The Porter, Lady Macbeth, and the Theme of Spoiled Hospitality

This thesis analyzes how scholarship has treated Act 2, scene 3 in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and posits that the scene has significance with respect to the theme of hospitality. To prove this thesis, we first review the relevant scholarship about the scene. Next we explore the theme of hospitality in the play with a focus on the historical context. Finally we show how Lady Macbeth and the porter are connected as faces of hospitality. We find that throughout the play not only does Lady Macbeth remain interested in preserving the semblance of hospitality, but also by convincing her husband to break the laws of hospitality, she has severed them from the peace that good hospitality was meant to foster. This finding shows that Act 2, scene 3 is more than the comic relief scene in an otherwise solemn play.