From the Mouths of Babes

Some of the most thematically intense speeches in “Macbeth” are performed by incidental characters. These people typically have only a single scene, but possess an inherent[SM1] insight into the nature of the world that goes beyond that of more important characters. They directly convey a perspective that the main characters are ignorant of.

The first thematic minor character the audience sees is the wounded captain. He appears briefly in the beginning of the first act, proclaiming the heroism of Banquo and Macbeth. His part barely fills two pages, but is rife with foreshadowing. The line “Fortune … showed like a rebel’s whore” alludes to Macbeth’s future. Later in the play, fortune appears to favor Macbeth, but turns on him. Immediately after, Macbeth is characterized as “disdaining fortune” and it is this quality that makes him brave and noble. This is interesting to note because Macbeth later puts all of his stock in fortune, relying on signs and portents from the witches, and this reliance leads him to the inexcusable murders of Duncan, Banquo, and the family of Macduff. The captain’s behavior also illustrates the values of the society Macbeth lives in. The visceral description of Macbeth bisecting Macdonwald demonstrates that this is a society of warriors, a brutal world where law is enforced by the man with the biggest sword. Furthermore, the fact that the captain gives his report while he is gravely wounded, possibly dying on his feet, bears witness to the value of duty in this world. The captain has to deliver his report, even at the risk to his own health. This serves to further emphasize the horror of Macbeth’s betrayal, as this captain risks death to fulfill a small duty, while Macbeth violates his duty to further his own ambitions[SM2] .

The porter is another example of an otherwise insignificant character imbued with special thematic wisdom. His speech is packed with powerful imagery and clever language. Initially, the porter sets up a scene where the door is actually the gates of Hell, and he, the doorman of Hell, must admit a damned soul. The porter is ignorant of the identity of this latest denizen, musing through ideas such as a suicidal farmer, or a master equivocator, but the audience knows the truth: if any soul has found Hell tonight, it is Macbeth’s[SM3] . The immediate transition from Duncan’s murder to the porter scene, facilitated by the knocking through both scenes, emphasizes this connection. The porter concludes this speech by begging his guests to “remember” him, probably expecting a gratuity, but perhaps he is telling the audience: “Remember what I just said later on,” foreshadowing Macbeth’s demise, and probable admittance into the gates of Hell[SM4] . Furthermore, the porter introduces the themes of deception and equivocation. When discussing drink as an equivocator, the porter draws an inadvertent comparison to the witches. The witches “make and mar” Macbeth, they provoke in him the desire: ambition, but take away his performance: the throne[SM5] . Just as alcohol equivocates lechery, the witches equivocate crowns[SM6] .

The son and wife of Macduff form another unlikely source of wisdom. When the child asks his mother “what is a traitor?” the following discussion, supposedly about Macduff, describes Macbeth and his kingdom perfectly. Macbeth is clearly the traitor they are discussing, “one who swears and lies.” He swore allegiance to Duncan, and then betrayed him, he swore friendship to Banquo, and betrayed him as well. When Lady Macduff explains that honest people must punish the traitors, young Macduff bears witness to the fact that the traitors have the power. While the child can only express this idea in numbers, the truth of the matter is, under Macbeth, the murderers and traitors are the ones in power, while honest men, like Macduff and Malcolm, must flee. This is especially poignant because, just as young Macduff is explaining how the traitors are fools for not killing all the honest men, a group of traitors are on their way to do that very thing[SM7] . This exchange is full of insight into the world Macbeth has created[SM8] .

Characters like these nominally exist only because they have to. Someone has to carry news of Macbeth’s victory to Duncan, someone has to open the door, and someone has to be killed. Most of them are not important enough to have a name, but they are important enough to give the audience valuable bits of knowledge other characters are unaware of[SM9] .

---

Page: 1
[SM1]delete

Page: 1
[SM2]good contrast

Page: 1
[SM3]well written

Page: 1
[SM4]good

Page: 1
[SM5]excellent application of this reference

Page: 1
[SM6]very well stated

Page: 1
[SM7]and its reinforced by his mother’s last words.

Page: 1
[SM8]Fine insight

Page: 1
[SM9]this is a beautifully executed theme. The final point raises further questions—the major characters in this play are so large and so are their parts. The pattern you discern reverses that measure and undermines the hierarchy of class and ego power—for the characters and even the players who act them. A