New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-21
HAMLEr," AT wAILACKS THgATER.

more than ordinary attention. Mr.. James w.
Waaok appeared for the first time this season, and
the play Of Hsmet presented with cast OF extra
ordinary strength and with the most minute and care
| ful attention TO scenic details.
Hsmle a. play, is dramatic enigma full Of
deep philosophy s,sfying meditation and dsquiet-
Ing thought, upon the thousand entaDgled relations
ard the bewldering compile Aty Of human events No
two thinking Commentators upon this Amos, incompre
htnstle production OF the grea, drsmatist have exactly
agreed their explanation of certain obscure points in
the meanings, and their attempted calculations have
generally served only TO perplex the subject. Nor
have these dyerses of opinion been confined TO stu
dents or to the tragedy as whole; for the
actors who have attempted to mpersonste the Danish
Prince have been even more at variance and the
records Of the stage tel of hundred Hamlets each
widely and essentially differing from his fellow. This
strange disagreement could not exist the part
which could be comprehended by every person who
luriedy reads the words which conceal rather than
set forth the IDEAS but from the fact that the
meaning is often 80 obscure that the surface
reader misses entirely, and that he who would get at
the unms.akable truth must in this instance, dive TO
the bottom of well Of more than ordinary depth.
Hamlet may be not inspty compared to pyra-
mid the immensely Of whose towering proportions
Garnet te comprehended and taken in at single
view unless the beholder has risen TO corresponding
elevation. One pigmy of the plain, cognizsnt only
the features which within the scope OF his limited
vision gives description of the pyramid which 10
utterly nexphcable to his fellow pigmy who has
observed the same object from different point d
view.
And So when an actor " struts and frets his hour
upon the stage to set forth to the world the particular
point angle of the Intellectual hought-pyramid,
Hamlet, that met his sight, and when, the next
night upon the stage another actor la
bors hard to give his little glimpse of the
same Colossus, neither proves the other wrong
because they stand far apart nor does their differ
cnce prove the critic right when he says his little say.
which chances TO agree with neither. The slightest
fragment of truth happens TO be just as true, what
there is of it, the symmetrical and perfect whole:
ard common sense would to say that il would be-
come US all better reasonable morsls, to treasure
ND the fraction and thank the that brings IT, than
TO ding away because it small and treat the giva
with contempt.
The logical deduction from fguratve premises 10
as follows: The idea of the individual Hamlet, enter
tanned by any given actor, depends very much upon
which few of all the prominent points of the charac-
ter that actor has concentrated his attention and his
study and the mpre ssion produced upon audience
is in exact proportion to his alb lily artist to smu
late the passions and emotions be wishes to deneate
and TO place before Others in strong and unmstakabe
light those particular features which long study Of tho
| picture has strongly imprinted on his own mind.
Every man who has read the play uuderstandingly
for himself rises from witnessing its representation
with certain of unsatisfedness and probably
never the performer who exactly realizes his ideal.
No two Hamlets are alike and to compare the person
alton Of one actor with that Of another is to do njus
tice to BOTH while very little enlightenment is obtained
az to the comparative artistic excellence Of the men.
The chara cter completely impractical; 30 thor
oughly IDEAL that there be standard TO serve ~
certain guide for the actor There ia no immuabls
law by which his shortcomings shall be Judged and
the question of his correct conception s Q
mere matter of opinion with tie critics. who are some
| times as fallible as ordinary monak.
Holding this view of the subject, il would be inn
pertit ent in us to criticise any actors idea Of
| Hamlet; ard henceforth, in speaking Of that
| play we purpose TO confne our structures to such
| faults Of style and manner as come unques-
tionably within our selfcrogmscribed jurisdiction.
As the tragedy is put upon the stage at Wallacks
Theater il is beautiful thing to for with the lin
tied accommodations afforded by the small size Of the
theater all that the painters art could do for II has
been DONE and admirably done; and there is nothing
in the matters Of scenery, costumes, decorations or
stage appliances that has not received due degree Of
attention.
Mr. Wallack, the Hamlet Of the evening
ceyed with enthusiastic plaudits, and some little time
elapsed before he was permitted to fairly address him
self to the requirements of the play. A there iscer-
tanly little this tragedy, except its great length that
requires an unusual amount Of physical force in tho
| actor Mr.. Wanacks powers not severely taxed
as in shylock, and some others Of his parts. OF hn
personaton Of the melancholy prince we can only say
that he seems to have included In his view some Of tho
most opposite points Of the character and that be rem
ders them with care and effectiveness. The courteous
manner and prncely bearing were always there.
| and the graceful contemplation, the dcyouring
melancholy, the fiery wrath, the sweet, sad, gen.
teness the neItpguishabe Thirst for vengeance, the
bitter scon and all the varying phases ofthe ntensest
| feeling stood forth in bold relief In the love quarrel
with Opbelia and in the monologue over the skull Of
" Poor Yorick Mr.. Walacks fine elOcution fell CRATE
| fully though almost sonowully on the ear and the
closet scene with the Queen, where the bitter re-
proaohes fall Kissing from the lips Of the injured son
upon the guilty mother, the power Of the actor was
made manifest. This last entioned scene, however,
and the closing Of the third act very much
| mared by a too hurried utteraIce, and manner 30
| excited us to be in some portions exceedingly nts-
tird.
The other characters were SO uniformly well done
that special notices may be dispensed with, except
| in two instances Courtesy demands that We
should notice the first appearance of Mr. IT, ;. Lee,
| who personated Caudius King Of Denmark. We will
DO Mr. Lee the justice to say that he appears TO be
useful actor, with, however a very hard and att
fcsl manner to balance which, it is to be hoped be
has good and genial qualities which are susceptible Of
NJ han nj