Morning journal and courier., 1881-05-27
Price Four Cents.
Gdipus Tyrannus.
editor of the JounNA1 AND COURIER !:

To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The rendering of this tragedy on a modern
stage in its original form with it's scenic eff
fects and illusions constitutes an epoch in
the higher culture of the country. The
enacting of Latin plays at the German uni
versities has long been in vogue The Gag
amemnon," given last autumn at Oxford, was
the first of the more important Greek plays
which has been attempted. Harvard has
worthily followed Oxford in the reproduction
of still more difficult and perfect Greek
drama. 1t remains for Yale to eclipse both
In some bolder attempt to revive enthusiasm
in classic studies. The sighting remark
sometimes heard that after all it was ssnot
worth the candle, 1T did not repay the
time, trouble and expense bestowed upon if.
is, L think, unworthy of an enlightened
taste. The same might be said of ANYTHING
beautiful in art or action which involves DIFF
fculties. great many noble things would
have been left undone in the world if this
carping spirit had prevailed. The perform
ance of the Gdipus Tyrannus was successful
even In a Recuniary point of view In the
slang sci the day, it paid" More
than this, a whole community. and
tiis whole coumry=g for consid-
cradle period, has been educated in
classic literature and art. Innumer able lectures
have been given from professors desks and
through the press upon Greek archaeology.
architecture, costume, drama and language
new impulse has been Impaired in
college circles to the study of Greek. and
new life has been put into the Greek Ian
guage.
The extraordinary ease and naturalness
with which the Greek was uttered by the
several actors, especially by him who sus-
tanned the principal role, shows the singular
fexibleness and expressiveness of that tongue
as spoken language. We believed this be-
fore and now we know it. This was some-
thing worthy of great university and cen.
ter of classical instruction to do. 1t raised a
new standard. It gave a new ideal. 1t
threw new life into old studies. The whole
play was brought out with excellent taste,
end as a result of the most complete schol-
arship. There were no harsh incongruities
or Inconsistencies. Though performed with
out mask or buskin, or other antique acces-
sories which the circumstances of modern
civilization render impossible, the whole mise
en- scene was striking and beautiful AS in
the ancient play, there was one principal piece
of scenic effect in the rear of the stage rep
resenting the palace of Gdipus although the
sides of the stage to the right and left, ON
which in the old Greek theatre landscapes
it is said, of Greek landscape painting,
were left open. The study of
costume was especially fine, without being
overdone. The music has been criticised as
being unclassical and even monotonous; but
although we now know little about ancient
Greek music, we know that it was built upon
the simple principle of rhythm. This, says
Ernst Curtius, was the law which the words
of poetry, the sounds of music and the
movements of the orchestric art obeyed to
it classical art owed its clearness, its happy
order and its serious bearing; by it, tr n
quillity in action was assured and thought
acquired the sway over emotion. This idea
was eminently appropriate and successful
always pleasing and helping, and
sometimes grand in its movement.
1t carried onward the awakened
emotions and thoughts of the dra-
ma as it developed itself in its terrible ener-
gies.
The speaking was free from any express
sion of constraint as if the actors moved in
the fetters of an antique tongue. There was
no prompting, and it seemed as if the souls of
the old actors had passed into the new. The
Greek sounded soft and flowing like the
modern italian, with an avoidance of conso-
nantal roughness and the prominence of
the digamma, hardly realizing the sharp
ness and strength which the old Greeks put
into their speech. It was Ionic with all the
angles rubbed down rather than the harsh
Doric or even terse ringing Attic. 1t was, to
our own thinking, too soft, and there were
other peculiarities of pronunciation which
might be dwelt upon and criticised by ex-
perts. On the other hand, the acting, while
vivid and full of animation, was in
huenced too much by modern ideas
of acting. Greek acting was more
calm and reposeful. 1t was the utterance of
poetic thought rather than of animated dia-
logue. AS acting and varied elocution came
in, the true spirit of the old Greek drama
died out. Sophocles himself averse to the
show of much emotion, and was of all Greek
writers the most thorough artist He de-
pended more upon the inward development
of character by the thought than upon the
outward exhibition of feeling The princi-
pal character of Gdipus was overacted. 1t
lacked reserved force. 1t did not hold its
passion for the great scenes. 1t was femi-
nine rather than a masculine display of
grief. Gdipus. though an e1citable man,
was a manly Greek soldier and every inch
king. When the terrible denouement came,
the display of agonized feeling was exhaust
ing both to the actor and to the audience
But this is hypercritieism of a wonderful
performance in which the pluck, enthusiasm,
hard work and brilliant talent displayed
brought new honors to an old university.
J. M. HoPPIN.