Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-08

the praise OF all mon, but this speech
indicates that bis wife was aware OF that
inherent moral obliquity in him which
temptation would discover. Her speech
jusiifes the conviction and the previous
events in Macbeth's life; also, warrant
the Judgment that be was not utterly
deprayed in nature, and that he pos
sessed moral scnsibility with which no
had TO reason before entering upon a
career OF absolute wickedness. Indeed,
well might any man stand appalled, and
mediate before committing such q
crime as the murder OF Duncan. his
sovereign and his kinsman. Indeed.
his hesitation was a proof of his possess
ing some moral strength, which, as the
events Of the play prove, was overcome
by the entreaties and taunts OF his wife,
his moral weakness. the temptation OF
becoming king, and his own ambition:
This view OF Macbeth's character and
courage ia only confirmed by that other
celebrated speech OF Lady Macbeths, In
the same soliloquy already quoted;
aYet do fear thy nature:
II lie too fun o. the milk OF human kindness
To catch the nearest way"
And this view OF Macbeth's character
is still further confirmed by that sublime
soliloquy which Shakespeare has given
him in scene Z, Act l., in which he rays :;
"Ifi were done whom IT'S done. then twers well
II were done quickly; II the assassination
Could tremmel up the consequence. and catch
With his surcesse success. that but this blow
Might hs the be-all ana the end-all here
But here, upon this bank and rsosl Of lime,
We'd Jump the lifo to CONF. But In these cases
We stin have judgment here: that We but teach
Bloody instructions, which. being taught, return
To plague the inventor; this even-handea lnsuce
Commsnds the ingredients Of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips"
These utterances show him reasoning
with that moral sensibilty that have
ascribed to him, and at the end OF the
soliIoquy from which the above quota
ton is made his wife comes in TO him
and he announces to her as his conclu-
sion as the result of his moral medita-
ton that
~we will proceed no further in this business.
lie hath honored me Of late, and have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts OF people
Which would DO worn now in their newest
Not cast aside so seon.p
and it is then that his wife taunts him
with all the venomous bitterness OF her
nature, saying to him:
"Art thou sfosred
To be the same in thine own act and valour
AZ thou art IN desire9 Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament Of life,
And live a coward ia thine own esteem,
Letting / daro not wait upon i would
Like the poor cat Il tho adage7"
and it is then that in response to these
Insulting reproaches OF his wife that no
puts himself upon the Hottest moral
ground end utters that sublime speech ::
"Pr1theo peacs:
dare do all that may become man;
Who darss do more IL none.'
But her bitter and insulting impesch-
ments of him again follow, and the nm
sexed woman urges him to crime. His
moral sensibility is overcome, his moral
courage gives way, he yields to the
temptations of ambition, applauds his
wife, and enters upon career Of crime !
Mac6cth'S moral courage IS de0d; his
physical courage survives, and Chdt-
eUer courage he maaVeSts IN the rest Of
this piqy, fnciuding The fierce and ferO-
cjOus courage that he shoWS an his fight
NTH AacdU6. an t0hich he Is kitted, is
his phySicol Think, therefore,
that the failure of the critics to estimate
properly the courage OF Macbeth has
been caused by their default in not taking
into consideration these two distinct
phases Of the courage that characterized
him-viz., his physical and his moral
courage, the latter Of which perishes in
tho first act of the play and tho former
Of which survives to the end.
Ambitious, fierce, sanguinary and I'M
scrupulous as Shakespeare has de-
lineated Macbeth, he is, as | have pre-
viously said, not totally deprayed, and
throughout the drama it is unquestiona-
bly, the purpose of Shakespeare to pre-
sent this fact to the reader and TO make
the alterations Of his character between
good and evil thoroughly apparent. Not
only is this attested 10y the extracts from
toe play already given, but by many
others, and especially the following taken
from Act v, scene .:
"Seyton. say-this push
VIII cheer me ever, or disease me now,
I have lived long enough: my way OF life
IL iallon into the scar. tho yellow leaf,
Anu tIuL WHICH sN0ulQ accompany bll EEft
As honour. love. obedience, troops OF friends,
must not look 10 have; but IN thoir sioni
Curses. not loud but deep, mouth-hOnor. breath,
Which The poor heart would fam deny, and dare
scytoni"
And again in Act ". scene 81:
"ehe should hsye died hereafter
1hore would havo been time for snch word.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Crsops ia this pretty pace from day 20 day
70 the last syllable OF recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
Their way to dusty death Out, out, prief can
die:
Life's but walking shadow poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And tnon ia ne~ra NO more; II lis tale
Told by an idiot. full Of sound and fury,
signifying nothing"
And certainly these are not the utter
auces of totally depraved man, but
confirm the idea that L have already
given.
1t must also be remembered, in esti-
mating the evil phase of Macbeth's cha
racter, that be was placed by Shake
spesre under the supernatural influences
of the witches. and this in an artistic
aspect certainly softens his character.
He has also softened the character OF
Macbeth 10y ualtS Vi HhcciIou lOI MS
wife, whom he PROFESSIONALLY loves with
great tenderness. II is a Frequent error,
howeucr, in estimating the character
Of Macbeth, TO declare that tie mind of
Lady Mac6eM is Supcr'or to that Of
her husband. The tert 6Ufdences be-
yond dispute the great spperioriW Of
Mdcbeti's mind TO that Of his Uife.
Her a0iH is stronger, bit her moral
looVer IS greatly inferior.
EDWARD Nj. AIFRIEND.
Monuments TO Confederate VaIor--
"Here where We We're Driven.''
GETTYSBURG, July 4, 1888.
10 the Editor Of the Dispatch:
went over this battle. ground to-day for
the second time. Since my visit last July
many costly monuments have been erected.