The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-13

merite. Lear" is timely treated o. anu bh
amount of professional light poured upon the
character which is most valuable; while oil the
treatment OF "Hamlet" we cannot speak SO
highly. The character is taken up at the com
mencement of the play and carefully followed
throughout; and any one who Is iaml'lar with
the drama and examines with care the crt6que
of DR.. kellogg, cannot fail to be impressed with
the belief that Hamlet" was, indeed, insane.
We quote that part of the examination OF his
character which treats of that portion OF the
play which is the great stumbling-block to the
general reader:-
"Tbe 7 ext appearance of Hamlet ofimportance
IN Illustration of position, is at the conclusion OF
scene iii, here he finds the king alone and at his
attempted devotions. Here was an excellent oppor-
tunity for him to wreak his vengeance upon himj
and he saw it, Now might do 1t pat says he; but
be does noi, for the impulse under which alone ne
can act efficiently IS not upon him. and MS d'seased
will and infrmlty of purpose are not sufficient for IL;
and framing hImsy excuse, such as the lear that
II ne sent him into eternity while praying he would
not be damned and his revenge would be incomplete,
he allows the OF portunity to sip from hlm he can
make great resolves put ne can ony exSUu'e ecu o{ ba
riPht time. That speedy vengeance wnicl was the
sworn purpose of his life Is here prevented oy mis-
infrmity and mad impulse IN n subsequent scene
causes him plunge his sword into the heatt oi poor
old Polonius, instead of the heart ofthe real culpr
we now com 10 the extraordinary interview be-
taeen Hamlet and his mother Act 3, scene w.
PolnnuS no Gene lurnSneS 10 tue NON pTOltss Ouhl
reader such strong evidence as this favor of the
theory OF ieigning To us, however, he appears IKE
one who, beng really and uuly insane has summoned
all his powers for the accomplishment OF his pur-
poses one OF which is to convince Others that he IS
not mad. He elgn either sanity or insanity, as
best sui ed his purposes at the time Here IN the
true sp rt which animates him, he asserts IN pain
words that he is not mad, only in craft and In
spite of ali interna evidence to the contrary, most OF
his readers and critics ready to believe him.
1T is not madness have utteredj BRING me 10
the test Unfortunately the test he relies upon,
thouOh eOnsldered m1aIliDle, ie not now re-
garded as p0sItive indeed, as applicable to MS case
too, tat one who is really feRning for purpose,
should take so much pains to make others believe he
is moi dong so. lie speaks nationally, vet sometimes
wildly and obscurely, and The unmerciful manner in
which he harrows up the feelings of his mother,
bamewc rthy as she was, and so deserving Of his
severe censure s IN perfect keeping with his conduct
towards Ophelia' IN former scene Inc reappear-
ance OF the 81 ost, now visible only 10 himself shows
the 0eep agitation of his mind, and with AL his self.
poss sson he is not able to suppress the emotions
caused by this mental apparition.
In s. enes il and iii OF Act T., we, see another
phase of his malady. That peculiar levity Of con-
ducC eVlnced by the insane III view OF the dreadful
circumstances which they have BROUGHT upon them
selves ty their insane acts-ciTcumstances which
would cause the guilty sane to quake with fear
is here admirably shown, also that way wardness
and pelveTsity peculiar to certain forms of insanity.
lie appears to have concealed the body of polo
MUS whom he has SLAIN i'll an insane Impulse,
merely out Of pure peryersity, and not % from any
deed. In answer to the question OF 'Rosencrantz,'
What have ou done, my lord, wi the dead
1T with the dust, whnreto tits kin
"In the next scene, when the king asks him where
is PoOn1us' he answers:-'At SUI per. Not
v here he eats but where he is eaten; a certain
eJnvocation OF politic worms are e'en at him.
continues TO rally the king with the most caustc
sarcasm showing HIM the ultimate identity between
q fat king and lean beggar
again, when the king puts the question, Where
is Poloniusr he evades in a most provoking man
uer:-In heaven; send thither to see: II your mes
senGer find him not there, seek him l. the other
place yourself -
ave next find him bewaing his own imbecility
OF purpose IN view OF the expedition OF Young FOR
tint ras, quite conscious apparently of his intrmlty,
yet wholly under its influence, and totally unable
to overcome t."
ave next meet Hamlet in the churchyard. with
we have before glanced at one of the character
istics of his disease. He iests with clowns, and
mora ICES over dry bones. Here, with all his own
soTrowful experiences of human life fresh IN his
memory, and surrounded with the solemn evidences
0 the G of % ha es a merry ne TY' WITH
things most grave and solemn. skull grins vii b
a ghastly smile upon him, and he in return smiles
upon it, supposes it to nave been the skull OF a
lawS er, and asks what has become OF its 'tenures'
and its tricks and wonders why 1t does not bring
an action tor baltCry against the clown for Knock
ing it about with dirty shovel. Here he utters
that terrible sarcasm against men made oil money!
49, HdB.-Is not parchment made Of sheep SKINS?
"HoT.-Ay my .cid and OF calves skins too u.
"Hom They ere sheep and calves which seek out
assurance in Jb at"
This scepe with the grave-dggers is not merely
Tich IN wit humOr, philosophy, and moral y, but 1t
pos esses profound interest, and 1t is
evident that Ham ct acted very unna urssly under
the circumstance, supposing him 10 be sane or
eigning; or suppos ng him to be insane, ac ed In
the true spirit of his disease very naturally. The
latter suppo sitiOn is the more reasonable"
The work, taken as a whole, is q valuable adj
dtion to Shakespearan literature. 1t is issued
by Hurd Houghton, and forms an attractive
accession to any gentleman's library. 1t is for
sale by j. B. LIppincott d Co.. from whom we
have received a copy.