Well, the clue to some extent is in the question. It is comic relief - a relief from the seriousness of the main drama for a second, and an opportunity to release the tension which has built up through the play.
More than that though, Shakespeare, more than most other writers, is aware of the advantages of juxtaposing comedy and tragedy. An audience, just after they've laughed, are actually much more vulnerable to being shocked or moved (the theatrical construct of "The Woman in Black" by Stephen Mallatratt is one excellent example of this!).
One more thing: a comic relief scene often replays themes of the serious play in a comical way. So the porter, for example, thinks about hell and damnation, as well as about equivocation (and that last is key to the play).
The porter speaks in prose simply because it is more colloquial. It is a generalisation to say that all Shakespeare characters speak in prose, and all noble character in verse: and one that isn't true (Toby Belch, for instance, in "Twelfth Night" is just as noble as Olivia, but speaks entirely in prose). But when Shakespeare wants things to sound more like everyday speech, he quite often switches to prose. Prose, just like comedy against tragedy, when put next to verse provides a contrast. And contrasts make people listen.
Bawdy humour? How about this bit, about how alcohol prevents erections:
...much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it... makes him stand to and not stand to.
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