Macbeth: Writing Assignment #1 1. Comic relief is the use of humour after a serious situation, in order to ease the tension or lighten up the mood. Literally, it uses comical elements to provide the audience with relief after intense moments in literary or dramatic work (i.e. Macbeth). In the case of the play Macbeth, the use of comical relief is evident after the powerful moments before and after the death of King Duncan. This comical relief comes in the form of a cranky and drunken porter. Surely, the porter is an excellent example of comic relief, because right after the scenes of the greatest moral sin being committed (King Duncan’s murder) the audience is met with this brazen character; who enters the castle ludicrously speaking of the lives of imaginary sinners coming through hell’s gate (2.3.1-19). Ironically, the porter is referring to the gates of Macbeth’s castle when he speaks of hell’s gate. Shakespeare makes the porter speak of the castle this way, in order to show that the death of the King has made the environment reflect the chaos …show more content…
Duncan’s sons are wise to flee from from Macbeth’s castle before a thorough investigation of Duncan’s death, because they know that during that time they might become the next targets of Duncan’s true murderer. They both show that they have learned from their father’s mistakes of judging appearances, because they both decide not to associate with anyone in the castle, and Malcolm even utters the line: “To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false man does easy.” (2.3.133-34). This is basically another way of saying “don’t judge a book by its cover,” which was ironically the tragic flaw of their father. Macbeth draws suspicion upon himself after the murder is discovered, because he is quick to kill the suspected guards, and then shows more sorrow and passionate sadness towards the King’s death than his own children do. By doing this, it made Malcolm and Donaldbain question the genuineness of Macbeth’s