The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-03
From Thomas Campbsli's Life of Mrs. Siddons.
Mrs. SIddOns' Lady Macbeth.
HER OWN REMARKS ON THE CHARACTER.

Mrs. sIddons' Lady Macbeth.
HER OWN REMARKS ON THE CHARACTER.
No performer was destined oftener than Mr..
Siddons to eXpend superlative genius the acting
Of Indifferent DRAMAS 1t is true that she som.-
times turned this misfortune into the means of
creating additional astonishment. Where there
was little or no poetry, she made it for, herself;
and might be said 10 have become al once both the
dramatist and the actress. Where but hint OF
fine situation was given. she caught up the vague
conception, and produced it in shape that was at
once ample and defined and, with the sorrest text
to justify the ontpouring of her own radiant AMI
fervid spirit, she turned into a glowing picture
what she had found but comparative blank
Much, however, as we may wonder at this high
degree of theatrical art doubt if its practice would
be desirable, as general advantage, either to the
actors profession or to dramatic poetry. Actors,
in parts beneath their powers, are, after all, only
like musicians performing on instruments unworthy
of their skill. They US, it is true, with
wonder and delight. / have heard the inspired
Neukomme draw magical sounds from common
parlsh-church organ, Which, under any other touch
than his own, was about musical as the bell
overhead that summoned the parshioners Bu,
this did not prevent me from devoutly wishing that
l had heard him perform on the Haarlem organ.
The slage-artists inspiration ought never 10 de
pend on shining by lis own light for 1t never can
be perfect, unless 1t meets and kndles with the
correspondent inspiration of poetry. The tempo
rary triumph which this marvellous acting affords
to Indifferent plays, is unjust the truly DC eticai
dons' Margaret Of Anjou, for instance, dare say,
persuaded half her spectators that Franklin's Earl
OF Warwick " was noble poem. The reading
man, who had seen the piece at night adorned by
her acting, would, no doubt, next morning, on
perusal, find that her performance alone had given
splendor to the meteor but the unreading specta-
tor would probably for everconsider The Earl of
Warwick" tragedy good as any of Shak
speare's.
The most pleasing points, therefore, in Mrs. Sid
dons history, are her returns to the plays of Shak
speare. She chose the part Of Lady Macbeth for
her second benefit this season, February 2kl7S5 =
| regard the tragedy of =" AIacbeth," upon
the WHOLE as the greatest treasure of dramatic
literature We. may look, as Britons, on Greek
sculpture and Italian paintings, with an humble
consciousness that our native art has reached
their perfection but, in the drama, we confront
Eschyus himself with Shakespeare and, of all
modern theatres, alone comp ,te with the
Greek in the unborrowed nativeness and subIlmity
of lis superstition In the grandeur of tragedy,
" Macbeth " has no parallel till we go back to the
"Promeheus and the Fures :" of the Attic stage.
could even produce, if it were not DEPRESSING from
my subject, innumerabe instances of striking simi-
larity between the metaphorical mintage of Shak
speares and of Eschylus siyle-a similarity, both
in beauty and in the fault of excess, that, unless
the contrary had been proved, would lead me to
suspect our great drama,is to have been studious
Greek scholar. But their resemblance arose only
from the consanguinity Of nature.
In respect, the tragedy of Macbeth" al
ways reminds me of Eschylus' poetry. 1t has
resentation What stage could do justice to
Eschylus, when the Titan Promethus makes his
appeal TO the elements; and when the hammer is
heard in the Scythan Desert that rives his chains
Or when the ghost of Clytemnestry rushes into
Apoilos Temple, and rouses the sleeping Fures
wish to imagine these scenes: should be sorry
to the acting of them attempted
In like manner, there are parts of Macbeth v
which delight to read much more than TO see in
the theatre. When the drum of the Scottish army
is heard on the wild heath, and when | fancy il
advancing, with its bowmen in 'front.' and its spears
and banners in the distance | am always disap.
pointed with Mdibeth's entrance, at the head of a
few Killed actors Perhaps more effect might be
given to this scene by stage preparation though
with the science of sage-effect | can pretend td
little acquaintance But, be that as !. may,
strongly suspect that the appearance of the Weirc
Sisters is too wild and poeiical for the possibility
its being ever duly acted in a theatre. Even witt
the exquisite music of Lock, the orgies of The
Witches at their boiling cauldron is buresque anC
revolving exhibition. Could any stage contrivanc,
make it seem sublime. No! | think it defies
theatrical art TO render it half so welcome wher
we read 1t by the mere light of our own imagina
tons. Nevertheless, feel no inconsistency in re
verting from these remarks to my first assertion
that, all in ALL Macbeth +" is our greatest posses
sion In dramatic poetry. With the exception of h'
Weird Sisters, it is not only admirably suited 70
stage representation, but it has given the wides
scope to the greatest powers of British acting |
restored TO our theatre by Garrick, with mucl
fewer alterations than have generally mutilaed tn
plays OF shakespeare. For tWo-thrds OF cenilr
before Garrick's time, " Macbeth " had been wors
than banished from the stage: for it had be IN acte
WIN II AVeiidnt aiteralois, produced IN lo'z, \
which every original beauty was either awkward
dssuis9u or afD'trarhy omitted. iet, SO ighorafl
were Englisnnen, ~ lhal >, Ine uailef quott
ohakspeares Macpeln rom u hVehahts a,
;.; e,auoi Vi IL ana wien yum neafd OF oarflck
s;I a,eni1il 10 res,9re .he Original, ne askeu VII
ousnhe' ; Sta,li' nave no' all liiS u'iie peeh ac
n's olaNepedie sIa NJ pay -
nady =. nGcoeM, tnough NOT SO rl.enseiy lmpa'
; S % ,.an., 0o'isotee, rs a 'hofe important cnafacte
iaraer occnoeS, ~ ot winch sue belongs. ohe Is
rnnse f, and Gn;shoJ oJ' Interest On 1ne sags, ana
accordingly proved, as might have been expected
ONES life ~ have seen her in i, Sha was @ al, eia