New-York tribune., 1873-02-21
SEAKESPEARES CREATIONS.
LECTURE BY JOHN WEISS on AJAX, MACBETH
AND LEAR.

LECTURE BY JOHN WEISS on AJAX, MACBETH
AND LEAR.
The fourth of the course Of Shakesperean
lectures By John Weiss, delivered at Robinson Hall
last evening The hall well hlled, as during the
previous addresses and with the same audience that has
attended from the start Judging from the many FAMILIAR
faces
Mr.. Weiss began with brief analysis OF Troius and
Cressida as an introduction the study Of Ajax The
play may regarded ancient burlesque the pro-
genor Of the English fun. The modern burlesques are
more amusing do not start out with such cut
ting motive The great heroes represented by Shakes
peare as great boys scrambng n a shower Of cOmtts.
All the scenes pass with a mischeyous innuendo. When
Ajax appears, mada aware that he
does not know his Letters, and In quarrel
with another, they both fling btlingsgate at each
Other Shakespeare seemed to try TO inyent eplthes
You will notice that there the most ssuperb absurdy
in the lighting The warriors pasteboard warriors
with wind for blood. This Is the background TO the
character OF Ajax. lie Is man into whom nature hath
so crowded yalor as TO make it folly. His want OF
thought makes him superior to al thinking This kind
Of man very touchy. II your Difference is once with
drawn the wound is mortal, and you may consider your
self dead Ii Ajax is not noticed, he becomes furious
As soon as the first bit Of Ulysses blarney touches him.
he initiates like a big bladder, and goes bobbing right
into the net spread for him. The material OF Shake
speares trayesty quoabe in all times. Many touches
OF tenderness put u which serve to exaggerae the
humor
We now pass with Macduf aud Lcnox to the gate that
lets Us In murdered Duncan. 1t is the porter who
must open the gate for As enter, the weird SIS
ters slip by u.s. and the house darkens with the fated
purpose. Toward smOrniug, after the accomplishment
OF the murder, Lady Macbeth snatches the bloody dag
gers from the hands of her husband Then the knocking
at the gate is heard Mr.. De Quincy says that this
makes profoundly sensible Of the awful deed which
has happened but he does not entirely exhaust the effect
Oh hv is uOf known ID
us that human life Iecurs but also that the sudden
scOusuess with which is in entire ignorance OF
the scenes at which it knocks That makes US catch
our breath We know that somebody is doomed
70 stumble into the ghastl1neSs OF that room and We
wonder who II VIII bc. Every knock smItes the bare
heart Macbeth So Shakespeare makes another world
this porter is of shakcspeare violations OF decency
and common sense. But IN all his characters see
proofs of design We want something % carry away
from Duncan's chamber because Macbeth is about 10
enter Our feeling, having gained temporary relief Is
able again to take up the clue. You have 10 take the
porter he is and admire the poet who did not send the
muse OF tragedy TO draw the bolt In the Aganemnon
OF Kschyus the chorus listen, shuddering, To sounds
that show the perperation OF an awful deed. They
take the pace OF inc porter LAeli Consciousness Is
You find that humor weakens the purpose OF the
NAV our personal fortunes are not touched by The
tragedy, and implicated only by instructive
sympathy That needs relief. II the blow struck us we
could endure it as We do IN real fc with the temper
that mUtes all other strains of sorrow. SO the humOr
which We would not tolerate when the tempest breaks
heart Is SO surrounded by the mimic scene.
The baubc Of the fool In King Lear carries us into
horizon that as soon as we reach IT, seems tq.mutter
with premOnitiOn OF madness, and wonder II any
humor can hud shelter with US In the fool We nd no
OF TOuchsto folly. 1t has been stirred by the
kings misforunes until IL has turned into irony HIS
irony s TART but commiseratiOn for his master saves
from itemper Just IL threatens 10 become cynical,
like Jacquess, song occurs 10 him. drawing him back.
The poor fool wondered when COrdeia was treated,
and his appetite for sympathy was destroyed.
The fortunes OF Lear seem to challenge all the ele-
ments to match them The fool is awed by the storm
and his irony dies away. Finally kingdom and every
thing crumbed into this wreck OF an old father II
has grown piteOus for the wise fool His humor
not face the wOndrOus lines. Our heart Is swelling, too
big for anything that made il smile. Humor Is
always too deeply implicated with charity TO take
such hours for reconciliation. The FOOLS bauble could
compete with the thunder The bells still shake
though The recollection OF COrdea gives the old king
his last lucid Interval Lear listens aOsentlv 10 the
quaint chat ~. "Oh! let me not be mad when the
fool helps bear of the king, he disappears though
light were 10 be quenched by such acts and all moods
but terror were to be stamped like Jees, under Cron
wells feet.