The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-17

IN ILL CdSA
Tonight at the Seattle theater tho
Warde-James combination present Julius
Cesar" The play Of "Julius Cesar is
one of the few of Shakspeare's dramas
that is always likely to keep the stage.
"Othello." "Hamlet," Macbeth" ''Rich-
ard the Third" Merchant OF Venice"
"As You Like It." Twelfth Might"
Romeo and Juliet and Julius Cesar
include about all of Shakspeare's plays
that may be said to firmly hold the modern
stage. With a fine actor to play Falstaff.
of curse "Henry Fourth" and 'Merry
Wives of Windsor" can be added to this
list, but the American stage has seen no
good Falstaff since the death of Hackett.
Julius Cesar" keeps the stage chiefly
because of the three great parts of Antony.
Brutus and Cassius. By the mouths of
these characters many of the most men,
orable passages of Shakespeare are spoken.
The wonderful speech of Antony over
The dead body of Caesar was deemed by the
great Irish orator and advocate Curran as
holding the very first place as a model of
that artful eloquence, which, playing with
the passions. the reason. the Imagination,
and the tender sentiments of human
nature, sweeps its audience in turn from
tears to mutiny and rage and then back
again to tears. The oratorical contest be-
tween Antony and Brutus is instinct with
fine contrast. Brutus speaks first speaks
with noble simplicity and sent%entiousness;
his appeal is to the judgment, the con-
science, the patriotism of his hearers;
then Antony follows with q versatile at
tack upon all sides of human nature, and
he plays on the hearts of his audience as q
great musician does upon a great organ;
he makes some of the pipes peal forth the
deep bass notes Of rage and revenge; he
makes others whisper hoarsely in accents
of horror; he makes others still melodiOus
with the sweet flute notes of tender
sentiment and pathos. When that
oratorical duel is over Caesar is avenged;
all Rome has risen behind Antony, ana
Brutus and Cassius are fugitives. Brutus
is a p~oetic-minded. captivating dreamer.
as imaginative as Macbeth, as full of splen-
did courtesy and chivalry with his friends
as Hamlet; but he is the imaginative
dreamer with . conscience, like Hamlet,
not the imaginative dreamer and doer
without q conscience. like Macbeth.
Brutus is a creature of the Algernon Sid
ney, the Sir Henry Vane type; the fellows
that die for liberty, but never organize it.
like Cromwell.
Cassius as a man is the foil TO Brutus,
even as Brutus the orator is the foil to the
overpowering ~eloquence of Antony. Cas-
sius is no dreamer; he is your true con-
spirator; q lean. critical, saturnine fellow,
with something of the subtlety and crafty
persuasiveness of Iago in him, and yet
as true to his flag and his friends
as Brutus. He is a practical man;
he reads Marc Antony right and
urges his death when Brutus sees moth
ing in him but a wild and tippant
~reveler. not dangerous enough to put to
the dagger. Cassius is the better soldier:
the battle is lost because Brutus gives the
word too soon. The brief. tleeting glimpse
We get Of Caesar shows that Shakespeare
correctly estimated him as a statesman, a
philosopher, a fascinating man of the
world, fearless. good-natur ed. sagacious;
easily the foremost man of all his world.
The quarrel scene between Brutus and
Cassius is justly famous. and yet to our
mine a finer bit of delicate art is Brutus'
disclosure to Cassius of the news of Por.
tia's death. Portia. the wife of Brutus.
briefly but beautifully comes and goes. a
pbonf0r, ,f Iottnht - ekn 49, I.A
is q far finer and rarer woman than the
Portia that fills 90 large a place in the
Merchant Of Venice" Here are some
lines that furnish the key to her character:
Within the bond of marriage. tell me. Brutus.
IL IL excepted l should know no secrets
That appsrtain TO your Am l yourself
But, Is IL were, IN sort or limitation,
To keep with you at meals. comfort your bed.
And talk TO YOU sometimesr Dwell / but in the
suburbs
or your good pleasure? II it be no more.
foytia i. Brutus' harlot. not his wife.
Brg. You are my true and honorable wife,
As dear 20 me a. are the rudy drops
That visit my sad heart
Por. II this were true. then should know
this secret
! grantf am . woman; but withai
A woman that Lord Brutus took 10 wife:
/ grant ! am a woman: but withai
A woman well reputed. Cs,o's daughter.
Think you i am no stronger than my sex,
Being 50 fa,heT'd and so husbandedr
The keen apprehension of Shakespeare
OF the real noble strength and sincerity
tina underlie the irritable. jealous temper
Of Cassius is well set forth when he makes
Cassius say TO the conspiraters:
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:
Therein, We gods, you maze the weak NOS,
s;ro1g.
Therein. We gods, you tysants do defeat;
Nor stony tower. nor walls OF beaten brass,
Nor alr!ess dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentiye 70 the strength OF spirit:
Bu; life. being weary of these worldly bars,
Never iacxs power 10 dismiss itself.
II know this, know al the world besides,
That part OF tyranny that | do bear
! eau shake OF st pleasure.
Cassius is clearly not a sw eet tempered.
popular fellow, like Brutus, but in the
capacity To die with courage for his con-
vIeiions he was easily the peer OF his he