The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-15

dnce trstNying, IT, indeed, any testi-
mony was needed, to the good first i'm
rression that DR.. Stafford made In his
lecture on Hamlet" here, last win
ter.
As a Shakespeare lecturer DR..
Stafford is acknowledged in the world
of letters TO he without = superior and
with few cquals, and that H. is
popular lecturer is not wondered at
for a moment after he is heard once.
\ lecturer aims to be entertaining and
instructive. Dr. Stafford is dOubly so
for his lecture is both a discussion and
practical delineation.
Those who had heard him in Ham
let," in which he has attained national
fame, expected to hc disappointed in
"MaCbeth.' but, much to the praise
of his breadth and versatility such was
not the case. Those of last nights
audience who had also heard Ham
lct," judging from the remarks at the
conclusion of the lecture, were divided
in their opinion as which they liked
the better. The excellence of one or
the other is solely a matter of taste as
DR.. Stafford treats both subjects alike
and each perfectly.
His style. as indicated already. is to
give the story of the piece, interpret
it as his deep study and research moves
him, and at appropriate times act the
character, as an aid in the delineator.
THE MOST SUBLIME.
He unhesitatingly pronounces Mac
beth to be the most sublime of all
SSaakespeare's productions For spen-
dor of pictures and beauty of diction
1t is particularly unique. In it the poet
pushes every passion to its limit and
yet by his masterful genius avoids any
spoiled effect. Great as is the piece,
he does not allow it's characters to he
destroyed by it. Macbeth is as power
ful as the piece and so is Lady Mac
beth.
"MaCbeth,' the lecturer asserted.
was written between the years 1904 and
1910 in honor of King James, its argu-
ment. indirectly, being that James was
descended from Banquo. which would
tickle the kings vanity by making his
genealogy farther reaching than that
of anv of those about him.
The whole play is taken bodily from
HollinGshead. Even a portion of the
conversation between Malcolm and
Macduff is literally translated from the
story to the play. 1t was a beautiful
story as Hollingshead framed it.
Shakespeare's psychological develop
ment made it the greatest of all plays
All that is terrible in the mind of
man is worked into the play. 1t is
essentially a terrible tragedy. The
momentary appearance of the weird
sisters at the opening of the play is
solely to dispose the listener to expect
something terrible.
The moral of the play is the pointing
out Of the supremacy of the moral law,
the lecturer argued Crime, remOrse,
punishment is the epitOme of the tale
Macbeth was disposed to be a good
man. To make him villain, as do
some critics, is to destroy the signif-
canoe of the play. Macbeth was hon
orably ambitious; he was tempted; he
fell. Such is the character. He and
Duncan We're about equally entitled to
succeed Malcolm. Duncan was pre-
ferred. Duncan proved to be a weak
king. The gigantic Macbeth naturally
thought how much better right he had
to be king than Duncan. Young NAL
COIN is named Duke of Northumber-
land, which carried with it the right
of succession to the crown. The only
way now left for him to come to the
throne is to take it. There was am
bition, gradual development of temp
tation and finally the fall. Macbeth
was self-corrupted, as is every bad
man.
ARRIVAL OF DUNCAN
Just at the time when the tempta-
tion has mastered Macbeth, Duncan
comes to the Macbeth castle. Lady
Macbeth-all while-is unmoVed. Mac
beth's good nature is stirring within
him. He can not rest in the presence
of ais intended victim. He goes out
to think it over. The thought tortures
him. His friend, his kinsman, his
king, most of all, his host If the CIR.
cumstances We're only different Not
through fear, but by the dictates of
his conscience he concludes not to do
II. To make Macbeth a Old-blooded
murder would be like telling the in
telligenCe of the world that in Hamlet
it has been philosophizing on the raw
ings of a madman for 400 years. He
has a conscience. The good and bad
are struggling within him for mastery.
Lady Macbeth, divining what is go
ing on, also leaves the banquet hall and
seeks out her husband She calls him
coward, telling him he has already
fallen by willing the deed hut dares
not carry it out. He does not defy
the taunt. He will do it.
The description Of the terrible night
which the poet conjures up for the
deed is Interestingly elaborated upon
by the lecturer, Then, with a recita-
tion of the passage "Is this a dagger
| see before me?" and timely COM
ments, he further proves the fallacy
Of the allegation that Macbeth was
cold-bloodeu Then again, for this
same purpose and incidentally to bring
ont the will power of Lady Macbeth,
he enacted the scene when Macbeth
| returns with the bloody dagger-the
man all terror, the woman the person.
| ification Of triumph. This passage, be-
ginning "Dids't hear a noise?" is the
| most terrible scene in the terrible trag-
| edy, DR., Stafford claims, and the thrill
ing way in which he acted it made
his hearers in perfect agreement with
him. No finer piece of highly emotion
al work could be desired.
Who, but Shakespeare, could have
introduced in the very beginning of a
play such a climax and yet sustain
unabatng interest to the end? the
lecturer asked.
RESTLESS AND FEARFUL.
After this Macbeth would be a good
king, and was disposed to be such but
] IL