The Sun.
London, England, 1814-10-19 00:00:00

MODERN CRITICISM.

Mr. EDITOR,—Tire Public at large do not seem
to be sensible of the assiduity With which Some
of the diurnal Critics endeavour to enlighten their
minds and improve their judgement, respecting
the merits of theatrical Performers. it might be
thought, that when a play of SHAKESPEARE is re-
presented, his works are too "di-known to re-
quire any description of thepriuelpal charactqrs
in those works, and particularly those characters
which might be supposed to be familiar by the
frequency of representation ; but this is a narrow,
Churlish, and indolent mode of viewing the sub-
ject, and, therefore, much praise is due to those
Critics who -are more assidious in the discharge
of public duty. For instance, some.of the dili-
gent and obliging writers to whom I allude, when
they give an account of the representation of
Hamlet, are not contented with tel:Og 1114
Readers how far the Performers came. near the
intention of the Author, but ki-ndly enter into an
investigation of the character of Hamlet, and ge-
nerously dilate upon the sentiments, feelings, and
expression necessary for every scene in which he
•appears. We are told, that he should be incre-
dulous when he is first informed of the appear-
ance of his father's ghost; that he should spew
marks of terror when the Ghostactually-preseuts
himself to his eyeS ; that he should manifest sac.
row at the, lo.sS of so good a parent; that he
should express horror and indignation against his
uncle, and feelings of a similar nature, though not
in an equal degree, against his mother, for de-
grading herself so much as to marry an Usurper,
lafter having had so good a King, and so excel-
lent a Husband. We are then favoured with a
delineation of :the character of Opheliq, with
_incidental noti'ces of the Queen, Polonius, Laerte,-;,
and, indeed- the. whOle Dramas Personte.--1—
. Now, •Sir, certain grumbling people, who have
,no sense of kindness, may. consider ail this
obliging labour as unnecessary, presuming that
few can be 'so ignorant as to'Tequire such infor-
mation.
,But it is 'always rash to suppose that thv
world doesvot.reqUiee instruction ; and the more,
information which 'it receives, '' it needs no
ghost" to tell us, that tire more knowleke
it is likely• to possess, unless, indeed, people
happen- to be inattentive, or, have bad lite-
mories. There is, however, one point. in
which the benevolent Critics to whom I 'allude
are. rather deficient in attention, and that is in
not adding to every account which they give of a
play written by SHAKESPEARE, that he was born .
atStratford-upon-Avon, in the
ye air 1.-)G4, that
he was baptized by the name of WILLtANI, thßt
he was an Actor in London, and that; he died in
the ~year IGI6--circumstances %%hie!), in the opi-
nion of all candid Readers, it is full as•propi.r
them to relate upon every new representation cr.
his pieces, as it is for them to delineate each ,
his more striking characters, and to particularize
the .sentime,ltts, feelings, and deportment •flott
should mark every scene in which they arc toap-.
.pear. To prove the necessity of stating partici:- ,
lady who 'SHAKESPEARE really was, and what
works he produced, it is sufficient to refer to t
farce of High Life below Stairs, in which one -of
the Ladies of the Bed-chamber, or Kitch6s7., after
having heard SHAKESPEARE praised under the name
of Shitespur, asks who wrote Shilespur, and
answered by one of the Knights of the Bros!,,
" BEN JoNsoN"—a proof of ignorance which
would hardly •be considered as probable, if the
courteous-Critics whom I have •mentioned •
been as copious in their account of dramatic .au-
thors, as they are in explaining the nature of,
their characters, and detailing the events anti
emotions of all their scenes:

VINDEX.

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