The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-11-10
WITH PROF. MOULTON
A LARGE AUDIENCE GATHER AT
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
KING LEAR IS DISCUSSED
The Wild Tragedy of the Mad King
Presented as a Moral Problem
Dramatized-Subject Ably
Discussed.

Hall was otherwise sengaged tor the
evening the third lecture by Prof
Moulton was given in the Congrega'
tional church. - Since the first lecture
the number in attendance has increas-
ed very cOnspicuOusly from time TO
time until Thursday evening, when the
audience was far larger than it had
been on either of the previous Occa-
sions. With the exception of few OF
the most foremost seats the large
auditorium of the Congregational
church was filled.9B This growing in
terest in the Shakespearean lectures
speakes we'll not only for the eminent
Prof. MoultOD, but as we'll for the good
taste of Kenosha people. Prof. Moul-
toms discourses are studiOus and learn
3D. calling upon his listeners for close
attention, but at the same time giving
rare opportunity to partake of the
speakers keen analysis and high ap-
probation of the greatest author of all
time.
The subject of the evening was King
Lear, the study of moral problem
dramatzed. The problem, as presented
in the first act, is that of an imperious
passion overcoming conscience and
transferring power from the good to
the bad. King Lear embOdies the
imperiOus passion, Kent conscience,
| COrdelia the Good and her two sisters,
Regain and G0neril, the Bad Shake
spearean scholars, however, make two
objections to this premisis. The one is
that Lear is mad at the beginning of
the play. They seek to substantiate
this belief by insisting that none but a
mad monarch would divide his king
dom according to the affection of his
daughters. On a more careful reading
of the drama this objection vanishes.
The first scene clearly proves that Lear
is perfectly sane man. He does not
distribute his realm among his daugh-
ters according to their boasts of love.
Rather it is already divided before the
daughters have had occasion to attest
their love. The decision is all made
soberly and with the advice of Lears
council. At the time of the ceremony,
| however, Lear impulsiveiy decides that
each daughter shall measure her quota
by her affection for her father. Gone
ril is the first to be called upon. She
protests her love in magnificent terms.
At once her father marks off her share
upon the map. 1t is so also with Regain
Had Lear meant to settle on each of
his daughters the fraction that her
| boast merited he would have waited
until all had been heard before any
division took place. Moreover Lear
had proved his sanity by the very good
Judgment with which he had concluded
to divide his kingdom. Knowing his
daughters very we'll he wisely decided
share and thus retain the balance of
power. So the first objection vanishes.
The second is scarcely worth discussing.
1t rests on the right of Lear to vacate
He was weary OF his responsibilities and
he felt his strength ebbing. Indeed he
was wise in retiring. Even in this
second objection, through the wisdom
of Lear, the sanity of the king becomes
again evident. Thus the two objections
being removed the problem stands out
and the four last acts work it's solution.
COrdelia's refusal to speak after the
harangues of her elder sisters anger
Lear. He is not accustomed to dis
obedience. Cordelia, inheriting touch
of the parental temper, does not sOoth,
but only increases his passion, until at
the height of his rage he disinherits his
youngest child despite the protests of
Kent, and gives his entire domain to
Regain and Goneril. Here the problem
is fairly presented and is worked out
in the following acts along these lines.
| LIST. A double retributiOn falls upon
Lear. He receives nothing but good
from the daughter he has mistreated
and only i'll from those he has favored.
| 3D. The innocent are made to suffer as
is represented by the experiences of
| OOIu0IId buu AOubs OOs AO pOWOI
granted to kegan and Goneril is made
to work to their own destruction.
The passionate king is not long is
meeting with his nemesis though it
comes gradually and finally results in
in his madness. This slow process OF
driving Lear mad is one of the master
stroke of Shakespeare genius. Lear's
act in disinheriting Cordelia was a
passionate impulse, and the original
character that under intense trial
breaks down into madness was of a
royal mind with strong affections, but
weak in yielding to rash impulses, a
weakness that has grown with age
AS his unkind daughters paint him
between themselves at the close of the
first act, " You see how full Of changes
l n form n