The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-13


hollow,
our footsteps fare:
The bee soning Ola Fathers hand we follow
Ills love alone is there.
No curse. nn cares
~. r.. sin.
MACBETH And OTHELLO.
The principal obstacle Do The way Of
forming a just and accurate opinion of
the comparative greatness Of two such
tragedies as Macbeth and Oihello is to
be found in their entire dissimilaritv,
dissimiIaritY extending not only 90 the
personalities. TO the motives ana springs
of action and 10 the scenes. but 10 The
medium Of expression. % the very style
i.self. Which is greatest when both
are supremely great in their separate
spheres of intellectual creatiOnY We
can say of Snaksptre what we cannot
say OF any other author, that. IN the first
place, his power is so preemlneut that
he can only be compared To himself.and
in the second place. that his works
differ SO much from each ether in the
variety Of their character. that NO single
standard exists that can be applied 90
any two. Macbeth and OthellO are Of
the most cOlsummate merit IN the sep
arate categOries iO which they belong.
The question I'm large measure therefore
reduces itself no this, which of these
catagOries conforms most closely TO the
loftiest canOus OF the most exalted art
First, leu as compare the two TRACE
dies in their most obvious and salient
features. How essentially unlike they
are in what may be called their physl-
cal back ground. The first scene of
Macbeth opens in n wild aud barren
spot far removed from every human
habitati0n The last scene closes no
the open field surrounding DuIsiraue
castle. Between these two scenes. The
action of the play alternaLes i'm camps.
heaths. parks. and palaces so Gus OFT
that murder IS committed in them with
impunty. So far as the purely local
character of the play Is concerned. che
mind Is deeply impressed with sense
of strange yastness. Tue lonely hcaihs
seem 10 have no local boundaries. The
horizon Oi tine battle fields BIS SD distant
that an army with b0ughs cannot be dis
tinguished from tine forest. The cay-
erns are SO deep down DO the bowels of
the earth as 20 De DO aOodes Of hlgsan
witches. Whenever the action OF the
play shifts 90 within walls DC Dis unde,
the roofs OF palaces so tall as % BE-
haunted by the temple loving Martiet,
aud TO catch Che Wo0iug breath OF
Heaven. Here lhe scenes are laid in
lofty banquet halls on chambers $50 spa
ceous as to bs worthy to os occupied boy
kings. 30 So here D., the eye walled in
or the im9gioa.i0n cribDed bY ra.IOw
local restrictions.
Urcon6ued nature enters lit1 the
drama at every stage. Inurrff and
lightning. fog mi-tund cloud and filthy
air. the irost. the dismal raven clOak-
/ ing from h0ary blulemouis, the dee
vouriug kite. all have part ODD this
wonderful me eY. III also reaches ont
/ into that supernatural tphoie that
knows neither time uor pace. Wiiches
with skinny lips. disneyCllCd halr and
bearded chius. flash before as and van.
| ish into the air or with uuearthlychant
mix the deadly c0ncocti0n of their
mysterious caldsOns. More fughtiul,
/ however than any bag of Heclle. the
ghost OF the dead rises from the floor and
seats itself at the banquet table.
In OthellO ON the other hand. there
IS no supernatural background, aud i,-
natural background Is entirely DIFF
ferent from that Of Macbeth. THE
scene Is shifted from the ancient castle.
the blasted heath and the open field, 20
an Italian city where ease and luxury
we're the principal ends 10 be attained
.IIs.. H..I .. b. HI
ia streets. or IN gardens. or the scene ls
/ laid la quiet chambers. The acuon.oi
the play is altogether dissoclaLcd from
locality SO far as any influence upon lts
events is exercised. lbs connection With
locality. indeed. Is entirely convention
al. Nature makes 100 impression ou Tho
destiuies OF the individuals ON the stage
EXCEPT through their natural as.Ocia
ton. None of that sense Of local vast
ness and lack of physical boundaries
which seal upon the mind lu reading
Macbeth are present upon "a pefusai OK
Othello. In lbe former the locality
rises to The highest importance, in the
latter IL sinks into inslguihcauce.
The physical background of The two
plays is Lot more disslml.ar than the
character Of tho respective events
which they record. From beginning
To- end. Macbeth resembles @ tempest.
furious. molcless. and .anguinary. Il.
opens with q storm aud "a brief assem-.
Div of witches as wild AS the thunder
land lightning. in appearance and Jan.
cuage. Hardly have they vanished
when the scene shifts 90 a camp. and O
soldier. bathed in reekiug wounds. re-
counts the exploits az Macbeth Do ihl
recent battle. how "he carved OuJ hts
massage with brandlshed steel which
smoked with bloody execution. Too
scene shifts again. the witches reappeai
and vanish after planting in A1c'
beth's mind that sug esiion WAos.
horrid image. as he himself said
uuiixed bis hair and made bis saatel
heart knock at his ribs, in other WORDS
the murder Of Dducau. Then closely
. follows the terrible slli.CQly II Lady
Macbeth. in which she expresses he
, determination. apart from all knoWl
, edge Of the workings OF Macbeth
mind. that Duncan's entrance unde
the Dattlements OF her husband 5 clsll
shall be fatal. S.ilened in his fesoiu
luton By the scOfuIui utglL-a yl hi
fendish wife, Macbeth glides into the
the chamber If the KING, and plunge
the dagger into his breast aud return
! with bloody hands. and pursued By thN
! voice -Sleep no more. Macbeth hail
p murdered sleep. '
The murderer is invested with th
insignia of king ship. and at once be
gins 70 plo, the destruction of Banquc
! Blnquo is stabbed to death. but return
asa spirit visible only % Mac0-th, an
= seats himself at the feast. regarding b.
= murderer with eyes IN which there va
2 no speculation. but merely a fxe
glare, which blanches Macbeth 5 hee
with fear. and sears his eyeballs. Late
, on, Macbeth consulis the witches agar
: who. at the command OF Hecate. sun
mon up triple appatitions. who, IN turn
give Macbeth fateful warnings as TO Oh
future, and descending out OF sigh
% are followed by procession
eight kings. with the ghost trea'
: ing close upon their heels. Ala