The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-04 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

The tragedy of Macbeth was played here last night \
for Mr. Charles Keao's benefit. The principal cha-
racter wi:s of course sustained by that gentleman, and it
is no more than justice to state that he played it
throughout in a style of very superior excellence.
Judgment, as regards conception, combined with un-
common spirit of execution, are the chief character-
istics of his performance. His very first scene con-
vinced us that he had read and meditated on his text in
a thoughtful and learned spirit. His Macbeth is no mere
common-place tyrant or murderer, such as he has been
too often represented ; but a man of sensitive
temperament and generous impulses, who has been
inveigled into guilt by the necromantic influence
of the imagination, which acts upon him as a sort of
destiny. From the first moment of his interview with

the weird sisters, his doom is fixed. He feels—and
we feel too—that be could not shape his lot otherwise
if he would. He is planet-struck, has lost his free
agency, and hurries forward in his headlong career, at
the bidding of powers whom his imagination has in-
vested with omnipotence. His very ambition is nor,
as in King Richard, the child of his will ; but the
half reluctant, and inevitable working out of what
he feels to be his destiny. This conviction imparts in
the earlier stage of his feverish career a deep, solemn,
subdued feeling to his character, which Mr. Charles
Kean pourtrayed with infinite subtlety and discrimina-
tion. We saw at once the man spell-bound by the
force of imagination ; moving about as in a dream ;
and acting under an influence which is neither
to be gainsayed nor controlled. Such was Mr.
I(ean's conception of 11Iacbeth, in the first act of
his eventful life ; and this is the only true one. As
he becomes more inured to guilt—is more mixed up
with the bustle of the world, and feels the necessity of
retaining the giddy elevation to which he has attained,
at. all hazards, more worldly feelings peep out ; and this
new phase of character was marked by Mr. Kean with
equal felicity. At the close of his career, when he is
rudely awakened, as it were, from his long dream,
remorse—lasting, unavailing remorse—relieved only by
touches of fierce, convulsive desperation,is the true touch-
stone of his character ; and here again Mr. Kean was
eminently successful. In fact, his performance through-
out was carefully studied, and, in consequence, finely dis-
criminated ; and had his physical powers but adequately
seconded his conception, we should have had no hesi-
tation—even with the image of his father in
our recollection—in pronouncing his Macbeth the
most perfect that has been witnessed since the days of
John Kemble. But now to details. The scene of the
murder—morn especially the famous dagger soliloquy—
had the rare merit of being highly impressive without
the aid of trick or clap-trap. Indeed, Mr. Kean gave
to this entire scene a thrilling earnestness—exhibited an
intensity of purpose—that produced quite an electric
Effect on the audience. The deep sense of physical
and mental relief which he showed, when he discovered
that the ghastly, blood-stained dagger was a mere
phantom of the imagination, was remarkable for its
feeling and perfect naturalness. We know an eminent
tragedian, on whom this welcome discovery would
have produced no other effect, than to throw him
grievously and grotesquely off his perpendicular.
The banquet scene was another triumph of art ; and
not less efficient was Kean's recitation of that affecting
passage " Duncan is in his grave," which, as he deli-
vered it, breathed the very soul of pathos. His closing
scenes, in which he made a profound impression on the
audience, were stirring and energetic in a high degree, but
we cannot rank them among his most legitimate efforts.
Though well conceived, they were rather over-done.
There was too much physical display, and the ac-
tion was at times almost convulsive. Mr. Kean
should correct this defect at once, or it will be
apt to grow into a mannerism. Again, soma of
his pauses were too protracted—so much EC), indeed,
as to weaken the emphasis of certain significant pas-
sages ; and there wag here and there a sudden drop-
piug, from impressive recitation into a colloquial fami-
liarity of manner, as in the instance of " Out, out,
brief candle !" which was not warranted either by the
sense or spirit of the text. Taken altogether, hoWever,
Mr. Bean's Macbeth was a striking, an impassioned—
and what, perhaps, is better :till—a consistent and judi-
cious performance ; and we recognised throughout
it abundant proofs of an intelligence and sensibility

that, !vim' duly disciplined and modified by study and
practice, will enable Mr. Kean to obtain the
very highest rank in his profession. Mrs. Warner's
Lady Macbeth was a chaste and impressive perform-
ance, and we may say the same of Phelps' Macduff.
Locke's fine witch choruses were executed with skill
and spirit; and, indeed, the whole tragedy was got up
in a style most creditable to the manager.
At the close of the performance Mr:Kean was called
for loudly and unanimously by the audience, and the
stage was literally strewed with garlands. Mrs. Warner
and Mr. Phelps were also called for, and received the
plaudits of the house.

Such was the effect produced by Mr. Kean's admir-
able personation of Macbeth, that it was announced,
on the part of the management, that he was re-en-
gaged for nine nights more, and would perform
Macbeth on 'Mondays, Wednesdays, end Fridays.
Tula announcement was received with deafening cheers
by a house crowded to overflowing.