New-York tribune., 1875-10-12


derstood the Moorish character as well as
he lSalyinf did. / am far from imputing 10
Mr. Irving such arrogance this l don't doubt
that he believes fnll warrant can be found in the
text for everything he does. He is student and an
ARTIST loyal and conscientious, and has certainly
persuaded himself that Shakespeare meant hdcoe'h
to be PLAYED as he is played at the Lyceuin. III Is
difficult to agree with him. bnt il is one more proof
of Mr. Irvings genus that he should be able to pre-
sent such a prodigy of wickedness and Weakness
unredeemcd TIL the last act by touch OF virtue OF
q, svmpathetic trait save only his love for his
wife and not elicit protest from his audience.
Ii was an attempt in which an actor of moderate
abilities would have broken down hopeleSsly. MI
Irving carried it through trumphantly I'LL the last
act, which witnessed change so sudden ana so
striking that You might almost suppose the iirSt four
acts had been meant as long preparation Tor the
fifth : that Nacboh till then had been deliberately
painted too black that lis courage and inherent
nobleuess Of nature might shine out the moro bril-
Eautly in the end No actor would venture on such
an experiment but the effect would be like this If he
did.
The last great Nacbeth on The English stage was
NacreaGy: and perhaps none WAS ever more hafshIy
criticised. He was much Older man thah MI
Irving before he had conquered any measure o1 his
fame. OF Nacready's Macbeth, wrote an eminent
critic nothing could be finer than the indications
he gave of a conscience wayering under the IN
fuence of fate and metaphysical aid superStltlous
and weekly chcrishng the suggestions OF super
stition; but nothing could have been less
heroic than his presentation OF the great
criminal. He was fretful and impatient un-
der the taunts and provccation of his
wife he was noble under the teTrorS OF renorse;
he stole into the sleepng-chamber of Dapcdn like
man going TO purluin purse, not like warrior go
iug To snatch a crown" That is very bitter, and
probably unjust For Macrealy has left liz an ac-
count Of his conception and performance Of the part
utterly unlike the representation OF II imputed to
him. THE general tone of tho character he
writes. twas lofty. manly, or, indeed as 1t
should he, heroic, that of one living to
command. Tie whole view of the character
was constantly in sight the grief. the care, the
doubt was not that of weak person, but OF
81 fone uiul and of strong man. leave 10 Others
70 conjecture how it happened that an actor of
Macrcady's powers with so just a notion OF nae
beth could have proluced an ioi9rc sion on com
pctent observer ~ alien from hs purpose. But the
two PASSAGES are instructive and-particularly
when placed side hy Sidc-Sugeostive. Mr. irving
,oov cite Macready ia the Banquet scene as pre-
ccden far yielding completely to the terror inspired
by tie Ghost. AIao-cady fell back, sank
into d chair covered his fac with his hands,
then looked again. and upon the Gh05i disappearing,
rcg,incd his sclf-command. But Mr. Irving goes
even beyond this. He retreats down the stage,
returns an agony of disinay ovcr1nasieis hin "i'h
a sudden gesture he completely cnveops his lace anu
head with his mantle, and tumbics IN heap On the
steps of the throne II is finely done, but whether
Aiat5cia ought to do it is the question. AdcbthS
tone throughout the scene is that Of dciiance the
apuaIition shakes every nerve in his body. II yon
like; he at irsi believes it visible 10 The guests as
well a, 20 himself; it comes aS the revelation an"
proof OF his latest crime and the horror OF dct~"h
is stronger than the supernatural dead; yet his
courage is stronger than all. He faces the spoeter,
hurts mcnaces at II. and in the end banishcs it by
sheer oh0rt of Will.
II is remarkable that Garrck's first conception of
tLe mart seems to have been very like Mr.. lryngs.
For Garrick also the Ghost was too much; the
"syauu; and ouii my SIGHT he turned mio an en-
treaty, inst a. Mr.. Irving does. Then somebody
pointed on. to him that Nacbeii was not coward;
he took the hint. and acted on il ever after. Twenty
years LATER he wrote: "Should Macbeth sink into
pusillanimtv | Imagine that it wSnld hurt the
character, and be cOatrary 10 the intentions 0i
Shakespeare He saw, tOO that the iirst appear
aace Of the Ghost was more oyerpowcllng than the
second. NdcbciES courage increases, not dinnl-
;sbcs rs the horror of the situation becomes more
familiar and this is iIue courage.
What is most characteristic in sir. Irving in the
third act is most characteristic also in the second
In the struggle between the will and the intiuenc Is
Of pauic or apprehension, the guilty prOmpngs oi
ambition and the stings OF conscience, the victory ~
always on one side The dagger solioquy j. admir-
able in expression down 10 The point where Macbeth
rid. himself OF the vision. with the Sudden cNclama
ton. There's no such thing" clearly like the
baushment OF the Ghost au act Of resolution. From
that moment on to The exit, Naobetb Is changed
man. His mind is made up. and though the solllo1uy
proceeds there is nothing more OF the aiI-dr'Wn
dagger and should be nothing more of the feeling
lis apparitiOn has excited. But il Is hard to discover
an appearance of resolution in Mr.. Irving. Mac
bcih, here as every where, whatever doubts ne
passes through and whatever spectors dance before
him. Il q man Of action when the moment oi action
comes The deed done the horror of il il strong upon
him and the horror again is finely shown by MI.
Irving in the whispered talk with hls wife; her
Miss Batemans) frmnesS sharply marking the mo-
ulentary weakness of her husband. Garrick played
tine beojnninc of the scene with Mrs. Pritciara in
the same way, with terrifying whispers. But Mr..
Irving carries il 100 far; not too farindccd If you be
lieye with him that Ndcbch is slave to his
fears. He neglccs ;no means Of eApr SSing abJect
terror. His body is relaxed and sWays helplessy
about his voice is hollow aud paintye. his utter
ancc so broken that be to sean the lines he re-
peats No resource of his art is unknown to him:
there is not one he leaves unemployed The repre-
sentation of what he to represent Is perfect.
Nor is it to be denied that WGcbcb is prey to the
euOrions that Mr. Irving paints. The distinction Is,
here as elsewhere that though they shake his whole
nature for the time, he masters them i'll the end.
Mr. Irvng's very subtlcty sometimes msleads him +;
in his minute study Of the particular passage he has
lost sight of the high qualities which the fiber of