Act 2 Scene 3


Scene Summary 


The Porter grumbles as he opens the gate, providing a moment of comic relief for the audience.


 Macduff discovers Duncan has been murdered. 


Macbeth goes to the chamber and kills the chamberlains. He tells the other thanes that this was done in furious vengeance for the murder of Duncan.


 Lady Macbeth faints which shifts the attention away from Macbeth.  Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, decide to flee Scotland in fear for their lives.


The same. Knocking within. Enter a Porter


PORTER Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key.1


[Knocking within.]


Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub?2


expectation of plenty:3


Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the come in time; have napkins enough4


about you; here you'll sweat for't. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who’s there, in the other devil's name?5


Faith, here's


an equivocator,6 that could swear in both the scales against 10 either scale;7 who committed treason8


come in, tailor; here you may roast your


to the everlasting anon! I pray you,


enough for God's sake,


yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose:9


goose. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock; never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil- porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way10 20 bonfire.11 [Knocking within.] Anon,12 remember13 the porter. [Opens the gate.] [Enter MACDUFF and LENNOX]


MACDUFF Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed, That you do lie so late?


PORTER 'Faith sir, we were carousing till the second cock:14 drink, sir, is a great provoker15 of three things.


44 and 14


carousing…second cock: drinking till 3 a.m.


15 provoker: encourager


1


have old turning the key: plenty of practice turning the key


2 Beezlebub: Prince of the devils 3


4


expectation of plenty: expecting a good harvest that didn’t arrive


have napkins enough: have plenty of handkerchiefs (because it’s hot in hell)


5 other devil: possibly Satan 6


7


equivocator: One who speaks ambiguously in order to mislead or avoid the full truth.


8 9


could swear…either scale: whose answers are so ambiguous he could argue both sides of an argument treason: betrayal of King or country


stealing out of / a French hose: not giving as much cloth as the customer paid for


10 primrose way: attractive path 11 everlasting bonfire: eternal hell 12 Anon: Right away/I’m coming now 13 remember: tip


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