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Here’s a knocking indeed!

Porter
Here’s a knocking indeed! If a man were porter
of hell gate, he should have old turning the key.
  Knock
Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there, i’ th’ name
of Beelzebub? Here’s a farmer that hanged himself
on th’ expectation of plenty. Come in time! Have
napkins enough about you; here you’ll sweat for ’t.

Faith, here’s an equivocator that could swear in both
the scales against either scale, who committed treason
enough for God’s sake yet could not equivocate to heaven.

  Knock
Knock, knock! Who’s there, in th’ other devil’s name?
Faith, here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the
scales against either scale, who committed treason enough
for God’s sake yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come
in, equivocator.
  Knock
Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there? Faith, here’s an English
tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose. Come in,
tailor. Here you may roast your goose.
  Knock
Knock, knock! Never at quiet.—What are you?—But this
place is too cold for hell. I’ll devil-porter it no further. I had
thought to have let in some of all professions that go
the primrose way to th’ everlasting bonfire.Metaphor
  Knock
Anon, anon!
  The Porter opens the door to Macduff and Lennox.
I pray you, remember the porter.
Macduff
Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed
That you do lie so late?
Porter
Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock,
and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.
Macduff
What three things does drink especially provoke?
Porter
Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine.
Lechery, sir, it provokes and unprovokes. It provokes
the desire, but it takes away the performance.
Therefore much drink may be said to be an
equivocator with lechery. It makes him, and it
mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it
persuades him and disheartens him; makes him
stand to and not stand toIsocolon
; in conclusion, equivocates
him in a sleep and, giving him the lie, leaves him.
Macduff
I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.
Porter
That it did, sir, i’ th’ very throat on me; but I
requited him for his lie, and, I think, being too
strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime,
yet I made a shift to cast him.Personification

Source:
Act 2
Scene 3
Line 1

Source Type:

Spoken by:
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