The New York herald., 1845-10-17
Tbeatrfcnla.

to them in the Reans be speaks well for the taste
Of the residents Of Old Gotham" Tho Merchant of
Venice was the Leading feature OF the evening We
have seen the sire In his masterpi many time
and off, and traly the mantle which has flown from hs
shoulders, does not disgrace the stock or Mrs C.
Keans Portia,' it is almost needless to speak she is
fitted for the characterthe character fitted for herself
and she did justice to both say no more on this part
of the evenings entertainments. The evenings amu,e
ment concluded with " Petticoat Goyernmept,-Nr
BASES Old Hectic" was well conceived and performed
and Mrs Vernon as Mrs Carneby" did Justice 10 her
self and part.
KEANs HAMLEr.-Mr. Chas Keans Hamlet was repeat.
ed at the Park Theatre on Wednesday evening. to n
crowded house. Whatever may be the estimate of his
powers as an actor and his comparative excellence as
relates to Others he has for many ranked high in
this difficult Character ami Is acknowledged to have had
no rival but Macready The part has been peculiarly
his own As regards physical development and his own
natural temperament he peculiarly fitted for the part
We in his performance the embodiment OF the great
poets conceptions and his whole soul thrown into it,
We perceive that is the result of minute alton
and of deep study and thought but there is nothing la
bored or artifcial-t Is natural easy and consistent
is the Hamlet Of our early associations that had wrought
SO deeply upon our excited imagnations divested of
the obscurity that veed his nature, and made familiar
e-like representation to minds and bosoms Many
minds Of the highest order Of excellence have with
great taste judgment and critical power analysed this
play Goethe Coleridge, schlegel Hasstt have high
rank among thesethey have brought great kno ledge
and investigation to bear tie subject have given or.
gns and varied illustrations and have often been on.
trely opposed in their conceptions. But it is not with
these have to do here-itis with the Hamlet of MIR
Chas kean understood and portrayed by him In the
opening OF the play Hamlet appears Welding TO
deep pervading melancholy. His fathers sudden death
his mothers hurried and indecent marriage disappont
m q q from tho sr;,
to the crown had worked upon his sensbtes and his
prdeand his ditatng nature shows itself With
refined thought profound and farreaching intellect
and heart borne down by Sorrows he dwels on self
murder from which sense of pety restrain hm-he
eloqueny gives vent to his feelings the outrage his
mother had committed He appears under the in.
absorbing and appalling character He gave g,e eat ef
feet to his questions in details respecting his fathers
ghost when its appearance announced to him and
to that passage.
"If it assume my noble fathers person,
I'll speak to it. though hell itself should gape
And bid me hold my peace"
1t the resolve Of bold and impulsve nature-and
when the ghost first appears to him. though awed By
the horror and soemnity of the scene makes an ap
peal to the spirit of his father full of tenderness sup.
pcaton. He follows it. and is subjected to an ordeal
that is change and shake his nature to its most
depths There could not be revelation of more start
ling and terrible import to SON who loved and revered
murdered father and nothing could be more forci
BILE and impressive than that passage, given by him.
in which he to devote his entire soul the com.
/
I :" Within the book and volume of my brain
UnmiXed with baser matter"
From this time Hamlet exhibits symptoms of disor-
dered intellect and has been much questioned, whe.
her the madness was real OF he only mad in craft
There is something mysterious in the poets delinea
ton Of the character His replies ever pre- gnant
and had method and meaning in them. Amidst the
wild and biting sarcastic thoughts that fall from him.
We find him often communing with high and solemn
things and yielding to the spiritual part his nature
kean plays this as. his mind in feversh and
disordered state and his nervous temper ment wrought
m IN
fegning madness to veil the great purpose he had
great absorbing passion of his soul all had become
trivial and Of no value in his eyes, Objects of taste
pleasure, knowledge Imagination, foregone and
dstasteful Love subordinate, and must be thrown
aside The apparons last words still rung earuy in
his ears and sunk deeply in his soul-"Remember me"
Twas under this absorbing influence that he passes
lightly over the accidental sla, ing of Poionius-
Thou wretcned, rash intruding fool"
I" Take thy fortunen-
To this tone of mind Kean gives all its effect 1t is
born out throughout the play.
His scene with Rose ncrantz and Guide nstern was
given with great art and that with Ophea wild
mpassioned and sbrupt but tempered with great ten.
derness-and did love you once, was full of pathos
and oeep feeling nothing could be more touching than
the tones with which it uttered always excels
in the contemplatve and philosophical and his resdng
OF 10 be- or not to be, was very effective with the
dience-as was also that Of the noble passage What
piece OF work is how noble in reason" Sc and OF
On that this too solid flesh would melt - Sc. HIS
great scene in the play that with his
anger the tenderness the force of his appeals his
powerful transitions OF feeling soemnity
The sight Of his iather's spit that to his
the house showed their appreciation them by appauses
long and loud Hamlet is strongly contrasted with La
estes IN the play The first is irresolute inrm Of pur
pose Laeres Is all energy and action-he revenge
Tor his fathers DEATH and demands it of KING
IN rebellious attitude with sword in hand and pursues
that object to the closing Hamlet is brood
ing ON revengebut lost in his absorbing thoughts he
procrastinates lac king energy of his
geance sleeps he fails to act and it is only by chance
ho IC The
murderer OF his father We only add that his acting
IN the closing scene was deeply impressive and beaut
u we shall take some other opportunity of comment
ing upon the performance Of Mrs Kean in Ophela
which was full OF excellence.
BowERr THEArRE.-Putnam still continues to draw
crowded houses The beautiful scenery ths thrilling
effects and above ALL the patriotic language Of Putnam
must ever excite the finest and hoest feelings in the
hearts Of all lovers of liberty The applause which last
night was continually showered down, gave evidence
that the piece had lost its pleasing powers on ac
count Of its frequent presentation After Putnam the
Mountain Drover," in which Cony and Blanchard and
the wonderful dog Hector appeared, was played and
the evening closed with the beautiful drama Of Wal
lace" Tonight we have Putnam the Forest OF
Bondyn and Young England"
sNipLos.-BESErIT OF MRs. CRsr.-Tbe elegant, agree
able and delightful comedy of London Assurance .
with the farce of Perfection woe performed las,
evening at this very recherche place for the
dement, OIL Mrs Crlsp most charming and fascinating
actress and claimant for public favor The house
was crowded with highly fashionable audience and
the comedy was well cast and played with much spiri,
and taste Mrs. Crisp, say without hesitation is the
best Lady Gay Spanker We have for q very long
time there is vivacity about her brilliancy of man
ner-a richness OF fancy combined with grace and lady
like bearing, that is rarely met with on the stage
Her description Of the hunt" was rendered with
uuthiuiness and spirit which spoke to all who
enthusiasm, power and fervor which made all thrill will,
admiration She was indeed, "gee made living
usual, perfectly at bome' In this his favofi,e patt
he stands without rival Mrs Mowatts Grace IIsrka
way was upon the whole excellentthough We must sa
We DO not admire the griishnes and exuberan pla,
ness o. manner which characterized love scene w
Charles Conrty Grace Is country girl Ills true bu,
she Is well bed we'll educated and lady whom n.,
even an anticipated declaration of love would cause 10
forget her station in socety-in fact she not romu
! nor coquette Mrs. Mowatts beautiful reading an,
grace however, in other scenes stamped her as lad,
Al IN