New-York tribune., 1884-11-18
EDWIN BOOTH IN HAMLET.
fBY TELEGRAPH To rHg TAIBJy'

BOsroN. Nov, 17-It is seldom that the pub
lie OF Boston is aroused to such enthusiasm as IL dis
played this evening in It's greeting to Edwin Boom ~ inc
Boston Museum. Again and again, aiter oaon
subsidence, the tumut Of applause which haheu
his disclosure as Hamlet broke forth with impetuous
arlor and for time the progress Of the tragedy was OBJ
structed by almost Of the popular gooa VIII
Edwin Booth probably nowhere held In higher esteem
and warmer affection than In this city OF thought las'o
and refinement. where scholarship Ia truly Vaueo anu
where the high achievements and noble tradi'ohs Vi o
past are remembered and cherished. The occasion
OF his temperance the stage 10 pcsin -"
regular dramatic Is eagerly seized ior mus
emphatic testimonial OF honest and right admiration ior
a great actor and brilliant career ,
IA these words arc written the performance Is sun
going on The audience, which includes many memDoi'
OF the State and City Governments and others Oh o
foremost gentlemen and most beautiful women Vi Do
is deeply impressed and at times .he "o",o
evinces its pleasure in audible murmurs OF degh vi III
vociferous plaudits Edwin Booth seems TO nave cas-.
of the WEAKNESS and apathy that 80 oiteh
him last season. and he is acting with surprising ~ anu
electrical force The repose OF his Hdniet Is ho is
taken for that OF routine and monotony but
that of tremendous tension and profound excitement
To a man nossessing the great intellect aud inc
Infinitely tender sensbility OF Hamlet gref does NOV
come in the form detection but In the FORM Oh
less turbulent, incessant agonizing jerk o VITAL aI.
tion He is never for even one instant q" io'. A"0
grin that misery has fastened upon his SOUL Is ine4or
able and contemplation OF the action and reaction OF his
spirt and his anguish is TO thoughuu
very kindred with observance OF the hopeless
suerings Of noble and beloved friend who srlv
ing against the SLOW nsdous sure and fata ad
of wasting disease which intends death ana wch
will certainly accomplish what 1t Intends The spirit OF
Hamlet indomtabe 1t may be killed. but 1t cannot be
conquered. The freedom into which 1t has entered
is the awful freedom that misery alone can give Beau
tful dcsolate narrowed with pain, but ever tremuious
with the life of perception and feeling 1t moves among
phan shapes and CHASTITY and hideous Images through
the wrecks Of happiness and the gimnering waste oi
desoation 1t distracted and irresolute spirit made
So In part innate gloom, and In parts by the grandeur
and vastness of perceptions But it is never
supine.
This pathetic condition Of agonzcd unrest this vitality
of exquisite torture in the nature ana experience OF
Hamlet has been better expressed than III Edwh
Booths performance tonight He moved with all MS
usual grace, and he spoke the text with All
his usual ease and polish of spontaneous hu-
ency and rich and strong significance. The noble
ideal and the clear execution were as obvious as ever
But this night he has brought out with almost unexam
pied dstinctness and woul beauty, the pathetic vitality
of the Hamlet experience.
often many years has he acted Honen this way
with such wealth of emotion and such exalted poetry OF
treatment II is the dream-like quality of his
acting that mostly used TO charm in Hamlet IL IL
the terrible reality of suffering in 1t that
conquers not realism, not fahtasuc
stage business, and the labored strangeness OF new
readings but the presentmeDt of the actual spiritual
life of distinctly gifted man. whom nature and circum-
stance have made so cearsiged and yet wrctchcdy
dubious that his surroundings overwhcm him. and life
becomes to him burden and a curse Hdmft Is
one yew mystery But seeing this personation the
thinker sees what Shakespeare meant. Many human
soul has had or is enduring. this experience con
fronted with the duty of fulfilling rational life yet
Ix-i., aftii
with sense of the awful mysteries OF spiritual destiny
and the supernatural world This is the great
subject that Edwin Booths performance OF
Hamlet presents and the actor presents IL
in thoroughly great and worthy manner His scenes
with the GHOST have had startling weirdness Ills
parting from OphsHa has the desolate and ahlicng and
therefore right effect in this play Of parting from love
itself no less than from its object His sudden deliiium
in the killing Of the concealed spy upon Hanefs inter
view with the queen wonderfully fine and 1t has
evoked prodigious enthusiasm.
The success IS extraordinary and the sight |
Of it arouses memories Of many Of Edwin Booths |
splendid efforts in the earlier years OF that laDorouSy
and richly frcghted which thirty five years ago ne
began upon the very that is glccd and adorned by
his magnificent performance tonight Iherc nave peeh
calls before the curtain.
Mr. Field has mounted Homi,t in sombre and stately
scenery duly relieved win occasional BRIGHT a mcdei and
must not he treated as If it were 1.-The school Tor scan
dal." or London Assurance"
Clark Queon, Alfred Hudson as Iol1nins MIS-
Blanche Thompson Olhetid, MI Iaik- as LneTHS M
Arden as hOrufO Mr. Kent the King aud Mr. George
Wilson First craze Digger. IL Is good east anu inc
representation is evenly balanced. adequate ana highly
satisfactory the sernest critics mere MI Bar
deep melodiOus voice is finely heard III the Ghost
should he used with less worthy or human qnany
and with more rapidty. Miss Blanche Thompson gives
Ophc,a with delicate shading as to meaning ana WIN
Tofpntus Miss Annie Clark made decided hit in the
Queen making her stately and fond aud touching her SIN
stained nature with tinge of wistfu sadness. -
Mr. Booth will produce OtlellO" next week Ills
New York engagement Ia to open with Macbeth Mr..
Barron playing MacdaG and Miss Clarke Lddy Mocbeh