New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-17
Mr.. DAVENPORT As HAMLET.

Last night as the Prince of Denmark, Mr. Dayep.
port came forward 10 the Shskspepan temple TO make
hazard Of the casket under which the beautiful idex
of the poe, les But of the right casket he failed. II
is impossible to judge in ordinary plays as in ordinary
actions, of the performers power and capacity. Is
qures Shakspercan play in one. grea, crsis in
the other 10 test the met,e Of the man. He may be
correct natural and finished in such parts Msrsos
in Love and Loyalty, and be wholly unequal TO put
life and speech on that most beautiful creation Of
Hamlet, in soul Hebrew in mind German. /.
imagination an Italian in heart woman. He
had scarcely entered on the stage when we
were confirmed in impression that he
lacks that divine fire which can alone
light the WAY TO the temple OF histrionic fame. IL
is impossible TO describe that strange power which
at once fixes and enchsns you gathers in your feelings
in its giant grasp and holds for q time q mastery Of
your being, making YOU smile, weep, dream, scom o.
love as its lists In Mr.. Davenport this power finds
no dwelling. The absence of this power, not that Of
taste. made him unnatural. He became so in the e.
fort 10 reach a personstion which was beyond hs
bound. On his appearance on the stage we were at
once struck with his studous, sentimental bearing,
but at the time with that want of animation and
intellect which breaks and struggles through the
loud of beautiful sadness which hangs around the
Dane The teryeut soul and restless imagination
which are stirring at the bottom Of the tount-
in and sending bright bubbles to the surface, find
10 glowing reflection the still surface of Mr. Dav
exports face. Hamlet in all his strange vagaries Of
houghtand capricous pranks of Imagination is always
self-possessed and unafoctedly collected. But Mr..
Dayenport's air wears that woebegone depressed
look which is seen in Roman Catholic ecclesiastical
students whose young hearts and souls are chained
down in irons, and he half sthpefed with the
load which weighs upon his mind. But Hamlet,
while constantly CALLED and frcttcd by his thoughts il
never their slave. lie through all controls them This
woe-bcgone expression rendered still more sub
dued by Mr.. Davenpors shy rolling of his eye,
reminding us in no manner of the noble,
sad, accomplished, elegant, youthful prince Mr..
Davenports delivery lacked spirit This was
evident in the first act when he mourns over the irv-
olty Of his mother The vigorous starts Of thought
which in the midst of his personal sorows rise with
such beautiful and striking suddenness from the ever
wakefu mind OF the humanitarian philosopher, are
delivered without shade of varying emphasis; and
when he excaims,
"Prailty, thy Il woman"
thi. sentiment as many similar is not brought home
10 the heart of the audience, and the pregnancy Of
the meaning is but feebly realized On the ap-
pearance of the Ghost, though neither the atti-
tude or expression conveyed correctly the sur
prise of sudden terror, Mr.. Davenport was suf
fciently effective, while addressing the Ghost
in the agony of excitement; but when tho
Ghost begins to speak, Mr.. Davenport goes too far
in his effort to look petnfed. Hamlet Is powerfully
agitaei, but though his whole being is conyuked by
the horrible disclosures, life il not suspended. BIT
Mr. Davenport stands cold and dead a. TO far more
resemble his athers ghost than that individual ITSELF
When Mr.. Davenpors face is repose the lack Of
fire beneath gives to the repose an air of stlessness
1t is only when his face is lighted up that see tho
animated energy he possesses beaming forth. In tho
second scene Of the second act when revealing 10
Guildens;ern the melancholy which preys upon his
mind, the beautiful and powerful words in which Ham
ct explains his feelings lose in Mr.. Dayenpors rem
dering their beauty as well as their power,
This excellent canopy the ar the brave oerhansns
rmamen this msestieal root iretted wiki golden IRE
What piece of work Is a How noble In reason,
infinite in faculties in form and moving how express and
admirable in action how like an angel in apprehension how
HE God"
These words are uttered without soul and like most
similar beautiful passages of fancy aud philosophy,
simply recitations which, though they might earn
awards in the former fall deadly the heart and tho
audience remain cold unmoved, Indifferent TO Ham
let's mental agony. In the last scene of the second
act when Hamlets Imagination Influenced by tho
interview with the actors suggests to his rich mind 40
many eloquent reflections, Mr.. Davenport entering
into the spirit of the scene, he warns up, and
when be exclaims,
A." He would drown the stage with tears
And ceaye the general ear with horrd speech,
Make mad the guilty and appa the iree.'
be il very effective, and when this warmth mounting
into paroxysm Of rage and he calls the King
Bloody, bawdy villain,
Remoreless treseheroas, echerous, kindless villain"
he sweeps the audience with him and brings down de-
served applause. But his appearance in the third
act Mr. Davenport again his lifeess air, and
the celebrated solloquy "To be or not to be-" which
usually starts vein Of mournfu thought, produced
no proper effect. When Hamlet thinks Of the op-
pressors wrong, the proud mans contumely, the laws
delay, the insoence Of Office, and the spurns that
patient merit of the unworthy takes his thought Is 80
vehement that he thinks ooud and speaks out what is
stirring in his soul but Mr. Davenport does not con-
vey the vehemence Of thought and intensity Of feel
ing he speaks if resng poetry altogether uncon-
nected with the play, and his weak utterance is too
far removed from the enthusiasm that reused tho
Danes soul to create due interest ia the AUDIENCES
mind.
On meeting Ophelia, Mr.. Davenport ia more ex-
cited, and the audience Mt once feels it, and rewards
him by hearty applause. His repeated advice 10
her to 90 to nunnery, and the query why she Is 80
bent On becoming a heeder Of sinners-in fact tho
whole scene-is rendered by Mr.. Davenport with
great energy and animation.
The agitating episode Of the play before the King