The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-02-28

and 81 p. M, subject, "Sea of Glass; and
at u p. M. subject 1.-THE Burning Bush.'
Mr.. DAvENPoRT's "HAMLET."-
There is no loitier artistic aspiration than
a correct rendering o! the part of Hamlet.
Its intellectual subtleties have defied the
ablest speculation, and the best critics
stand nonplussed in its presence. Hazlitt
declared ''that Hamlet is a name, his
speeches and his sayings but the idle coin
age of the poets brain. What, then, are
they not real? They are as real as our
own thoughts. Their reality is the read
er's mind. 1t is me who are
Hamlet" and he also declares
that of all Shakespeare's characters
it is the most difficult to ~personate on
the stage, because cit is like the attempt
to embody a shadow" Goethe, in swell
helm Meister," which Carlyle declares the
ablest and most eloquent exposition of
"The time is out of joint, o curse spite
That ever 1 was born TO set it right
that in these words will be found the
key Of Hamlet's whole course of conduct,
and it is evident that Shakespeare meant
to describe a great duty imposed upon a
soul unable to perform it. And in this
sense | find that the whole play is con-
ceived and worked out. An oak tree is
planted in a costly vase, which should o.
ly have borne beautiful flowers in its
bosom the roots expand, and the vase
is shattered" There can be no question
that in Hamlet Shakespeare purposed por-
traying a man of meditation and
not Of action. This is the great
characteristic of Hamlet throughout
the play. His constant habit is to think,
and not to act. Even when an opportunity
for his revenge is afforded him by finding
the king alone, and at prayers, he stops
to speculate, and decides to wait until he
finds him ''about some act that has no
relish of salvation in it," Hamlet is with
out will or purpose. He is swayed by
his surroundings, and is never impelled by
consistent plans. "The character is spun
to the finest thread, yet never loses its con-
tinuity. 1t has the yielding fexibility of a
wave Of the sea-"
Mr.. Davenport has always had great
celebrity in this part, and last night he
gave us a powerful presentment of his OF
! ception. His rendition is full of vigor,
sweep, strength, and the best artistic analy-
sis. Except in such features as We
shall designate, it is for the most part that
thoroughly artistic conception, which is
traditional, and comes down to us with the
| play from Taylor and Betterton. We
were gratified to see that so distinguished
an artist as Mr.. Davenport gave
his emphatic endorsement of con-
| structions of parts of "Hamlet" which
have been deemed by many as equivocal.
First among these is the feigned insanity
of Hamlet. MI. Davenport distinctly con-
veys in his Interpretation the belief that
Hamlet's lunacy IS affected. This inter,
probation is beyond doubt correct. Ham.
let's mind is doubtless greatly excited by
his fathers death, and the ghosts commu'
n~ication as to the manner of it. Only par.
tally believing the ghost, he puts the ''antic
disposition" on to verify its revelations.
The subsequent portions of the play
in which he figures are for the most part
efforts to satisfy his mind as to guilt OF
innocence of his uncle. AS his ruling
passion is to think and not to act, he ira.
verses in his meditations the widest range
of thought. As Schlegel declares, "Ham.
let" is "a tragedy of thought inspired by
continual and never satisfied meditation
on human destiny and the dark perplexity
of the events of this world, and calculated
to call forth the same meditation inthe minds
of the spectator" Another impressive ahC
positive construction of Mr.. Davenport's
conception is Hamlet'S love for Ophelia
Some critics have denied this love. There
can, we think, be no doubt as to the truth
of Mr.. Davenport's Interpretation. Hamle
is not a love.maker with his present sur
roundings. The evidence of the play il
ample that he had, previous to his father
murder, been Ophelia's tender-lover /; be
slowing upon her mementoes and love
tokens. But absorbed in his fathers I'm
timely death, he uses IN his intercours
with ,Ophelia the same pretended mad
ness that he does with every one, say
Horatio. AS she is the daughter of Polo
, MUS, a subtle courtier, and minion of tn
king, he could not make a confidant of hel
To be insane with her would be accepte
by his "uncle father'' as conclusive proc
of his lunacy. But at the grave of Ophet'
he throws off all disguise, and proclaim
b his love. A strictly original interpretatio
of Mr.. Davenport, is his dispensing wit
) portraits in panels or lockets in h
scene with his mother, and picturir
them to her imagination. We accept tn
as a rendition beautiful in itself, al
warranted by the text. In additit
it is strictly consistent with Hamlet'S me
'. tai action. 1t is much more consistent t
q him to think out these pictures, than
e. base his portrayal upon panels or loo
D. cts. Goethe sanctions the panels, and 4
v lockets come to us from Taylor and b
We terton. We prefer Mr.. Davenport's CO
struction; it is eminently picturesqr
is natural and artistic, and gives more dl
matte strength to the scene. Unli
" Booth or Fechter, Mr.. Davenport reaC
= and does not act, the soliloqul
excepting in so far as intonati