The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-13

result Evil. which is essentially destructive
must sooner or later destroy both the wretch
and his greatness. but the poetic punishment Is
furnished by means OF ghastly visitants and
the machinery Of superstition.
IL have skctched tho character OF Gloster
Alright. 1t becomes n question why Mr.. Booth
should desire to make him complex and brill
liant relieved of coarsencss. and cvncng a
strain Of innate royalty and human feeling.
Tho fact is II Mr.. Booth desired to do any
thing Of the kind. he failed. His improved
Richard is not n wit more brilliant than the
traditional one, and no moro complex. His
humor is OF the same grim, diabolical charac-
ter. and his wit is. as before. the shield Of
sophistry to hide his purpose. or the lance Of
deception TO blind his victim. In either case il
is hardly taken account OF in Weighing the
character with our feelings.
SO far from complcxity is tho now edition,
that Richdrfs unmitigatcd sclnshncss becomes
the one dominant trait. and his ruthless. head
long will appears without any organic counter
poisc whatever Nor is he any less the coarse
monster Of cruelty that | can see.
There Is something in his Unprecedented con-
duct in the council scene that recalls the race Of
sea dogs-thc animal vigor and the personal
frenzy OF the old Britons Just emerging from
long civil war. More than that it puts before
action that Shakespeare drew and not the COM
pick and brilliant character relieved by coarse
ness and evincing strain OF innate royalty and
human feeling. His words to Hastings pour
forth in coarse, unprovoked torrent Of rage
lie is in the very delirium OF passion. With
one foot upon the council table. and ready to
leap upon it like wild bcast-his arm barred
and his face distorted with dcmoniac hatred
no VIRTUES and shouts: ON with his hcadl'
CONSERVATION falls upon the company. Hast
D,gS acts like one who is confronted 10y a ma
Mac.
II there is any innate royalty or human feel
Ing in this exhibition Of character. then have
misconccivcd the kingly oillcc and have mis-
taken my species. Its merit. on the contrary,
consists in its manifestation Of those traits
which we usually distinguish as inhuman.
Mr. Booth deliberately intcnsilcs its WRIT
lenco and it, unwarrantableness 10y his stage
business. The maignancy Of the text is not
enough. but he must leap TO the table and indi-
cate 10y every faculty at his command that CLOS
Ter spurns propricty and humanity alike when
an obstacle irri;atcs him.
The terrible seen" of rcmorse in the last act
is similarly intensified. Mr. Booth in giving
Richdida life If fear and Woe in one supreme
moment, ilits one scene out of all proportion TO
the rest. This is n weak point in the play itself
Mr. Booth magniilcs the weakness.
But it is not necessary to pick out tho great
episodes. Tho general dcmcanor Of Giosirr
throughout the drama indicates but too plainly
that. whatever Mr. Booths Judgment and taste
may be In the matter. his acting instincts lead
him to make Of the mallgn hero an energetic.
impusiyc man Of action. His eager face. his
exaggerated and wholly unnatural walk. in
which power enough is expended for a run. his
impetuous speech. his ciIrontery Of manner.
all help 10 fastcn in our minds the picture II
monster. II he is human. it is chiefly In the
adroitness Of his wckcdncss. He uses human
methods and human victims.
am forced 10 the conclusion. therefore that
Mr. Booth does not accomplish his purpose In
the restored version.
But cannot help recording my opinion that
such is the coercivc power OF the character
when plastic actor gets into it-ho accom-
plishes Shakespear purpose in spite OF him
self and makes Richard more unsympa,hetic
and more eagerly arrogant and aggressive than
ever before.
The truth If. wicked men In Richards time
were very apt 10 have strong animal natures
and TO be coarse-they expended an enormous
amount Of energy in cf.cting their purposes.
We cannot reduce their proportions and tenn
per their incorrgible natures 10 suit a refined
modern taste
cannot understand Mr.. Booths restless de.
sire TO change the details OF role in which he
has already distinguished himself. lie did this
several times with Hamlet.
II seems to me that II he seized the character
sympathetically. made its intimate acquaint-
ance by long familiarity. that his conception Of
II would grow more stable.
True, certain growth OF sagacity in the actor
would enable him constantly to develop those
" tnli ct 40.
escape early examination. but il there were n
conviction at the bottom the expanse OF the role
would not at any time amount 10 q radical
change
Mr. Booth never appears to be wholly con
WINGED that his is the right conception. H.
mobiles, alters. rearranges. His process is
an exoteric one. II deals with the business and
the demcanor-things which might be left to
take care Of themselves If he could only once
settle upon the spirit and motives that govern
them.
The question whether the restored version is
"freightcd with tcdiousness must be deter
mined by the representation, not by the prompt
book.
1t is all very well for the auditor to sit with a
handsomely prepared copy of the play in his
hands. and avow his admiration for the strain
Of invective which is put into the mouth Of
mine is whether the restoration of her scene in
the first act is so played that it helps on the gen
eral current Of the story. and heightens the
effect soughtto be produced 10y the central motif
As | saw 1t played it seemed to me that it
weakened the effect. delayed the action and
disturbed the general interest.
queen Margaret represents the past. which is
suspended like weighty curse over the heads
Of all. There is no doubt Of the poetic beauty Of
tho character, contrastcd rs it is with the pres
fd in The King and clarence. and the future in
the children Of Eobcdrd and Ciareace But the
poetic beauty Of the idea and its Theatre posi-
billy are two distinct things.
Mrs. Walters Queen Margaret failed to touch
me with that element OF the mysterious and
horrible which | get from reading the text in
the light of reasonable Imagination.
thought that her bitterness should have had
the authority Of fate. and her complaints and
curses should have cut with the keen edge Of a
righteous judgment. thought she should have
typined eternal justice that dwells in circum-
stance. and for poetic purposes is resident in
the history Of man no less than in the heaven Of
faith In no other way could see the force the