Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-11
FORRE-T AND THE MORE INrELIrc.
TUAL DRAMA.

AND The MORE INrELLEc.
TUAL DRAMA.
The five performances of Mr.. Forrest
at the National Theatre, have been at
tended BY large and intelligent audiences;
'nd' doubtless, his representation Of
: Damon" this evening, will attract an
other crowded house. He has repeated
both Hamlet and Richelieu during the
week, and has thus enabled our critics to
see him in two of his most intellectual
characters. Forrest, like all other men
in prominent positions, and especially in
his profession, has been severely COM
mented upon. The common objection of
his opponents is that he should not play
E" Hamlet" because his line is that of the
Gladiator, Metamora and Jack Cade.
How unjust this judgment is, the crowds
that hocked to hear him in /" Hamlet, -
prove. The performanceitself,
was a masterpiece. The first meeting
between Hamlet and the ghost, was start
lingly represented. The listening atti-
tude of the great actor, while his father
spirit" recounted his uncle's crime, was
a rare and effective picture. Never be-
fore have we heard Hamlet's advice to
the players SO exquisitely rende. ed. He
did not preach at, and patronize the poor
actor, but with dignified familiarity
and colloquial ease and grace that could
not be surpassed, he expressed the views
of one who seemed to feel, at the same
time, that if he was prince he was not
a player. Where or when was the solilo-
guy of "To be, or not to be-" more for
chilly and originally given. Forrest adopts
a reading, too, in this recitation, not only
new to most of his hearers, but exceed
ingly proper. He says:
g Whether It's noble in the mind to suffer
The sings and arrows Of outrageous fortune,
The expression of feature, the melody
and cloqucnce of tone, the reverential
attitude, with which he poured out the
following memorable lines, made the
blood course quicker through our veins,
and brought down the house in very
ynlOSion If choarc
"This goodly frame, the earth, seems to me-
sterile promOntory; this most excellent can.
Opy, the air-look you, this brave o erhanging
ornament, this majestical roof, fretted with
golden fre-why, it offers no other thing to me
than foul and pestilent congregation of va
pors. What piece of work is man how
noble in reason , how infinite in faculties, in
form and moving, how express and admirable
in action how like an angel in apprehension
how like god the beauty of the world tbs
paragon of animals
1t is objected by some reviewers that
in the interview with the queen mother
Forests Hamlet is too violent. But no,
only the history of the play, but the text
itself, confirms his idea of this great
scene. When he kills Polonious, ant
rushes in with the bloody sword, exclaim
ing to his mother-"is it the king 2" tn,
effect was electrical. The painter ant
the poet would have at once caught tn,
inspiration of the voice aid the manne,
of that mastery effect. Not less faithful
was the sudden surprise and awe o
Hamlet, as represented by Forrest, OF
the entrance Of the ghost, which, unsee1
by the queen, comes to rouse the prime,
to his bloody duty. The mournful alb
straction with which he answered tn,
ghost, when the latter says, calling hi
attention to his mother .'Look to her
Hamlet, and Hamlet replies, his eyes fxet
upon the ghost-"How is it with you
lady 90 was admirably true to nature
The scene with the king, queen, ant
players, was originally rendered, and full
of new and striking interest. But W,
have neither time nor room to point on
the manifold beauties of this magnificen
performance. Our object in going thu.
far, is to put upon record our judgment
against the puerile efforts of those who
seek to detract from Forests pre-emi
nent capacity in the higher or intellectual
walks of the drama. The task is, how
ever, most supcrfuous; for no Twin.
man is his equal in Richelieu, Lear
Othello, Macbeth, or Richard the Third
all of which we hope to see him personat'
before the close of his unequalled engage
ment at the National Theatre.
BORRowERs.-An exchange paper truly
remarks. r. Con Jack son ever said y,