The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-28
An ADDRESS ON HAMLET
tccntinued from Page Eight

corporated in the soitloquy OF ne mel
ancholy Dane. No gem OF literature Is
more firmly fixed In the crown of the
great poet and none shine more brill
iantly across the intellectual progress OF
the race than Hamlets soliioquy.
Yet IL II the masterpiece OF despair,
breathing into existence a multitude or
ills that should be forgotten In their
forming and buried at their birth. IL
makes a calamity of life and tolerates
existence only because of that dread of
something after DEATH that 'undiscov-
cred country from whose bourne no
traveller returns Remove from the
mind OF the pessimist that wholesome
dread that when he has 'shufiied OF this
mortal coil he may fly to greater evils
that he knows not OF. and self-destruc-
ton becomes a virtue. The philosophy
of pessimism that throbs through the
grandest lines OF Shakespeare speak UNI
molly purposes to the soul. They nay
uncover the passions of the hearts-alas,
IN debut they magnify into ex-
tremes their effect upon the life.
THAT philosophy is the grandest and
the best which can be Incorporated into
the voluntary experiences OF life, open
ing the heart to every passing ray OF
sunshine that falls hwa our path
way, and RELOCATING TO the world OF
forgetfulness the pessimistic intertec-
tons of the feeting years.
"Hamlet's ~revengeful nature Is Illus
tratod, not so much I'm his determination
10 kill the king, as in the appetite OF
method displayed. lie nnds the muir
derer Of his father engaged at prayer,
entreating the Throne of Grace for res
plte for "A sin-sick soul. The coveted
opportunity to Kill the king has come.
Does he refrain from his bloody pur-
poses because his victim is imploring
the holy offices of the cross? No; he
ahAntha0 htg GNnrd ana lOIe-
goes his purpose for the TINE.
because he fears hat SHOULD he
kill his uncle at prayer his soul Will go
To heaven and thus in part thwart the
purposes of his revenge. He Is no sat
isfed to take his uncle's life alone, but
wants him to enjoy the luxury OF the
hot bath so ably referred to by the
ghost. He desired to overtake his uncle
About some act
That has no relish OF salvation in IL,
Then trip hin. that his heels may kick
at heaven;
And that his soul may be as damn'd
and black
As hell. whereto IL goes.
Gould any conception OF revenge be
more complete, more unnatural. more
diabolical, and yet withal more shrewd-
~ planned in the religious light OF the
age thar that of the noble Dane. i
have sometimes thought that Hamlet
was justified in killing old Polonius.
whose only virtue was the fact that he
was the father OF Ophelia. The old
gentleman was not only a ~sycophant
and a fool, but "A disagreeable sneak,
who not not only subjected Hamlet to
the suspicion of being crazy over his
daughter. but ollowed the young man
around I'm order to prove 1t.
From the date of his interview with
the alleged ghost Hamlet proceeds with
I .x.,,p,atin a.tiop1npGS FIRST tn nrOXp
that the ghost knew what II was talk
ing about, and thence. step by step. TO
the consumamtion of his purposes. lie
often lacked the courage of his conVlc-
lions and faltered upon the Threshold
of success. Ambitious to seize the crown
of Denmark, he frittered away his OPP
%Urtunit to do so, without surrender
ing his intention to kill the king. His
egotism led him to parade his grew
ance i'm a manner that won the enmity
of the king, aroused his suspicious,
stirred up his guilty fears and led hin
To counterplan the Instruction OF the
prince.
Hamlet as a hero represents the con
Predictions of not among
men. but within man. He deplored th'
child of passion, yet was passions child
he deplored the vanities of life. yet dice
with vanity vocalized upon his lips. II
was Hamlet who said: There is moth
ing, either good or bad, but thinkint
makes It So And it was Hamlet wh'
established a now popular custom
when he said: Assume a virtue II yol
have 1t not.
The aesthetic weakness of the hu
man mind seeks folly's field In which Il
rear monuments to the identity or TN
ideal. Thus the man, who. lk Mari
Twain's hero. would weep over tn
..t Aya h VAnGI
les of the ancient world for the key ina
was used when the morning stars san,
together. Is no less diligent i'm seekin,
out the home of Hamlet at Elsinore.
"A two hours ride from Copenhagen
brings the traveller to the sacred spo
where the real Hamlet slaughtered hi
uncle, burned his palaces, communi
Gated with ghosts. broke the heart o
the fair Ophelia. lived I'm polygamy wit
two wives and finally fell through thei
treachery. Here for a few pennies yol
can purchase a luncheon of Goldfish bali
and rye bread, and mingle your tear
with those of other S~hakespearean stu
dents over the grave OF the melanchoi
Dane. Here. for 30 cents. you can bath
your mead in the soft breezes wafte'
across the sound from the pines OF Nor
way and the hills of Sweden. while yo
promenade the platform made sacre'
by the noiseless footsteps of Hamlet
honored sire. Here, in this weather
beaten village on the Danish main, tn
conscientious reader of the English bar
must seek final comfort by turning frof
the text of Shakespeare to the lesson
he has taught. Again the ideal rise
and he virtues of the hero step forth 10
the homage of and m
the Hamlet OF Shakespeare. the Hamit
of human na~ture-lives forever In IN
literature OF the world