New-York tribune., 1885-01-24
THE DRAMA.-MUSIC
EDWIN BOOTH AS MACBETH

D' 14' DOOI II 40 MACDEtH.
Last night at the Fifth Avenue Theatre Edv,,
Booth acted MaeDeth He had a great aud,anc. - ~
reception, penteous applause and he gave n n M, .
oance OF great character. Among all tho par tha,
are haotualy played by this tfagedan Mae,s,i is pr
as illustrating the truth of his artistic ni,tons
tne resources OF his imagination, and the grow, Of hl
executive powers The ideal that he gave Of Macbea
many years ago dn the famous days for example WHOM
ne acted IL In association with Charlotte Cushmap wa
the same that he gives now His mind has s.e,dr.
travelled on the track-and IL Is the right one Rs
inc expression that he now gives to that ideal ia far
tahscend0nt or his action and effect any earlier time
Ihe performance, at that PERIOD was comparativeI,
shSht ard fragile. IL is robust and massive and
above ALL it haggard with the misery Of selfconc
and pathetic with the remedess trouble and despera
tion OF remorse There is ncertitude in It's exc
cution, and there is vagueness in its meaning If
s snort as TO Intensity OF emotion at the colossal alt
tude OF horror to which Shakespeare has lifted bis gsv
nero IL resembles In that, every other embodiment o
NocteM that has been seen or recorded asolut.
REALISM in the IDEAL is at points, impossble but
at least the emotion of is of the right quality and "a
rightly directed
The Macbeth presented by Edwin Booth is a man wbs
mas been deduced nom the whole play In which he ix
ures and not from the estimate Of him that furnished
ny one or another Of the associate characters Ladv
A0eoeM takes one view Of him; Duncan another:
Baaquo another; Aaedng another, and 80 following:
w Do udt SnaXeSpeare presents hta
persons as nature presents them and always with
no doubt strong convictions but with ideas of
each other Macbeth is to be viewed as whole II You
interpret him to be monster you dethrone him
Hs deeds do indeed, become m0nstrous but this
cause from original nobility Of nature has been per.
verted by the emssares Of hell and turned into fren.
zied savage But his suffering keeps pace with his crime
Moro than philosophical inquirer into this subject
has reached and stated the conclusion that the
germs OF sin and crime latent in Haebe st the frat
he a. therefore, from the first depraved But the germs
OF sin and crime are latent in almost everybody-oniy
the requisite circumstances do not arrive to develop
them or the pressure OF development takes success
fully the direction OF virtue and recttude The true
view to be taken Of Aaebh is the high view When you
look at him a who. by choice butchers his friend
and guest. and kills women and children, you behold
long the image Of MaeSeM til Macready put as
end 10 IT, But II he be viewed great and splendid
nature Imaginative tender capable Of love and Of pity
eminently capable Of suffering and,-thus Organized
abandoned to the horrible doom OF being driven by
growing wretehedness goaded to frenzy
and violent death, he presents sublime spec
erestiBg study OF the possibilities of the human soul
Humanity which should have been glorious, Is con.
humanity Of common cutthroat Maebth is poetcal
creaton and 1t is because Edwin Booth felt this to
be r'e and made 10 evident in his performance that his
present embodiment is recognized as a great work
In his execution OF Aaeb n Mr. Booth remains as he
has ever been much subject to the vsstues Of his
temperament, and therefore uncertain and uneven.
Down to the end OF the Banquet Scene however this
occasion. he never fatered The vision Of the dagger,
the hystrcal reaction after the murder and the
elsm OF the Imagined spectre were accomplished with
MS usual spenor OF Imagination and hery vitality and
with his nvariable variety OF subtle treatment Tho
weird passages such ." Now DER the one-haf world,
ste were spoken TO give shudderng their
mystical poetry, and with perfect music OF ntona-
ton Great applause attended him to the close,
and called him ont when the curtain fell Mr.. Charles
Barron acted Haedue aid with but little sacrifice Of
feeling conveyed mis- idea OF turbulent Scottish
With prodigious vocal force. The awakening OF the
s'epers and tho discovery OF Dunean's murder were
magnificent, but this same violence In the grief
seems not quite compatible with poetic ideal Mr Bar
ron. however, carried the house with him. and gained
special recall. Miss Annie Clarke, Lady Maeba,
proved conventional in all respects. II Imagination and
feeling are required for this character though-as is
commonly suppOsed-Mss Clarke scarcely be said 10
have presented Ii with fidelity. There n few
touches OF emotion In the sleep and for this the
ay was cordially applanded and called before the
tain There charm ia the personality. though.
aud the power suggested seemed rather that Of
than OF deep Intensity OF and nel
ectua purpose. IL ough surely be remembered that
Lady Macbeth dies by suicide precipitated by lingering
remorse. The scenery employed better than been
usnsually set for this play OF late years.