St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-21
BUT A PART OF THE PLAY.
Prof. Mouiton's Opinion of William
Shakespearess Ghosts.


Prof. Moulton, the scholarly uni
Versity extension lecturer, delivered
two lectures in st. Paul yesterday The
first was given at the First Baptist
church at p. m, ON job" In the
evening he delivered the second, on
Macbeth" at the Park Congregation
al church, last evening, which was a
literary treat, enjoyed by a large and
appreciative audience. While the entire
play of Macbeth was treated in a sen
eral manner by the speaker, specific
attention was given to the answering
or the question, propounded at the
opening of the discourse, Did Shakes
peare believe in ghosts?"
There were number of critics, Prof.
Moulton stated, who were inclined to
believe the immortal bard of Avon
mysterious and superstitious in his
great works. But, in his opinion, this
conception of Shakespeare's genius was
wholly unWarranted by the facts and
incidents of his writings.
In defining the term ghosts" as ap-
pied to Shakespeare's plays, the speak
er embraced in it's meaning all super
natural creatures. 1t was a popular
fallacy, Prof. Moulton said, for some
superior people to decide that, because
they did not believe in ghosts, Shakes
peare must have held the same views
OF the supernatural. Such a decision
was not just nor tenable in view of the
facts as revealed by study and investi-
cation, and the audience was warned
against committing a similar mistake.
A distinction was drawn between Shakes
peare as an artist and Shakespeare as a
thinker. AS an artist, he had put into his
pictures all that the age of the pictures believed,
ana had made the beliefs as real as the other
parts or the painting. AS thinker he was
responsible for the influence of the supernat-
ural persons and things Of which he wrote.
On these points the lecturer laid down three
propositions which he upheld by deductions
from Macbeth" Beings of evil have no
power over men, said he, except by their own
consent. In substantiaton of this statement
Macbeth was shown to have informed his wife
OF his treason and murder in his oath before
the play opened. The witches had had no
concern in those incidents in Macbeth's ca
reer because of their origin before they had
been encountered. AS a second proposition,
Prof. Moulton stated that what is revealed of
the future has no influence on the course of
events, except to assist in the natural course
being pursued. In Macbeth the witches
with which the witches had nothing to do.
In regard to the witches prophecy concerning
Macbeth's ascending the throne by means of
murder and treason, Shakespeare had but
made them repeat the oath uttered before the
opening Of the play. Their prophecy began to
come true, but only because of the necessity
of the natural order of events as present in
the writer's mind. Contrary to the general
conception Of the prophecy it had banished,
for time Macbeth's thoughts of treason and
murder. He had said, himself .'If accidents
are to make me king, why think Of treason
and murder" That Macbeth afterwards did
commit murder, the speaker turned to the
support Of his argument that the natural or
der of events, following the proclamation OF
an heir apparent to Duncan's throne, was
being carried out. AS a final argument, Prof.
Moulton stated that the use of the super
natural in Macbeth, as we'll as in all others of
shakespeare's plays; was entirely for the spec
tators. Seen through the medium of the SUI
pernatural, natural events were made to APP
pear supernatural in their contamination.
Macbeth, concluded the speaker sis the sole
actor in the scene of his destiny, the witches
but turn on the blue footlights This is my
answer to the question, Did Shakespeare be-
lieve in ghosts?' -