Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-03
THE DRAMA.
Mastery Production Of Tn,
SsNerchaMt of Vo.tce,,

A Mastery Production of The
ssMerchaMt of Venice.,
The production of the Merchant o.
Venice at the Opera House last nigh,
attracted an audience that has not beer
surpassed for brilliancy or numbers
during the Booth Barrett season.
There is something in this play
which has great fascination for the
fair sex, and it was made doubly SC
last night from the fact that it was to
be produced in its entirety, giving the
last act, which is usually-and mex
cusably, to our lnind,-omitted. The
closing act at Belmont, for the rom an
tic splendor of its scenery and the
poetic sparkle OF its dialogue, was
superb.
The Merchant Of Tenice stands on a
par in its strength of character. define
alton with the best of Shakespeare s
plays. When we consider the rooted
prejudices that existed during his
time against the Hebrew race, we
are astonished that he could have
drawn such a picture as that of "Shy-
lock' without marring it by making
it contemplate. He lived at time
when religious intolerance was the
prevailing blemish of the age. The
father of the reigning queen had lain
his heavy hand on the old religion of
the realm, and in a measure evolved
out of it the Anglican Church. Per-
secution was rife, and penal laws,
aimed against all matters of con.
science that disagreed with his own
vacillating nature on the subject of
religion, were enforced by the most
inhuman punishments. The short
reign Of the boy king, Edward, helped
materially to form the new religion
upon a stable basis. But Mary who
followed him, signalized her brief
reign, on the other hand, with an at
tempt to restore the old religion by a
persecution that added another bloody
page to English history. Her success
sor, Elizabeth, restored the Anglican
system, and fixed it permanently
as the religion of the State.
Thus, in a few short years, ,one form oi
Christian faith prosecuted another,
whilst they all agreed in their com.
mon hatred of the descendants ofAbra-
ham. Therefore it is marvelous-and
speaks volumes for the intellectual en-
franchisement of Shakespeare-that
he lends himself SO little to the
prevailing predjucice against the Jews
and in "shylock" draws so philosoph.
ical picture OF the energy of their char.
acter by tracing the blame Of his hero's
faults to the wrongs his race were
made to suffer from the Christian
world. Divested of the prejudices OF
the time, "Shylock" is presented as
man of great intellectual strength
logical in his reasoning, and only
overcome by legal bubble
on the part ofhis opponents. His de-
termination to have the pound of flesh
is natural. Revenge was then the
Christians salve for every in jury An.
tonic had treated him as dog, spat
upon him, spurned him. When he
got the. man who had so grossly abus-
ed him in his power he naturally
retaliated in kind. The lessons he had
learned from the Christian
were not forgotten. His daughter
had been stolen, his jewels and bis
ducats had gone with her, bis con.
suming grief was derided and he was
treated as beast. Is it to be cup.
posed that he would have returned
good for evil-that when his time oi
triumph came, he would have been
softened by ''Portia's" plea for mercy
The Merchant of Venice is affluent
in incident, and no character that
Shakespeare has drawn is richer in
dramatic suggestion to the capable
actor than that of "Shylock. Mr.
Booths personation is a study.
He invests the character with all
the intensity Of purpose, the caution
the suspicion, the craftiness, the ra,
pacity, the hardness, of nature thai
is waging constant warfare with q
society that treats him as a common
enemy There is but one soft spot in
his make-up-that is in his inflexible
attachment to his people and hit
religion. This sentiment, when ar
reused, brings out the intensity O.
his veneration for the faith O
his fathers. In all the exactions O
the part Booth exhibits profound in
sight into the metaphysical working
of "Shylock's" great intellectual en-
ergy. He throws into the
picture all the delicate lights
and shades of fierce passion
uncomfortable paroxysms of rage
and occasional touches of gro.esque
tenderness. We are forced to sympa
thize with 'Shylock' in the unfilial
treatment he receives from his daught
er. "Jessica" is the picture of love
smitten young woman who has allow.
ed her passions to overcome her duty
and her principles, betraying at once
her Oriental fervor and her hereditary
craftiness. She is however, anything
but true type of the Jewish maiden
for the domestic ties are not m ore
sacred with any people than with the
Hebrews.
Mr.. Barrett as sBassanio" gave ue
|a fine presentation of the Venetian