Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-10-11
Hamlet.

EDITOR HERALD: | would like to
give you a little of the history of this
wonderful play, but time and space
not permitting, will content myself
with few dates.
The earliest edition of Hamlet known
To exist, is that of 1908. It bears the
following title: "Tra"icall Historic of
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by Will
liam Shake-spcare.' Various editions
were afterwards printed in 1604-5-9
and II, and the whole of the plays of
Shakespeare were printed together i'm
1923, and called the "fOliO" edition.
The Hamlet of the "fOliO" is GER
tainly an improvement on the Hamlet
of the edition of 1903. This latter edi-
ton was most likely, as Mr.. Caller
says, rewritten and certainly correct
ed by Shakespeare, before his death,
and under altered circumstances and
i'm different state Of mind
Mr.. Caller and other writer's have
asserted that another play called
"Hamlet" existed before Shakespeare
wrote his. But this idea, perhaps,
comes from the "Historye of Hamb-
let" written by Frenchman named
BelletOrest, Orperhaps from some "me-
diaevel histOries," which mention the
name of Hamlet or Amleth. Some
writer's assert that Shakespeare took
the groundwork of his tragedy from the
history of SaxO Grammaticus, who
says Hamlet was the son of Harven-
dill, Prince of Jutland and 18th King
of Denmark after Danus. This is
probably correct.
This sublime play--surpassed by
none Other-eXcept perhaps, his own
Henry w., in which the ingenious
and wonderful mind of Shakespeare
has capped the pinnnclea Of his own
towering imaginatiOn-was presented,
few nights since at the theatre, by
Mr.. Piercy. In this sketch I simply
purpose to give few thoughts ON the
very creditable rendition of this diff
cult character by that gentleman.
lnthe first appearance of Hamlet
ON the stage, he says to himself in an
swer to the hypOcritical salutation of
the King:"A little more than kin, and
less than kind" The rendition of this
was not worthy of Mr.. Piercy, it led
us to drink in the idea of relationship,
but not so. The King has called him
cOusin. Hamlet replies:
"A little more than kin! BY this he
means a little more than cousin.
The King adds, ,-"and my son"
Hamlet says, aside, "less than
kind" This word should certainty be
pronounced kynd, and means that he
is not of the same bad nature as the
King. Ben. JOnsOn uses this word in
this sense i'm many of his writings
The solil0quy after the ercunt in this
scene, is sublime, indeed, and is the
entering wedge of the solemn scene
of Hamlet, which soon breaks out,
first in fury and then in madness.
The rendition of the first line was
certainly not correct. There should
be strong emphasis on the second
"too," otherwise why do we have it,
the measure could be filled out as
well by any other syllable. The
speech on the whole, was not render
ed well. The words, to be sure, came
full and round, but the beauty and
strength of this passage, lies rather in
the pauses and periods, than in the
words. Like the lingering sadness of
the ''Last Hope" it is not so much the
music as the time.
Again, in the conversation between
Hamlet, Hora.'o, Marcellus and Ber-
nardo, about the ghost, Horatio tells
Hamlet that the ghost appeared in
"arms;" and after some further con-
vcrsation Hamlet says:
"Arm'd say your -es
This sentence was uttered really
without any reference to itsreal mean
ing. This question rs asked has un-
doubted reference to the ghost, and
not as to manner in which Horatio
and Mawellus prepared to hold their
watch. Hamlet shows that no was
thinking of the ghost by his anticpia-
tion of its second coming, and with
his mind full of HOratiO's description,
says:
"HOld you the watch to-night?'
and, indeed, all these minute ques-
tions are asked, not under excitement,
but from out the quiet of mind full
of thought. ###
'ThOu cOm'st i'm such questionable
shape"
In the first scene where the ghost
appears, Marcellus says: "question
it," And we think this line just
quoted, has reference to what Marcel
lus says. 1t may bea question wheth-
er this question" means in doubtful
shape, or a shape capable of being
questioned. think the latter, but it
was not SO rendered.
We now come to the key to the
whole tragerdy.
20, my prophetic soul! mine uncle"
Twill venture to say that there is
but one man, out of all the Hamlets,
great and small, which we have had
or still have, who has ever rendered
this line with any sense or show of
meaning. This man is Booth.
+ We have at the end OF the second
scene: tnegs .tFt seE "a
My fathers spirit in arms! all is not we'll;
doubt some foul play: would the night were
come.
Till then sit still, my soul, Foul deeds will
rise, = slIN Gu.W .fn,t
Though all the earth o'erwhelnr them to