ABSTRACT
The Macbeths dominate the first two acts. They are in all but three scenes, and the longest of these focuses on Macbeth's prowess on the battlefield. People experience much of this part of the play through the eyes of William Shakespeare's murderers. Alfred Hitchcock uses the same technique in films such as Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, and Psycho. They are so disturbing in part because he makes us identify with his murderers. Porter scene is celebrated for the audacious way in which Shakespeare brings comedy into the play as a welcome emotional release for the audience after the murder of Duncan. The Porter is a riff on a character that Shakespeare probably saw as a child. In biblical apocrypha, Christ "descended into hell" after his crucifixion in order to release souls who were sent there for venial sins. Langham's remarks can help us to understand how Shakespeare intends us to perceive the character of Macbeth.
