New-York tribune., 1884-11-29
WILSON BARRETTS HAMLET.
PECULIARITIEs or SCENERY AND DRESS

IRREGULARITIES Of SCENERY AND DRESS
IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT THE rRIBusg.l
LONDON. October 81
In shakcspcares time the characters in Hamlet
wore Elizabethan costumes, but doubet and
hose" were not in vogue in Danish courts however
suitable they may be for the creatures of Shake
speare's thoughts. aud II the scene represents n
Danish palace, tho King. Queen and Court should
Of oonrse DO attired as Danes. Now tho original
story of Hamlet IL legend of tho time of Roricus.
fftcenth King of Denmark labout II. q. 300.
whom tho wild shores and rudo rocks
of tho Baltic inhabited by
barbarlana. whose clothing was much too primitive
for nineteenth century atago Shakespeare has
taken tho liberty ~ In shown by tho political al.
lusionn which he puts into tho mouth Of Cmudius.
OF altering tho dato of tho English translation of
lioolorcsta "iiistoires Traglquos' nb70), In
which tho old myth from tho " "lIlstorin Danica"
OF Saxo EXAMINATIONS Qis0) was Incorporated, aud
from which he derived his materials. aud making
II the eleventh century after Christ instead of tho
third before. This is the period which the COS
tunes IN Mr.. Wilson Barretts revival Of
Hamlet represent. They have been chosen with
care from manuscripts of tho period and other
sources by Mr. f.. Goodwin, L. s. A.. we'll
known arch@ologist, who crossed over 10
Denmark in order to prosecute his artistic
researches on tho spot. His studies seem to have
largely corroborated tho correctness of the cos
tunes which Planche suggested some twenty years
ago, on the authority of Strut and Meyrick.
In Mr.. Barrett's revival brilIiancy of spectacle
has been subordinated to archaeological accuracy
and artistic taste, and life in feudai court has
been presented with fidelity. The play opens as
usual with the wierd scene on the platform be-
fore the castle, which fills one with foreboding
fear. The idea of the scene was admirably grasped
by Mr.. Walter Ham, the scenic artist. whose bat
Elements with the castle behind, stretching tower
upon tower, far up into the gray sky, had the de-
sired effect Next comes his brilliant Court Scene
the great hall with its rude arches and columns,
its walls hung with arras on which
were painted figures In the costume
of ancient Scandinavia. As the King and Queen
entered. preceded and followed by merry groups of
courters, and took their seats upon the throne
amid a flourish of trumpets and enthusiastic cries
with which ones recollect1ons OF Hamlet are some
how connected had been chased away. For the
eTcece of the and and S @. G4or Of eees tSs
Court Jester to the gloomy black OF THE the
Prince-it was brilliant spectacle; Ihe
recollection of t is heightened by contrast With
the Ghost Scene which followed in which everything
was silvered with a silent grayness. Had there
not been lack of soemMty about the gigantic
awed the youngest child present.. the scene might
have been Que of the most effective. Following
the idea of Eechter, the Gh0st STANDS Ia trans.
parent wall clad in gray robe beneath which his
armor is dimly visible
The Play Scene takes place out-of-dOors-a booth
being erected for the players in the orchard, and
we NAV imagine, on the spot where the late King
was poisoned. The curtain Of this stage Is hung
from the bOughs of trees the castle is seen on the
top of the steep cliffs which tower up straight from
Court, and the contrast between the robes OF the
lords and ladies and the skins which form both the
coats and caps of the warriors, all
lit up by the ruddy glare OF the
torches and the lovely summer moon, makes
probable and picturesque pageant The hingan
Queen sit upon rustic bench TO the left, hand In
hand. Hamlet and Ophelid occupy another bench III
the centre; the tiny stage IS on the right. lhe
by-play of the King throughout this scene, as the
meaning of the mimic tragedy gradually breaks
upon him. is magnificent and when at last he starts
to his feet crying piteonsly for lights" ana then
fees with hs guilty spouse, surrounded by
his frightened retinue all IN the DIR
est confusion, and Hamlet. with an out
OF his scheme leaps upon the improysed stage and
shouts wildly snatches of poetry the appropriate,
ness OF the idea electrilie3 the audience. would
not this he asks Horatio in his excitement, WITH
forest Of feathers get me a fellowship IN cry OF
players r. aud then he decaims another stanza as
wrought mind can bear mp no ionger anu win enc
hysterie cry 'IIOratO |" he staggpIs down the steps
and falls sobbng into the arms of his only friend.
Contrary TO stage tradition. but carrying out the
ilea Of \ non gloomy production Ophehd Is buried
nj midday I'm the broad sunlight, m Danish
rinirlirard made niournlully picturesque with .s
vews aud memorial crosses. This scene and the
iav Scene ate both the work uf Mi hetereyi
The Fencing Scene takes blaee 80 garden, and
iufiis the lnst pf series " hiteet all ~ Whieh'
inss, ain atfanaei with grace ahi enhance teit
tfiuatlV thp eiiaiin nf tnb pt1ilhptinni