The New York herald., 1873-10-03
sALvINI'S HAMLET.

ShGkesPearc's Masterpiece as Presented
at the Academy OF Music Last Night.
At the Academy Of Music last evening play
named "Hamlet." purportlng to have been written
by Shakespeare, was performed In one point, II
IN no other, was sgnor salvini, who acted the
title role, true to the dramatist--he made Hamlet
a prince OF shreds and patches and so demon
strated his afiliation TO the ghost.
THE HAMLET OF SHAKESPEARE
There is only one true Hamlet, though many ver-
sons OF him. He was philosophising prince, but
not philosopher. A subtle metaphy sical vein ran
through his temperament, but he was not meta
physician. His intellect was not sufficiently stayed
upon leading general convictions for him to be
either OF these The potentiaities that might have
led him to become so were perturbed. He was some
thing more than student out of his natural place
something else than a born trOoder, placed by
adverse late in the centre OF action. Perhaps we
are not altogether warranted in accepting
Opheas praise of him without some allowance
Having sucked the honey OF his music vows and
listened to his words, OF such sweet breath COM
posed it was inevitable that to her he should
seem conrtier and soldier as well as scholar the
expectancy and rose OF the fair state,
the glass OF fashion and the mould OF
form. still the unanimity OF the accounts OF Ham,
let's graces justlfes us in deemng him one of the
most accomplished princes Of his age. But 1t is
with his moral and mental character that we are
now more particularly concerned. Even Claudius
coniesses the great love the general gender
bear him-pretty good evidence that, whatever
Hamlets vices may have been, he possessed those
generosites and other moral amenities which sell
dom coexist with deeply lngralned wickedness.
honorable intent toward ophelia reercttinr that
with better heed and judgment he had not quoted
him, and owning that he had cast beyond himself.
ta
thoughtiulness. The energy that ne should econo-
mize in action is dissipated IN har-splitting The
habitual use are those OF his intellect, and them he
exercises TO no practical purpose His thoughts
touching no part OF the circumference OF the ac-
tual. He turns an idea over and over UNTIL like
the enchanted tdler in the countryman's hand,
IL brings forth others without end SO long as the
manipulation continues His bosom contains two
consclences whose lights neutraze each other.
One bids him Kill his unce the other bids him re-
frain. The duty OF revenge and the prerogatve OF
suicide alternate in his musings with the problem
for possible mistake. The moral idea which
forms the organic law OF the play the obligation
to find what ones duty is and then to perform it
at all hazards. The reason Hamlet performs no
duty is because he cannot decide what duty de-
mands OF him, and the reason he cannot decide
dreams constitutionally pleasant to him. His self
consciousness GIei. Is mirror, in which his
for characteristic changes which he finds
himself powerless to evolve. lie is like an eye OF
nll fire filmed d,o with cataract His purposes are
emberS which raise their ashen lids only to go out
THE HAMLET OF SALvINI.
We have not space to mention all the departures
version OF Hamlet" which was last night pre-
sented. one hundred cases might be specified OF
sne os masa
scenes omitted. 10 pass over the title title
the first scene is entirely lett out and So are Po o.
lonius' Incompatible precepts TO Laertes and
Horatio and the Ghost. In the third act Claudius'
scene OF remorse Is made TO take place In the
queens apartment just previous to the arrival OF
Hamlet. for no other reason. that we can see than
that Hamlet, seeing him there, may be strength
ened in his suspicion that he is hiding behind the
by Horatio OF Hamlet's letter is omitted
and all the scenes between Claudius and
Laertes are most relentlessy abridged and
diluted. In the fifth act the encounter OF wit be-
tween the gravediggers is excsed; Osric, the
Gldea waterny undergoes % most unique meta
Horatios generous impulse to drain the poisoned
goblet and follow his friend, ''more ike an antique
when we come to the role OF Hamlet the simproy
ments" introduced almost surpass belief
HOW sALvINI CUTS THE ROLE OF HAMLET
those tragic tests omitted to which reference Is
made above, but Hamlet, in spite of the re,lcence
come from his interview with the ghost, is made by
savin to intimate in his very rst words Horatlo
been forbidden to tell 1t. All that wonderful scene
in which, in the original, Horatio ana Marcelus
are made to swear by the sword never to dyulge
what they have seen that night, together with
Hamlets injunctfons how they shall bear them
selves when 1t shall please him to put on antic
disposition on, are wholly omitted. In the second
act Hamets touching adjuration to Rosencrantz
and Gudenstern to tell him whether they were
sent for, the entire scene with the PLAYER who
sheds tears while recting the lines about Priam's
slaughter, and some OF the strongest lines In the
soliloquy beginning, 30 what a rogue and peasaht
slave am ~ were equally done a. way with In the
third act the celebrated Instruction to the PLAYERS
was lett out also the climacteric verse
why let the stricken deer 60 weep,
The hart ungalled play,
For must watch. while sleep.
so runs the world away.
In the fourth act the scene upon a pIain in
Denmark, where Hamlet bids Rosencrantz and
Guildeusteip go on before, is omitted and Hamlet,s
sollloquy, beginning .How NIL occasions do inform
against me- y is halved and the retained half trans
ported TO the Elsnore palace. In the fifth act All
iIamlet's melancholy jesting is lett out:
several OF the best lines in the YoricK
apostrophe. and in the Eoralizings upon Alexan-
dcr's dust are crushed. So are Hamlets impas-
stoned challenge OF Laertes love for Ophela his
long and important explanatory scene with Hora-
ito. One OF his most touching EXPLANATIONS, .s1he
readiness is all In premonition OF his approach
ing death, IL rendered by worse than weak trans.
lation; and, finally lIamets exquisite dying adlu.
ration to Horatio-
II ever thou did'st hold me in thy heart
Absent thee from felicity awhile,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath In pain.
To tell my story
shares the general ruin.
THE AroNEMRNT OF sALvINr.
~ was there anything to atone for all this Yes.