National Republican., 1884-03-06
ADJUSTMENTS.
" straws.'

THE NATToNAL-MR. IRVING AS HAMLET.
William Hazitt once wrote that every
man is Hamlet, and Edward Dowden has
proclaimed Shakespeare created it a mys-
terry, and therefore, it is forever suggestive
forever suggestive, and never wholly explica-
ble." Mr.. Irving's Hamlet is an intellectual
person endowed with profound mental acu-
men, and his morbid humor seems to be the
keynote upon which tho actor has purposely
attuned his Interpretation.
The form of melancholy which has become
part of Hamlets very existence breaks
forth in the second act, and Mr.. Irving takes
the ground, and most properly, too, according
to our idea of the character, that Hamlets
madness existed only in the imagination of
his courtiers. The courtierS firmly believe
such 10 be the case. but the King could not
have so considered it. for later on he said to
Rosencrantz and Guilderstern:
something have you heard
OF llamlet's transformations so call II,
Sith nor the exterior nor the inward man
Resembles that he w0s."
This Is spoken after Hamlet has seen the
Ghost yet the King gives no hint of Ham
let's madness, and calls the change trans
formation" Polonious himself is not wholly
convinced of Iiamet's insanity, for he tells
Of himself, Truly in my youth / suffered
much extremity for love very near this
We thoroughly believe that the time will
never come when any actor can present a
| Hamlet that will be universally regarded as
| u correct Interpretation of tho master poets
sublime creation. Mr.. lrving's impersona-
tion was brilliantly bold in execution,
replete with new readings, and
stage business, and magnificent bursts of
feeling, arising from his changableness of
moods. There does not seem to be scene in
the entire tragedy which he has not touched
with his own subtle and delicate refinement
and removed far above the conventlonalities
of other actors whom we have seen. His first
soliloquy, 80, that this too too solid flesh
would melt" was rendered as though it were
the unconscious utterance of thought. He
displayed but little interest in the return to
earth of his fathers spirit until he met II
face to face, and then he surrounded
himself with solemn supernaturalismi
tinged with glow of superb flial affection.
This, in turn, seemed to give way to a sort oi
nervous terror, and no became hysterical,
which presented to the oath of secresy an
added revercntial awe. The first long inter
view between Hamlet and Ophelia was played
with splendid dramatic forco and Are. His
stimulation Of passion, his deep longing for
its qualification, aud his recklessness conse-
quent upon his recollection Of the
stern duty to which he had. devoted
himself-alternately flying from her
and then returning-was a part of the
performance which created most profound
impression upon our mind. Nothing could
have been more tender than where, upon
uttering the words ~ loved you not" hi
falls upon his knees and kisses her hand
The soliloquy, "Oh, what rogue and peasan
slave am | /" was delivered quietly until th(
King was mentioned, when he broke fort!
into a perfect torrent of words, rushing 81
madly that whole lines were we'll nigl
unintelligibe to those not familiar will
the text. The soliloquy, ITO be, or not be,
was grandly rendered-indeed, We have NJ
hesitation IN saying that such an interpreta
, tion has never before been given in Washing
ton. The whole of the play scene was spoke
with passionate intensity and nervou
force shadowed with an intellectual beauty
that, it was to our mind, the most noteworth
0 Of the performance. His catching Of Ophelia'