in Macbeth — Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev.
Metadata
Play
Macbeth
Author
Shakespeare, William; Middleton, Thomas, rev.
Year (catalogued)
1623
First performance
1606
Decade
1620s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Porter. | Port.
Words
314
Characters
1733
Typicality
0.47 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11954.31
BritDrama no.
1496
Cluster
Cluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Here's a knocking indeed: if a man were Porter of Hell Gate, he should have old turning the Key. Knock. Knock, Knock, Knock. Who's there in the name of Belzebub? Here's a Farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of Plenty: Come in time, have Napkins enough about you, here you'll sweat for't. Knock. Knock, knock. Who's there in the other Devils Name? Faith here's and Equivocator, that could swear in both the Scales against either Scale, who committed Treason enough for Gods sake, yet could not equivocate to Hea ven: o come in, Equivocator. Knock. Knock, Knock, Knock. Who's there? In-faith here's and English Taylor come hither, for stealing out of a French Hose: Come in Taylor, here you may rost your Goose. Knock. Knock, Knock. Never at quiet: What are you? but this place is too cold for Hell. I'll Deuill-Porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all Professions, that go the Primrose way to the everlasting Bonfire. Knock. Anon, anon, I pray you remember the Porter. Faith Sir, we were carousing till the second Cock: And Drink, Sir, is a great provoker of three things. Marry, Sir Nose-painting, Sleep, and Urine. Lechery, Sir, it provokes, and vnprouokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore much Drink may be said to be and Equivocator with Le cheery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand too, and not stand too: in conclu sion, equivocates him in a sleep, and giving him the Lie, leaves him. That it did, Sir, in the very Throat on me: but I requited him for his Lie, and (I think) being too strong for him, though he took up my Legs sometime, yet I made a Shift to cast him.
Plot summary
Plot — Macbeth
With the aid of some treacherous noblemen, the Norwegians have attacked Scotland. In the ensuing battle, Macbeth is instrumental in expelling the invaders, and is created Thane of Cawdor. Before he learns of this honour, he is greeted with the title by three witches who tell him he is to be King; they also tell Banquo that, though he will not be King himself, his descendants will. King Duncan names his son Malcolm the heir apparent, and invites himself to Macbeth’s castle, where Macbeth murders him, abetted by his wife. The night is troubled by unnatural, portentous events. When the assassination is discovered, Malcolm and Donalbain flee the country; suspicion falls on them, and the succession on Macbeth. Macbeth is troubled by the witches’ prophecy about Banquo. He has Banquo murdered, but Fleance escapes; Banquo’s ghost then appears when Macbeth wishes him present at a feast. Hecate rebukes the witches for failing to involve her in their dealings with Macbeth. Disgraced after his failure to attend Macbeth’s feast, Macduff goes to England to rally military support against Macbeth, who has become an egregious tyrant. The witches show Macbeth three apparitions which warn him to beware of Macduff, but also assure him that he cannot be harmed by anybody born of a woman, and that he shall never be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane; he is also shown a vision confirming that Banquo’s heirs will rule Scotland. Learning of Macduff's defection, Macbeth has his wife and family killed; grief steels Macduff's resolve. Lady Macbeth begins sleepwalking, disintegrates psychologically, and dies, possibly by suicide. When the English army enters Scotland with Malcolm at its head, the thanes join it, but Macbeth puts his trust in the witches’ prophecies. They prove to have been misleading: the English army disguise their numbers by carrying branches from Birnam Wood as they advance on Dunsinane, and Macduff proves not to have been born of woman but prematurely ripped from his mother’s womb. Macduff kills Macbeth, and Malcolm is established as King of Scotland; he awards his thanes the new style of earls.