New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-26
PART Ill.
FIGHT PAGES.
CRITICISM IN ENGLAND.
NEW HAMLET ADAPTED TO THE
MODERN CYNICAL sPIRIT-THE LAST
OF THE OPTIMIsTs.
London. September ID.

&c bad form, WnSl0eT III sDCIdl 4iN VI ~
literature Opportunism is the philosophy OF
.orrnon-sense. Whoever thinks deeply and Is
ma-fu,Iv swayed by convictions incurs the
IT, n, being considered a bore. Mr.. Gladstone
.'as always in a white heat. and England gets
- more comfortably now that IL is delivered
,or, .be disturbing influences Of his infectious
.hrslosr1. Society must be amused, and the
g., 6utv Of man is TO make himself agreeable
. HE superlors and equals. Life Is short. ana
. 80 no vhiled away to the music OF lydlan
..sures not too enfeeblng. The new novels
..,. mt he concerned with the elemental pas
toms n, human nature. but filed with amusing
Al, and bright episodes. The rev plays must
No shifted 10 a faded public which cares more
.o- Idle chatter than For noble ideals. II there
~. nrofound mysteries in the olden literature.
,bav can be explained away and adapted to tue
nractical spiri. Of an unromantic' unoeheVing
and prOsaic age
This Is the cynicism Of the times. and Mr..
r-orbes Robertson understands IL He has ad-
,s,ed his Hamlet ceverly to the dilertante-
len, of current criticism that II is received
with loud acclaim as a work OF high order OF
oxcelIorce Following the best traditions or the
..aca Edwin Booth and Sir Henry Irving took
into account the poetry and mystery or the play
ond the nobility and sweetness OF the character
Mr. Forbes robertson. al the i>NCNulh AiAC"'iN'
rs ,ot thought it worth while to be in earnest
about the really deep things in the play. He
hos sought to make the character of Hamlet
main and ineligible TO a public that delights
10, IN mysteries but requires a clear eXplana-
.,or ~ reasonable motives for human conduct
His Hamlet is entirely sane at every moment
o,a feigns insanity for the purpose Of revenge;
~, so irresolute a dreamer is he that he is IN
o,.bls Of oheying the awful summons which
Ia has received to execute vengeance. In order
.. confirm this impression Mr.. Forbes Robert
son has recourse to the unusual expedent or IN
Producing as a foil 10 the dreame! real man
of action This is Fortnbras. who comes
,ramping in with his warriors at the close or the
NAV when the six IMPORTANT characters nave
been killed off.
THE UP-TO-DATE METHOD.
This process Of adapting Hamlet TO modern
tlaas ~ cormon-sense is carried out with con-
sstent purpose The method is naturalism. he
is reasonable as we'll as amiable gentleman
who receives with compOsure the news that MS
fathers ghost is astir and decides 10 MAKE
personal investigation OF this unusual phehoi'ie-
non When he returns from his meeting win
the spectre he exhibits little excitement ana IN
.bs .rre snirit Of modern scientific inquiry sub
,ac,s tho ghost story to a practical test OF close
nersonal observation in the players scene
When convinced that the ghost has to1d the
truth. he has an outburst of merriment over
the success Of his device, and then neglects 10
kill the King when he can easily 90 SO Inc
solroouv in which he persuades himself not TO
slay the King at prayers. furnishes ,he OH!
c,ew 70 this mystery: but II is dropped from the
text for some unaccountable reason. Hamlet is
revealed as an irresolute and vacatins aven-
a
templative spirit and allows himself to be turned
aside from his deadly purpose by transitory
ir,pulses He is sane, but does not know MS
own mind He is not man Of affairs with
genius FOR action like Fortinbras. He dies ike
a dreamer on the throne which ne has never
filed. and with the crown on his knees "hich
he has never worn; and his body is borne OH the
stage on the shields Of Fortinbras captains
The great Hamlets have not been like this.
Charles Kembles the only MAD Hahiet'
bu. the masters Of the stage almost without
exception, have left it at least an open ques-
ton and deep mystery whether the aWlui
secret could be revealed from spectral lips WITH
out setting the mind which received 1t seriously
out Of balance Hamlet has received from the
ghost a commission to take vengeance for foul
and unnatural crime. His mission as an avengeT
NAV be feeby and irresolutely conducted, but 1t
changes the WOIIu III NM tNi II" '''N
OF his love for Ophela into bitterness, makes
him brutal and merciless to his mother. and
clouds a sunny. joyous nature sensitive to re-
Ngtous impressions. with the outer darkness of
desoair The great actors have exhausted the
RESOURCES of their art in interpreting the sweet
ness nobility and grief of this Hamlet during
his awful period of storm and stress. They have
not considered il necessary TO establish theory
Of complete sanity by minimizing the effects Of
supernatural revelations and a spectral mission
Of vengeance.
RECITATION is NOT IMPROVISATION.
Mr.. Forbes Robertson has the face, figure
statecraft and voice for Hamlet but with all his
scholarship he lacks the temperament and mag
nation for the part. He has clear-cut. intel
lectual features, and fine play Of facial ex-
preston. With his ascetc face spare figure and
natural dignity OF gesture and movement he Is
q perfect Hamlet in outward appearance. He
has also the most accurate knowledge Of the
technique Of his art, and he possesses the most
nelodious voice which is to be heard on the
modern stage. Clear as a flute, so that whis
per can be heard in the remotest reach of the
gallery his voice is alternately rich and tender,
and is a faultless instrument for expressing
every variation of emotion. Cavilling critics of
Sir Henry Irving who are in the habit Of com
planning of his defective elocution. can have
fault to find with Mr. Forbes Robertson's stage
work and reading OF the lines. There is no trace
OF staginess the elocution is perfect AS re-
otter OF soliloquies and banter this Hamlet can
not be improved upon AS an impersonation OF
mysterious character. which appeals powerful
~ 10 the imaginatiOns OF men, II is futile and in
adequate. The face and figure satisfy the eye;
the music OF the voice delights the ear; but the
performance does not master the mind or touch
The heart. 1t is indeed Hamlet with Hamlet
left out
The same parable might be repeated with ref
erence TO Mrs. Patrick Campbell's Ophelia. The
actress interests the audience because she Is