The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-23

study. Indeed, learned commentators
differ very much as to the meanings
of these passages. and also as to nun
dredS of other passages that might be
instanced in Shakespeare plays.
Our advice to the ordinary student in
such cases as these, is this: Try con-
scientiously to get at the meaning of
the passage by a fair study of the text
and context. If its meaning does not
come to you after this fair study mark
the passage for easy reference in the
future and go on with your enjoyment
of the play. 1t will often be found that
meaning once obscure becomes quite
Ineligible after one has had a little
Shakespearean experience. But in al
most every play of Shakespeare's there
will be found some passages that will
battle a student to the last.
Shakespeare Mind and Personality
In This Play.
Even more interesting than the begin
ningS of ShakesDeare'S art which We
find in this play are it's revelations of
his mental attitude to some of the
problems of life. 1t was then the high
tide of the renaissance in England. The
throne was filled by a pleasure loving,
cultured patroness of art and letters.
The mobiles who gathered about her
were as well read as well bred. The
new movement of intellectual freedom
had already broken down the feudal
barriers of caste. Shakespeare himself
the son of a bankrupt sh0pkeeper in
country village, was rising to fame and
wealth in the art of which he was to be
the greatest master. Even before the
revision of Loves Dabor's Lost" his
genius had won for him the close
friendship of one of the most splendid
noblemen of the court. Is the young
poets head turned by his success? Does
he pose as the thorough going cham
pion of movement from which he had
so much to gain? Not in the least.
With his infallible insight Shakespeare
perceived the follies and excuses Of
the new desire for learning, culture,
refinement, and he exposed them with
an unsparing hand. High as Shakes
peare's head might soar above the
clouds. his feet were firmly planted on
the earth, and even in this merry play
of his youth nothing is more remark
able and more admirable than his sim
pie common sense In the words of
Kreyssig, Loves Labor's Lost is
from beginning to end laughing phil
ippic against the excuses of a learn
ing that was becoming pedantic, and a
refinement of language that was fast
changing into prec0Sity. 1t is plea
for simplicity and natural feeling,
against affectation in all its forms.
The unnatural VOW of the king to seek
learning at the expense of youth, pleas
ure and beauty is broken by the natur-
al course of things and the natural pas
sion of love. The pedantic masque of
the Nine Worthless. with its schoolmas-
terly deyiser, is driven from the stage
by rafting fire of quips, puns and
broad jokes, such as rose of themselves
t6 tNa Hive. Of fIao Ion 1ox@
zabethans. The pompous Spaniard
falls a victim to the charms of a coun-
try wench and is ''infamonised among
potentates' by a. country clown. Be
rowne himself, too sensible to yield
wholly to the affectation of fashion, too
courtly to escape them altogether is
beaten from his point device wooing,
''taffata phrases, silken terms precise, -
to "russet yeas and honest kersey
noes" Everywhere simplicity and COM
mon sense triumph over pedantry and
and the play fifty closes
with a. nature-lyrc7 of the purest type
that rises from the very heart of the
young poet late come from rustic STRAIT
ford. Among all the follies and faneies
and witty affectations of lively London
he has not forgotten the Warwickshire
meadows with daisies pied and vio-
lets blue. nor the homely sights and
SoulNSs dDOulslnea Cottages 4NnEHG lcicleS
hang By the wall. Truly the words Of
Mercury are harsh after the songs OF
Apollo.
Il Professor Dowden calls Berowne '.tfe
exponent OF Shakespeare's own
thought" He is that, and. think,
more. 1t is perhaps too much
to say with the latest realistic critic
that Berewne is Shakespeare himself.
But he exhibits so many characteristics
Z 4. n. -. -
not but feel that he is portrait,
though perhaps an ideaIized portrait,
of the poet. Berowne possesses, tc use
Pater's words that winning attract
Iveness which there is no man but