The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-10
a III s. e N e N rs.
OF II q IL O.


Lear" says Coleridge, ''ls the most tre-
mendous effort Of Shakespeare as poet, Ham.
let as philosopher or mediator, and 0thello Is
the union OF the two.n This judgment, though 1t
may startle some readers, Is, We are convinced,
critically correct In no other Of the great mas.
ter's tragedies Is so admirable harmony,
80 perfect an equilibrium attained and preserved
There Is no anti-climax no disproporton Of parts;
the catastrophe itself, when rightly viewed, Is
seen to be strictly involved In the necessities Of
the very prelude. othelo's suicide is deliberate,
composed, unhastIng-he has time even to think
and speak OF his enduring attachment to Venice
among the crash OF his private fortunes and the
ruin of bis dearest hopes. Schlegel's judgment Of
him, as the slave Of sensual Jealousy, Is essen
TALLY superficial Jealous In the meaner conven-
tional sense Othello Is NOT at all BE has no
suspicion OF Desdemona. Iago Is almost baf1ed
at nrst because bis insInuations find no answering
echo In the noble Moor's great heart; 1t is only
when the tempter's subtle suggestions reach and
hint stain upon the chastity Of his honor, that
the wound smites through the armor OF proof
And even then, the impulse Is not to selfish jeal-
ousy; he does not think most or first Of himself,
but the agony that she, "the gentle Desdemona,"
the being he thought go pure-the soor,,dn he stu
loued-should have fallen from her high estate.
The keynote Of the passion Is struck In the indn-
itey pathetic lines, tomitted in most acting !edl'
tions Of the play, because they occur In scene
complicated with the story Of Blanca) "But yet
tho piv Of It, Iago Iago the pity Of IT,
IRgop'
IA traglcal Rembrandt" indeed, this great
picture Of pathos and passion, but by no means
mere heaplng up ofhorrors, confusion OF vulgar
feroclty. The dramatic unfolding Of such a
character calls for the highest powers Of the poet
and the thinker as we'll as Of his scarcely less In
splred interpreter upon the mimic stage.
We suspect that opinions will be divided as to
the merits of Mr.. Forests 0thello. There Is
certainly very abrupt transition from the I'M.
passivity Of the earlier scenes ian impsssivlty,
too, hardly indicating sufficient reserve fund OF
passion) to the over.masterius, infinite rage and
violence OF the fourth and nftE acts. And yet 1t
is acult to bring the accusation OF too great ro.
business against the impersonation Of an agony
which finds vent In such expressions as "Bood |
Iaoo blood blood p which hesItates not in its IN.
poyeruable ecstacy to brand with the vilest names
the woman 1t 'loved not wisely but too we'll" And
cartafnly no criticisn ean DO other than enfhns,-
sI06atIon which gave to
every word Its exact weight and harmony. We
have not space to particularize as we would wish
upon this point but the famous soliloquIes OF the
play could hardly have fallen into better hands.
othello Is an exceedingly difficult pay to sup
port successfully. Mr.. Harriss Iago hardly fulfls
the exacting requirements OF part which divides
with the tltle-role the dramatic action Of the play
He ia more the bluff soldier than the consummate
villain; and as cause for 0theos action Is, per-
haps, Inadequate.
Miss LIllle,s Desdemona, though somewhat de-
hcIent in nexibiliry, was graceful aud natural;
and Miss Florence Vincent played Emilia with
spirit and fidelity. The rest Of the. support was
tolerable.
Tonight Mr.. Forrest gives bis greatest imperso-
nation. King Lear is entirely suited to his pecu.
liar powers, and will exhibit them to the highest
possible advantage.