What does the Porter say about drinking in Macbeth?

The Porter jests, “drink sir, is a great provoker of three things … nose-painting, sleep, and urine” (2.3. The Porter also mentions that alcohol is an “equivocator” of lechery as it “provokes the desire but takes away the performance,” a reference to impotency (2.3. 28).

What does the Porter say about drinking?

In act 2, scene 3, the porter says that drink is an equivocator because “it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.” In other words, when one has had a bit too much to drink, the alcohol can increase one’s sexual desire but at the same time decrease one’s ability to perform sexually.

What four things does the Porter say drinking provokes?

According to the Porter, drink provokes three things: a red nose (“nose-painting”), sleep, and urine (line 29). It provokes sexual desire, but takes away the ability to act on it: “Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes. It pro- / vokes the desire, but it takes away the perfor- / mance” (lines 30–32).

What is the purpose of Porter’s speech in Act 2?

The Porter’s speech serves several different purposes. One is that is provides comic relief, it makes the audience laugh and keep laughing. But there has been a sustained knocking at the gate for a long time. It began in Scene 2 and is continuing into Scene 3.

What is the purpose of the drunken porter scene in Macbeth?

What is the purpose of the Porter’s comic interlude, though? A practical reason has been proposed: the actor playing Macbeth spoke of the ‘blood’ on his hands in the previous scene with Lady Macbeth, so he would need to go and clean his hands and get changed out of his bloody costume before coming back on stage.

Why did Macbeth say he killed the guards?

When the lords go to arrest Duncan’s guards, they discover that Macbeth has killed them. He says it’s because he was so angry with them for murdering Duncan, but it looks really suspicious. Duncan’s sons are scared that they might be next on the hit list, so they run away.

What is the great equivocator according to the Porter?

RALPH: According to the porter, the equivocator could “swear one scale against another”; that is, he could answer both “yes” and “no” to the same question while under oath.

What does Macbeth do upon discovering Duncan’s dead body Why?

Who discovered King Duncan’s body? Macduff because he had an appointment to meet with King Duncan but, ended up finding the King’s dead body instead. Macbeth kills them before Macduff can question them.

What are the 3 things that the Porter says that drinking causes?

Act 2, scenes 3-4 Quiz

• of 5. What does the porter say that drinking causes? Heart disease, liver disease, and kidney problems.
• of 5. Who kills the servants who look guilty of the murder? Macduff and Lennox.
• of 5. How does Lady Macbeth publicly react to the news of the murder? She begins to wail uncontrollably.
• of 5.

How is the Porter’s speech ironic?

If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. There’s a degree of dramatic irony in the Porter’s words: unbeknown to him, thanks to the actions of the Macbeths the Porter is at the gates of ‘Hell’, in a way, because of the evil deed that has taken place at the castle.

What is the purpose of Porter’s speech in Macbeth?

Primarily, the Porter functions as comic relief, lessening the tension in the audience after the murder of King Duncan. The Porter also serves a thematic function, indicating that the gates to Macbeth’s home are synonymous with the gates of hell.

What comes before the Porter scene in Macbeth?

The porter scene is preceded by arguably the darkest scene of the entire play, that of the murder of King Duncan. (Image: Henry Fuseli/Public domain) What immediately precedes the porter scene?

What is the irony in Porter’s speech in Macbeth?

The castle of Macbeth is alike hell and villainy of Macbeth has invested it to its utmost notoriety. Thus the irony in Porter’s speech can well be read. The porter next fancies that three men, a farmer, a Jesuit equivocator and an English tailor knock for admission.

Why is the Porter scene in Hamlet so comic?

Some film and theatre producers have made the Porter scene comic in terms of his actions and speech. They have interpreted this scene as a relief from the high drama of the murder. Certainly some of the porter’s comments would have made the Jacobean audience laugh.

How are we kept in suspense in Macbeth?

We, however, are kept in suspense. When we examine the words more carefully, the Porter gives a contemporary and universal significance to Macbeth’s crimes. He pretends to be the porter of hell, admitting imaginary sinners. This links back to Act I, Scene 7 – when Macbeth was concerned about his eternal destiny.