctoring he became known as the great “equivocator” and was promptly hanged. Sure enough, in Act 2, when Macbeth’s Porter wonders what kind of people would enter the gates of hell, he declares: “Faith, here’s an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator” (3.2.9-12).

5. IRONY! The porter jokes about being the doorman to Hell The porter jokes about being the doorman to Hell The Macbeths have murdered Duncan, unbeknownst to all but the audience, which turns Macbeth’s castle into a hellish place. The Macbeths have murdered Duncan, unbeknownst to all but the audience, which turns Macbeth’s castle into a hellish place.

6. PORTENTS A sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen. Supernatural influence on the “real” world Pathetic fallacy: a literary device that attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature. The word “pathetic” in the term is not used in the derogatory sense of being miserable; rather, here, it stands for “imparting emotions to something else.”

7. NATURAL V. UNNATURAL The supernatural portents (omens) announce to the natural world that the king has suffered an unnatural death The supernatural portents (omens) announce to the natural world that the king has suffered an unnatural death Why would the death of the king trigger such a response in the natural world? Why would the death of the king trigger such a response in the natural world?

8. PARTNER UP Work with a partner to discover all 6 portents of Duncan’s murder (Act 2, scenes 3-4) Work with a partner to discover all 6 portents of Duncan’s murder (Act 2, scenes 3-4) Quote the line(s) describing the portent Quote the line(s) describing the portent Cite the location by Act, Scene, and line number(s) Cite the location by Act, Scene, and line number(s) (2.3.200) (4.6.12-17) (2.3.200) (4.6.12-17) Paraphrase the quote into modern English Paraphrase the quote into modern English Answer the following questions: Answer the following questions: Why are these portents happening? Why are these portents happening? What mood do they create in the play? What mood do they create in the play? How does this set the tone for the rest of the play? How does this set the tone for the rest of the play? How do these portents relate to the earlier paradox “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”? How do these portents relate to the earlier paradox “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”? Turn this in to the basket by the door before you leave Turn this in to the basket by the door before you leave