The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-26
William Greer Harrison on the
Great Bard's Female De-
lineatiOnS.
ALL WERE EQUAL TO MEN.
Foolish Man Fears His Dominance
VIII Cease With the Higher
Development.

when he reached the second and, perhaps,
more interesting part of his lecture before
the Geographical Society, at Golden Gate
Hall, last evening.
The lecturer was introduced by the pres-
dent of the society, Fred William D'Evelyn,
and without any attempts at oratorical
effects, but rather in quiet, converse
tional tone, at once set about to prove that
Shakespeare was geographer of no mean
abilities. He got his geography not from
books, but from the lips of travellers and
discoveries, who gathered at the Mermaid
to exchange their news of constantly
broadening world for the gossip of Queen
Elizabeth's court. Mr.. Harrison handled
the subject very entertainingly and made
numerous quotations from Shakespeare to
sustain his. theory
Turning then to "The New Woman in
Shakespeare" the lecturer said the phrase
was a misnomer. ''It is not a new but a
developed woman that woman herself de-
mands. The tyrant man does not make
demand for any special or general devel-
opment. Why? He fears, foolishly fears,
that his rule. his dominance, would be de-
stroyed if woman reached plane of de-
velopment equal or superior to his own.
1.-The generally accepted theory as to
woman's place in creation gives her the Of
ice OF an unpaid houSekeeper. Any duty
exterior to his sphere of influence is ig-
nored. Any desire to examine into the
general conditions of life. especially the So
cial and marital relations, is treason to
him. The individual man admits that the
condition of women might be improved,
but the collective man says: No. let her
remain as she is. We are satisfied
ANY position in the relation of the
sexes which suggests inferiority is a libel
upon the spirit of the age and is an insult
to man himself. Man and woman can
never occupy the same political platform
without friction; but they have each their
own platform, and the woman is entitled
to as many planks in the platform as she
may choose. Man has no rights which are
not common to woman, and no man has
any business to interfere with her free
action. If there is not to be a developed
woman, if she is not to stand on the same
plane with man, then you must refuse to
permit her to educate herself, you must
continue to treat her as child and dole
out to her such modified forms of educa-
ton as will hold her where you desire to
keep her.
Poor, frightened mani What is he
afraid of? Was his supremacy only sure
Do not be alarmed. Man will never lose
his legitimate supremacy if he has sense
enough 10 retain it.
woman was always what man made
her. Just at present man has made a
rebel of her; his sovereignty is threatened.
Ii he is wise he will make terms with her.
grant her all she asks and patiently wait
the issue. 1t occurs to me that | never
met man who would not, if he could
have had his mother gifted with every in
tellectual grace, crowned with the glory
that is the heritage OF the woman who is at
once womanly and wise.
9 ShakeSpeare's women have been
grouped so as to represent the intellectual,
the passionate and imaginative and the
affectionate. A fourth group includes his
historical characters, which are not so su-
premely Shakespeare's own.
sin the intellectual group we find Portia,
Isabelle, Beatrice and Rosamond.
"1n the passionate and imaginative we
place Juliet, Helena, Perdita, Viola,
Ophelia and Miranda.
characters strongly representing the
affections are Hermione, Desdemona, Imo-
gen and Cordelia.
The historical group gives US Cleopatra,
Octavia, Volmina, Constance of Bretagne,
Elinor of Cuvenne, Blanche of CASTLE,
Margaret of Anjou, Kathrine of Arragon
and Lady Macbeth.
Miranda is presented as the sweetest
type of simple innocency, an elementary
woman, exquisite in her loneliness, modest,
tender, unsophisticated, an impossible
being in workaday world, yet with all
the elements of the perfect woman-not
perfected. She had never seen one of her
own sex, and of the coarser sex her father
alone was known to her, yet no sooner did
Ferdinand appear on the scene than she
realizes that there is a passion not set
down in her fathers teachings. She had
no knowledge of the art of love-making,
none of the coquetish ways attributed to
her sex. The moment that she realizes
that she loves she says, with simple direct
ness: i am your wife if you will marry
me- Miranda is not the new woman.
though In the world OF to-day she would
be a novelty.
Compare Miranda and Juliet, the
snowdrop with the red red rose, the soft
murmuring flow of a impid stream with
the rush of torrent. Alas, poor Juliet,
sweet Juliet! Having all the innocency of
Miranda with nature so intense that death
alone could subdue it. Juliet the type of
loves sacrifice, the. very embodiment OF
beauty, daughter of the south, to whom
moonlight and melodies and sunny skies
were necessary atmosphere Juliet and
love were one. From the moment Romeo
entered her world he was her god. In Juliet's
heart was stored SO vast store of love
that the chaste passion of Portia, the inno-
cent love of Miranda, the confiding pas
clOli VI Clultd, Lie IOnQ anu Dlay1uI love
of Rosalind, the constant passion of Imo-
gen. the devotion of Desdemona, the fer
vor of Helen, the dainty tenderness of
Viola-all these were needed to give ex-
preston to it.
Beatrice. Viola and Rosalina are types
OF character belonging to an advanced, re.
fined and cultured society. They were not
common types when Shakespeare wrote.
Indeed, they are by no means common in
any land, even to-day.
''Portia is distinctly intellectual type,
with touch of romance in her nature.
She has strong imagination, great con-
slstency OF purpose, knew what she wanted
and secured it. Yet is she thoroughly
womanly. Her wit is musical and has the
perfume of the rose. In her were
blended energy, reflection and feeling,
and these had an atmosphere of gentle
dignity that could, when her affections
were touched, unbend into a mirthful
humor. Portia reasoned, therefore Portia
was logical. A beautiful Iogician was out
OF harmony with tho times, is still out of
harmony within our conception of woman
Portia belongs to the new order and would
to-day be the victim of public opinion. She
would be sacrificed on the altar of pro-
rr or 49, Il