Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-06-07

SO little does human nature change
that the characters described by Shak-
speare, almost three centuries AGO. are
as real to rs of today as they we're to
the people of his own sine. The same
motives prompted them to action-the
same passions excited them as now.
There is the greatest possible diversity
IN The characters of women portray.d
oy Shakespeare. He as faithfully de-
scribes the thoughts and feelings of a
stately queen as of a simple .he herd
ess; of Young girl as Of an aged wo-
man. There are the Merry Wives of
Windsor and the sad 0phelia. Portia
- a ideal of most noble womanhood:
Gonetil nne Of the worst of women. He
represents women actuated by eyery
kind of passion: Juliet, borne along by
her unrestrained passion of love to her
tragic death; Lady Macbeth, led on by
ambition to commit murder.
Volumnia, in her courageous and war
like spirit, resembles the Spartan wo-
men. She says: " Had I dozen sons.
each in my love alike, and none less
dear than thine and my good MARGINS.
i had rather had eleven die nobly for
their country than one volupl uously
surfeit out of action" And when nu
merous ambassadors had been sent to
Coriolanus without success, she shows
her patriotism when, accompanied by
his wife and child, she kneels before her
son, pleading him to show mercy toward
Rome, declaring that he shall no sooner
march TO assault his country than to
tread upon her body.
Jnliet ia one Of the best known of
Shskspeare's women. Remodeling the
drama as Shakespeare did, from an old
poem, he followed the incidents as they
were given, only celebrating the char
acters. As given in the old poem and
adopted by Shakespeare, Juliet is a girl
only thirteen years OF age, who falls ia
love with and accepts a kiss from the
stranger Romeo one evening, and mar
ries him the next day. girl of like
age, who should act in the same manner
at the present day. would be thought
either bold, immodest girl or fool.
much imaginative power. and caused
her To express her passion IN such beau
tiful language, as To make amends for
her boldness and cause feeling of sad.
ness at her unhappy fate
In the same play there Is truthful
description of an old narse. She il q
foolish, talkative old woman, caring for
Juliet, it may be, but caring more to
hear herself talk. She relates anecdotes
of Juliet's childhood and repeats them
ever aud over again, until they become
wearisome.
Rosamond is one of the most spri0htly
and charming of Shakspoare's women.
Without telling US the color of her eyes
and hair, AZ n modern novelist would
have done, Shakespeare has contrlved IN
general terms to let rs know she Was
beautiful. Rosamond herself says she
IL more than common tall" and her
lover Orlando says she possessed " Hell
ems cheek bat not her heart. Cleopatra's
majesty and Lucretia's modesty. We
think of her "a a saucy, frolicsome girl,
| Who would alwaya be playing some
harmless trick on somebody. In strong
contrast TO Rosamsnd's buoyant nature
IL the more quiet, serious one of Celia.
She commands our admiration by her
faithful attachment to Rosamond. She
olings to her cousin like Ruth to Naomi.
and when Rosamond is banished, and.
disguised az a youth, enters the forest,
Celia leaves the king her father. and,
arrayed as a simple shepherdess. accom-
panies her. But Rosamond in her youths
attire cannot help revealing now and
then her woman's nature. When Celia
reproves her for interrupting, she an
swers: Do you not know am woman2
When | think | must speak" And at
sight of the bloody handkerchief she
swsons, and afterward pretends It was
counterfeit.
Lady Anne is a type Of vain, fokle
womanhood. While she Ia mourning
over the death of her noble husband,
aud oursing his murderer. Richard fat
terinely urges his suit, pretending that
all his crimes were committed for love
of her, and she, weak woman, becomt .
his wife.
By the selfsame art of tiattery Rich
ard Ill. overcomes the hatred of Queen
Elizabeth, who 10 mourning for her
slaughtered sons, aud the ambitious
mother herself becomes messenger of
love between her daughter and her Sous
murderer. Even cruel Richard scorns
her weakness. and behind her back calls
her Relenting fool and shallow chang
ing woman"
Katherine is a headstrong, peevish,
i'll tempered woman, who, tanned by her
husband, becomes the meekes OF wives
and makes an exeu plary speech on
wifely duty.
The character OF Lady Macbeth shows
that woman IL not proof against ambi-
tion, but will commit crime even TO
murder to accomplish desired end.
With deliberate purpose she urges her
irresolute husband to end King Dun
can's life. She smears the sleeping
prooms with blood to throw suspicion
unon them. But after she is crowned
queen she sees, when too late. that her
crime did not bring happiness, and she
exclaims:
"Naught's had. all's spent
Whore our desire ia got without content.
'ris safer 80 be that which We destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful
jay"
Although concealing the murder in her
conscious moments, in sleep she betrays
herself, and she dies the victim OF re-
morse.
Cleopatra shows the power for evil
that a fair but false woman may have
over men. She is capricious ans as
chaneeahie as the weather. BY her art
ifice She gains complete control over An.
,hony, keeping him from his wife and
duty as an officer. Her love for Anthony
seems to be the one thing in which she
il sincere. After Msrk Anthony Is dead
and Caesar victorious, rather than be led
| in triumph before him she ends her HE
| in her monument.
Bat while Shakespeare has represented
the weak, vain, ambitious and proud
aide of woman's character, he has nos
forgotten to descrise many good and
noble traits of character as well. lmo-