New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-16
THE DRAMA.
MORE ABOUT ROMEO AND JULIET
MAUDE ADAMS

Juliet" contains these words:
at would be highly interesting to read Mr. VIM
ter's defence OF the proposition. as enuncated In
his review of Miss Maude Adams's performance.
that the theme OF Romeo and juliet IL the pun-
ishment OF idoiatrous love"
No doubt such defence would be highly IN
terestng." and so. perhaps. would be an exposl.
ton OF the hnomal theorem applied to sum
beams and cucumbers: but neither OF these thing,
would be appropriation. as The Tribune reviewer
never "enunclated' or otherwise dvulged any such
proposition, he is not conscious OF obligation 10
defend ID. The review In question did no, stat.
that "the theme OF Romeo and juliet is the pun
ishment OF doiatrous love" II said that the
theme of Romeo and Juliet Is idolatrous love pre-
destined TO ruin and misery" No reference was
made to punishment" either express or implied
The writer may have supposed that the word
"ldolatrous." as applied to love. was intended TO
dlsparage that emotion and 10 stigmatize II as
sinful II so. his peace OF mind would have been
restored by reference 10 the dictionary wherein
the word "idolatrous" is defined consisting in
or partaking Of an excessive attachment" Idola-
trous love Is neither more admirable more cul-
pabe than any other form Of the distemper All
forms OF 1t. indeed.-being based on illusions and
subject change without notIce.-seem to be about
equally grotesque and ptiful There several
brands OF article but the particular brand de-
scrbed by Shakespeare. in Romeo and Juliet"
carries a little steam to the square inch than
would be considered safe In Sunday School and
hence It was designated idoatrous The I'M
dersigned has no objection to censure. Many per-
have long been engaged In Launching anato-
mies' upon him Uo the phrase OF an old
actor. and they seem 10 enjoy the good work Il
would be a pity to oppose them in II; but the sug-
gestion may not be aniss that their censure would
be more effective IL It were directed against what
he has said, and not against propositions OF which
he never even dreamed, and for which he is in no
way responsible. The oblique and uncandd method
p a late wei nv An.
drew Lang in these words: Say that man holds
a position which he does not hold, then demoish II.
and he is confuted. This argument Is the unfailing
resource OF ignorance careessness. and spite: Of
course 1t is usually successful with the public"
Shakespeare may have been fatalist, as the
same correspondent alleges. 1t Is possible but It
is not known. knowledge of Shakespeare. as
man, is limited, and biographical deductions from
his works are always more or less fanciful. 1t Is
true however that. in some OF his tragedies. nota-
bly, In King Lear" and in Rome and Juliet. he
has depicted the operation OF an evil destiny,
stern impacabe, and deadly, without conscience.
mercy or remorse. But 1t Is not Shakespeare
way to make personal comment upon the picture
that he presents In this he Is harmonious with
Nature. The great poets Of antiquity, Eschylus
and Euripides, in depicting the tragic aspects OF
human iife portrayed the cold. mercless destruc-
tive action OF malignant destiny In the same Inn
partial and impersona manner. The design is not
new and neither Is any persons present recognl-
ton Of 1t. The correspondent has not only mis-
applied but misquoted Hamlets line. There's
divinity that shapes our ends" The word Is not
destiny" but divinity
It ought to be remembered, in the further con-
sderation Of this subject that. in one sense, des.
tiny Is only another name for character. To =
considerable extent the circumstances OF men re-
suit from their actions; bit their actions in turn
result from their Municipalities which nave been
made or modified by circumstances. In the analysis
OF every human life II will be found that pro-
pensity and chance carry on and complete the fab
rio of action achievement failure JOY, and suffer-
ing that heredty has begun In the TRAGEDY OF
Romeo and Juliet a specific condition OF CIR
cumstances has resulted from family aniInosiues
fluent out of antagonisms of character fataI
strife ensues. Innocent persons are Implicated;
conflicting interests are opposed; great passions
are aroused: a compulsory intrigue Is set IN mo-
ton; blind chance battles foresight and defeats
wisdom: tragic Incidents follow, ana the emo IL
cruel catastrophe of ruin. This tragedy. the s'sas
representative poem OF love and sorrow. Is not
intelligently treated when treated as coh'en-
tional domestic and romantic play,-for IL Is not
susceptible Of adequate Interpretation IN the or
binary drawing room manner ano' tui'nei m''''
IL cannot be appropriately acted py players "no''
motives are vanity. whose feeIhgs are s"s"o"'
whose faculties of expression are feeble whose eA'
perience Is narrow. and whose proiess'hS 'sN''-
ment is slight. ., 49,.
inlet" which is now In progress at the Empire
Theatre. and which has been appauded Win '.''
vor that closely resembles insanity IL "ou'u "
charitable TO say nothing: but silence Is not a""S
iust Truth ard common sense nave cet'd" o''
vious rights and the truth is that the represe"'S
tion given by Miss Maude Adams and her associat.s
% with very little exception, vapid ana sh'
trsvestv Of Shakespeares play, dscredt 10 us
perpetrators and disgrace to that sectio" Va "0
public by which 1t has been approved MISS Niauue
Adams seems to be a charming little creature :"
her yay. and a general favorite, and 1t is KNOWN
that for several seasons she has been popular A"N
successful ac ress. That serene state OF INNS
nigh, we'll have been left undisturbed. To presehs
Miss Adams a. Juliet to make needless us
closure OF her professional weakness one u'es
mo, nossess the extraordinary and exceptions
nhysical beauty that would enable her 10 look aA'
Juliet and neither does she possess the ifnasA
ton the passion. the personal force, the 'o.'
mower the elocutionary art the experience, or tne
diversified professional skill that are essential tOr
a true embodiment OF Tuliet The question IS ~.
one OF opinion but one of fact. A performance OF
Juliet that only ceases TO he frivolous wheh l" W
comes mildly hysterica cannot be JUSTIFIED Oh ''o
score of juventy Juliet may be fourteen yeas
old or she NAV be forty: II makes no difference as
TO the result She is not an insipid girl In paht"
lettes. equipped with piece OF chewins-gum' sno
is not a boarding -school miss, nourished with chaia
and slate pencils; and neither Is she le''eleu
spinster, only needing spectacles to complete 'n'
authentic image OF a New England schoolmarm
The dscrepanc' between Juets alleged age ana
her actual development has been observed ~
analytical criticism. since such criticism began
TO be written Juliets words and actions are UNI
mistakable. They denote a superb woman OF
most vigorous mind, of a wild heart. or an anue"s
and splendid Imagination. OF tremulous sensloliH
and of a passionate will. which. but that II Is a.
times disabled by her great goodness and tende'-
ness would overbear everything and the poet n~s
placed that enchanting heroine In tragic situsuo"'
OF the most exacting order. and has allotted 'O'
her utterance some OF the most tempestuous pas
sages that passion ever prompted eloquenes
ever winged Such woman under such cohu''
tons canno: he impressively indicated by ei'neE
the child or the prude; and the Juliet OF Miss