Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-05-28
From the Providence JOu!nal.l
SHAKSPEARE'S WOMEN.

n nODIy -GluOWcu WOllau MS cOul-
planned that Shakspeare's women are
characterless, mere puppets moved by
men; that he never, with prophetic
insight, foretold better women, and
lacked the ideal Of humanity; while
his heroes behaved basely, are sensu-
al. fckle, vain. The truth is that
nature was never mirrored more ex
actly. shakespeare was neither NOR
ally or politically a partizan. He
was no doctrinaire of theology. Big
.ots and partisans have sought in his
plays the reflection of their own
minds, and it has been claimed that
they were written in the interest of
various political parties, even that
they shadowed forth systems Of the
ology. Ii has been asserted that Ba-
con wrote these dramas. Whoever
is infected with this heresy would be
quickly undeceived by reading Ba-
cons paraphrase of tie Psalms. The
fact that Bacon and Shakespeare were
friends, that they doubtless discussed
together the secrets Of nature and the
lore of Aristotle, accounts for few
coiucident passages in their writings.
Bacon would never have haZarded
his reputation as a scholar by various
anacbronisms that occur in Shaks-
peare, but the object Of the poet was
to co ordinate ideas.
1t Is pleasant to think of him as
spending the evening with Essex at
Grav's Inn, while Bacon coined ideas
for the worlds treasury. The poet
could absorb without books the ideas
that filled the airabout Bacon's head.
lie lived amidst the impromptu wit
and learning these illustrious friends
and transmitted it to us sweetened
and purified. London was his Ii
brary. There he visited the haants
of travellers to pick up tales Of won
drous lands and rare adventure, and
was in the centre of the group Of adj
vanced, brilliant men Of the Elizabe-
than age.
All the modern questions concern
ing woman, of labor, politics, and du-
ty, cannot transpose women. If sue
ccs>ful she cannot step out of Shaks-
peare's page, for he has portrayed
her true nature. The modern world,
STOPPING at her feet, will have to
Weld something of the exclusiveness
of men, but no eXigency is so cruel As
to make her choose career that
would have unsexed one Of Shaks-
peare's heroines. There need be no
fear of liberty. Stand aside; throw
open the doors, and let the stately
crowd pass through Perdita, Juliet,
Beatrice, Miranda, Portia, VIOLA
Choose how many Of these mems gar
ments you choose to wear, remaining
women. There is no doublet and
hose in their disposition Perdita, if
she lived now, would delight in hoi
culture, and earn her living by it
PRAY, restrain Ophelia from commit
ting suicide by joining a nunnery,
but let her have no trade nor otter
knack but simple beauty. Portia
may draw from gown and bag the
power to frustrate Shylock's villainy,
but let Viola be simply beautiful
and sweet like violetS. Tempt not
Ophelia to annoy her r.olf with business
ana charity schools. Turn such cares
over to pragmatic Isabella. Let O
phelia simply live and be lovely, be
Joyous, sumptuous, even proud only
be lovely.
The great motives of human ma
ture do not find themselves obsolete
bv his genius. Steele said Of a beau.
tiful woman, that to have loved her
was a liberal education. The germ
of the thought is in Shakespeare
Thackeray said, i man without love
was no gentleman. In Shakspeaie's
page. love grows as fresh and uncom-
promising as in the morning OF the
world. TIE curious considerations OF
novels were not then invented. All
the obstacles TO love were natural. -
/ The characters do not dis>Cct them
selves Ike manikins. The woman
loved, without sparing moment for
analysis. The botanizing of emotions
belongs to later day, when men
culled an herbarium from their lovers
graves. His heroines do not un-
derstand what rehnements of torture
NAV be invented to make ones sell
wretched.
Miranda is frank Beatrice shows
in her first word that she loves Bene
diet She pretends to unprotound
conceit, but Las no subtlety beyond
her natural wit Beneath her gay
and fiippant manner she feels hurt al
3 nedict's GOODNESS. There isnothinc
but the mask Of night to hide Juliet,
blush. There Is 10 mental device to
hide what passionate women are con-
tent TO feel. Their words do not scOld
like the innueudoes OF modern novels
Shakspeare's style is like the archer's
bolt that quivers in the middle of the
mark-not like the boomerang. Hi: