New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-04
THE DRAMA.
MACBETH AT BOOTH s.

night upon Its second week There several excellent
and admirable features In the representation but con-
sidered as whole. does not strongly commend tsen
TO critical approval The tragedy has been brought lot
ward in base TO ill up gap in the season OF Lent; ana
there are Indications both the scenery and the acting
that give It illustration. Of tendency to undervalue its
power and s poetic grandeur The hc)uhots
of scene and costume for example, are lawess, Mixed
and confused In particulars the piece mas peen
dressed with whatever came most conveniently to hand
In other particulars effort has been made to reproduce
features Of the time when Macbeth Is supposed to have
lived The result IL motley blending Of somewhat In
Congtuous elemens II scarcely necessary to say that
"a purely imaginative method, tempered by judcious
and tasteful regard for Scottish antiquities. ought to
prevailed in all these matters Strict accuracy is
neither desirable possible in the stage treatment OF
Macbeth" The period Of the chronicle was 1910. The
houses that tine, In the British isles, were, for the
part, made Of sods and wood. The icothing con-
sisted chiefly OF garments OF WOOL Silk and cotton did
not oxist King Duncan could not possibly have worn
that gorgeous and abundant drapery-ofen or velvet
Sn which, upon stage, he commonly makes his royal
progress from Forres to Inverness The soldiers OF the
period whenever they went into battle prefgured those
Toxaa rangers of day whose modest conception
OF full dress satisfied with straw hat and pair OF
spurs In other words the real soldiers Of the real
8aebeh went nearly naked We touch thus upon facts
OF general knowledge IL is to see THAT the stage
artist cannot deal literally with this subject On
che other hand, assuredly, he ought not TO hudde
up this glorious play III the trappings Of Indifference
Macbeth" is poem, and 1t ought to be illustrated in
poetic spirit That spirit is lacking to considerable
tent the treatment has received at Booths Theater
Mechanism takesbut does not hlthe place of magma
tive feeling The witchseenes lackalmost to tameness
thu essential element Of the supernatural MacbehS
entrance, the blasted heath" is made down the
face Of rocky cliff Other, and greater defects OF
arrangement and business the accessories and help
defeat the potency Of the acting Hecae does not ap
pear at abeing the chief contrver OF all harms and,
therefore. We presume unnecessary to the action Mac
6et's exit when going to murder Duncan, Is made
through the center door at the back Of the stage,
50 that lns face IL concealed. Lady Maebcths
entrance and fainung-ft, after the murder,
cut out altogether SO Is the Of the assassination
R.quo and the gashed and CORY specter OF that
cLiefain which commonly lends lurd color and excite
yuent to Mdebeths "soleInn supper" The latter cut,
however. is good one-as was long Illustrated by
John Kemble and by Maeresdy. The witch.muso, like
wise, is omitted; but this always parasite the
tragedy, and is absence inspires regret-though
Performance Of portions Of it, by Mr.. Mollenhauers
uchestra would not be Inappropriate, between the acts
the plays. AL the minor sem,sles at which havo
butod however, the merest thstledown Of defect,
compared with the lack OF imaginative feeling and emo
ttQna power 10 MOST of the acting Edwin Booth per-
Hoebeb aud in several of it's parts his persona
exceedingly beautiful but his acting throughout
The character marked by defects, and seems to
that the parsonage he depicts IL not whole, the
Macbeth of Shakespeare. Mr. Booth, it Is true, does not
the fatal blunder Of the school Of actors
the school. that is which is represented by Mr..
focbcr. 10 other words lie docs not 80 back Of Shakes
Isares ideal and strive to resuotate and galvanizo the
Mac5tp or the DoNc1h Of the ancient chronicle. His
ao5ei whatever slse may happen 70 be, isnot bare
;eesed red.hesded. dirty sheep stealing Scottish
tader OF tho eleventh century IL may not be but with
perfect accuracy, but IL certainly Is built Shakes
tdares text. and therein It Is poetbcal enbOdment.
