Assignment: On the bulletin board post a separate specific example of each of the literary elements given above as well as the importance of each element within Shakespeare’s writing. Then post (3) comments to another students post. Each post should be under the Literary element title on the bulletin board, simple respond to the post.

"He is knocking indeed!" "Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine..."

Forgot to tell you that this is from Act 2 scene 3

this is added to make the play a little less serious because a lot of drama has just taken place.

Michelle, I thought that line was rather absurd when I first read it, therefore I looked it up on spark notes. How funny to call a red nose from drinking "nose-painting!"

Thank you for looking this up and explaining it. I had been wondering if nose painting had just been a random joke or if it actually meant something. It makes sense now. Thanks Victoria!

I think in Act 3 when Macbeth calls in murderers to get the attention away from him, it adds comic relief because it is simply so absurd. What is the likelihood of murderers exposing themselves and being willing to cover for another murder no matter what the cost.

In the first act, one witches speaks of killing a woman over chestnuts. This provides comic relief because it is very random and ridiculous. It is absurd to take a person's life over some nuts. Shakespeare adds comic relief to spark the reader's interest.

I think that's the best example of comic relief and obsurdity. That and the witch saying she was out "killing swine." I really don't know if that's true or not. haha.

Shakespear is definately using comic relief when he has the Porter speaking about alcoho and its effects. He says in Act II, scene III, "...Sex it turns on and turns off. It turns on the desire, but it turns off the performance, Therefore too much drink is a sort of double dealer with sex. It makes sex and spoils sex. It gives a man the urge and takes the urge away. It encourages him, then discoruages him. It makes him rise to the occasion, then not rise to the occasion. Finally it tricks him with a dream, and putting him down, it abandons him." This is very funny and kind of takes the edge of the play.

I agree... when I think comic relief I think of the porter. He makes fun of hell and death. He also makes fun of the fact of men and their sex lives all depend on their drink intake. I found his whole speaking part to be absolutely comical and it was very different from what had just happened with the whole murdering of Duncan.

"Knock, knock! Who's there in th' other devils name?" Act II, scene III

The porter is speaking to himself as MacDuff is knocking at the door. It is right after Duncan's murder. The porter is drunk and compares his job to answering at the gates of hell. This provides comic relief after the serious murder of Dnucan.

The porter is definatly the comic relief in the play so far. He provides humour after such a serious bit of drama has happened by talking to himself in his drunken state. he confused me at first, i wasnt sure what was going on.

The porter does a great job of providing comic relief in Act II. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have just murdered all of the guards as well as the king. The porter taking so long to answer the door is suppose to make light of all of the serious events that just took place.

I completley agree. The Porter's speech is a gigantic example of Comic relief. Now what...

In a sick sort of way, the ghost of Banquo appearing at Macbeth's feast is humorous. Macbeth had Banquo murdered so he could have peace of mind, and then his ghost shows up to torment Macbeth, so there is no escape.

In the way of Intentional comic relief, the only thing I could figure is the porter's griping. He is supposed to sort of be the grouchy guy that everybody chuckles at.

This is the second one that I will not quote the entire section but I will say the porters speech in Act II sceene III is a great example of comic relief. A murder has just been comitted and the next scene is a person who seems drunk talking about someone knocking at the door. He even repeats the knocking by saying Knock knock knock.

The comic relief in this gloom rich play was the porter at Macbeth's castle. He is talking to himself and acting as if he were in charge of the gates of Heaven and Hell. Shakespeare used this at the right moment in the play to kind of catch the viewers off guard in a way. The reader is so engulfed in the murder and emotions that are taking place that when they are suddenly slapped in the face with humor, they cannot help but be taken back a step.

Act I, Scene VII:

"I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this." - Lady Macbeth

Even though she is trying to get a point acrossed to Macbeth, she uses a little bit of humor in the process. She talks about smashing a baby's brains out if she promised she would do that. Even though this is not something to joke about doing, she brings humor into a serious conversation.

"Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine..." Hey lets all laugh at the passed-out-drunk guy who peed himself. Pretty funny but messed up. They should have drawn stuff on his face.