Macbeth Porter's Scene Essay
The Significance of the Porter’s Scene Over the years people have found many ways to express themselves. The time period Shakespeare is living in is one with controversy and debates especially over the subjects of religion and politics. Shakespeare like most other artists, uses his pieces as vessels for his thoughts and opinions. In the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, The Porter’s scene is a vital part of the story and includes important religious and political metaphors, and references to the real world. Shakespeare uses the scene of the Porter to dramatize the fall of Macbeth and his household by comparing it to hell. When describing the house of Macbeth, it is written, “This place is too cold for hell” (2. 3. 14-15). The
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As the Porter is welcoming a man, he explains what his business is in being at the entrance of supposedly hell by saying, “Here’s a farmer, that hanged himself on th’ expectation of plenty” (2. 3. 4-5). The seventeenth century is a time of harsh criticism of the Catholic church that Shakespeare is happy to take part in due to the fact that he is from England which is under the control of a constitutional monarchy. This means that the power is distributed between the Parliament and the Monarchy, both being quite secular. Shakespeare addresses two very controversial topics: suicide and indulgences. The act of committing suicide itself during that time is considered a sin and he is mocking the farmer for thinking that his money he has put into indulgences can save him from the fiery pit. He then moves on to another man, “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” (2. 3. 6-7). Equivocators are another name for Jesuits, a group of people who traveled around trying to spread Catholicism by preaching. Shakespeare is once again mocking these people for using their mouths to blaspheme their way through society, but it could not save their souls either. Through the text, Shakespeare is showing his great dislike for Catholic
As the Porter is welcoming a man, he explains what his business is in being at the entrance of supposedly hell by saying, “Here’s a farmer, that hanged himself on th’ expectation of plenty” (2. 3. 4-5). The seventeenth century is a time of harsh criticism of the Catholic church that Shakespeare is happy to take part in due to the fact that he is from England which is under the control of a constitutional monarchy. This means that the power is distributed between the Parliament and the Monarchy, both being quite secular. Shakespeare addresses two very controversial topics: suicide and indulgences. The act of committing suicide itself during that time is considered a sin and he is mocking the farmer for thinking that his money he has put into indulgences can save him from the fiery pit. He then moves on to another man, “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” (2. 3. 6-7). Equivocators are another name for Jesuits, a group of people who traveled around trying to spread Catholicism by preaching. Shakespeare is once again mocking these people for using their mouths to blaspheme their way through society, but it could not save their souls either. Through the text, Shakespeare is showing his great dislike for Catholic