I've chief weakness Of it-in our judgment-s lack OF
nobility Of soul Naetem soc him Ia the pages OF
ShakesptaIe T. Erand. lofty. noble. COURAGEOUS imperi
aIs majestic. and splendidly imaginative When first
prSesed In the marvellous story, he 10 returning v!co
r,ous from the batefelds Of Fife, drowned with honor.
aud stainless in reputation; and IN that sHpreTe
taeut TIE powers u darsDess-avfpl in their mystery,
snd terrible W tef gth-OoncIude and accomplish
De rein TNe slaughter through whiok he sub
teQssntx wades To throne is not wholly Of
AZ osn deyisiDI Tho lsO0d upon which he floats his
hrg1ouI is not wholly Of hls own shedding BE ia the
viotIu % supernatural soliciting" horrible agency
Of ,e world Of nends his mind and inpes hs
conduct ana 90 the life which otherwise would be that
81 ,rsLess bioo ymindsd brute beooIset grand with
tho frenzy OF a haunted Imagination. hnd Infinitely
pahe,s With the remOrse;u butTain strsgses of kind,
human heart against the prohptings Of bell. In this
view Of hs charaotesfully sabstahtIsted, We maintain,
~ the text and the eiBcu man is great In
his Own and IN the experience through which he
passes Mr. Booths Eat6sh does not harmonize with
ths estmbte. On the conuhfy-unbesa VIC misCtkeN
Vtoge,hai 10 Noe5eh, Who in his swiftn0ss TO evil.
tn liking Sud eyildo,,g runs before his fate. and
DEEDS neither the endsh wes Of the weird sisere nor
the igoneiuel impulses OF worldly amDitiop nor the
pproacAes Of the beautiful and terrible SIREN
who rules by love, 10 gohd HIM into
ett0e. He has quaIms, indeed, but they arc
mostly tile qrams which may arise from physical
Utafse and fear Of detection. To that greater horror,
boroe Of his innate goodness which rocks the founda
tons Of yccss nature at the mere thought Of the I'm
ttuloS doou Of crime lac gives no adequate eIpressep
IN word this M0cbet is OF low order Of man, super.
sNiout aud brutaly cTueland tho fiber OF his netnre
ssas notnng, either merit or esteem, from tie ex'
oeedne nctIresquentS Of his attire aud demeanor 10
Ma gOoi villain aud tyrsnt but lie not shakespeares
psr0Asahted hero. In the exet uton VI his ideal. MI
BsoiA extrts his customary skill ard nervous energy
honaet tiagc acting has been III our day than bis
"n Of the appearance and DISAPPEARANCE of the ghost
VI Baafp ILleed, there is no other actor of our time
eheean thoroughly sor III nis face that 10 sees spirit
bai Booths face ~ lie looks the specter IN the empty
ehAi IS beautiful beyond description-in tie intense
OfOfscken Ion Of eyes and sense and SOUL
Us tchtg here may Tighuy he recorded ~
Wv" Hea No other word denotes it. And
~'ues through the freHzied combat, at thu
1. Nia superb hnpetuosity--Hs LGdy MQc-
s amy horaDt, whose effort 10 play this part
49, s e"wn as a distinct and unqualified faiure.
-. Ie aneertss respect for the talents OF this
- 9A,h the best or q: &c in such chars cters
Pa ,, afr ana Mrs. Hckeu But she cannot play
'" and she on gbt not 20 attempt il. As In.
p,oT,.' y Mss Aorsnt. Lady Jfacjehis violent and
'NeF Who might. perhaps have driven her
-. " '"o d4o'hCust, b.. wi % never would have been
love n4 making Ling, rcgicide. She showed no
K,py rhaoshdi 10 dignity la tho reception Of
Iand.. lo aueeu'tze grace the throne ofscot-
Laro,. Duefhees IN tia: awful midnight after the
lesL. ~, ~ae't~, quite OelcrOwed by frenzy, falls