New-York tribune., 1899-06-29
HAINLET'.S MADNESS.
MNfE. BERNHARDTS VIEWS ON THE SUB
JECT.
From The London Chronicle.

From The London Chronicle.
I had always seen Sarah clad in wondrous
robes Of white but yesterday she was all couleur
de rose in one of those indescribabe dresses
that are like the expression or her personality
How her strange sapphire eyes flash between
the balf-closed lids when ask her how it hap
pens that the papers say she has MADE her
Hamlet appear to be man of thirty-hve!
Il have done nothing of the kind" Indignantly
exclams the actress. facing me suddenly. IN
stead of making my Hamlet a man of thirty
five I have endeavored to impersonate youth
Of twenty summers whom his friends speak or
as young Hamlet and who is lacking IN that
experience which would have led TO dinerent re-
suits Middle-aged actors have played this part
without making allowance for the not -Dlooded
impetuosity OF youth. They played 1t as they
would have felt 1t at their own age. but the CON
ception Of Hamlet at twenty-still boy, even
when his mind brooded on vengeance-is 10 my
thinking quite different l know my personi1-
cation Of Hamlet will be discussed | have
swept away some OF the old landmarks and de-
parted from the beaten track of stage conven-
ton.
81 dare saw shall receive my need Of praise
and blame We cannot please everybody; but
the English whose quality OF fairness all must
recognize and admire, will understand now
deeply have studied the part Of Hamlet, qul
me passionne How entirely have striven TO
identify myself with his passion or nate, MS
thirst for vengeance and his strong suppressed
love for Ophea, l have not tried TO SUIT the
part to myself but have strven rather TO suit
/ myself the part, for my greatest desire WAS
to do homage to the genius Of Shakespeare by
portraying his hero as he had emanated from
his fertile brain.
Your idea of Hamlet, take It, is that OF a
slender wowy YOUTH?
because the original impersonator OF Hamlet
was fat man. therefore the tradition has re-
mained that the noble Dane was OF stout pro-
/ portions. Here again, according TO my ngnts'
is an absolute error. He was slender and sup
pie Of limb a man Of nerves and intellect. dra-
matte and passionate in temperament; his
hestations and perplexties are mostly as
sumed, for as an avenger he must act part ana
appear not TO feel the storm of rage and indlg-
nation that runs riot in his blood"
Then. l exclaimed. you do not believe that
Hamlet was really mad|'
Mad" said Sarah Bernhardt slowly. as she
bent down and clasped her hands in her ruddy
hair. and her voice was Ike that OF one IN
, dream What could those who said he was
mad be thinking Of? He feigned madness TO
i effect his purpose. and carry out his ends OBJ
/ serve too. how he was all things TO all men.
. BoisterOus and amusing in his frocs with Polo
MUS; wicked with Rosencrantz and Guilden-
. stern because he knew them to be evil. Terrible
with the king. He suits his moods to his pur-
pose. 1t is all clear as day! With Ophelia there
is no feignng. he is always real with her. And
here the cadence Of Sarahs Incompatible
voice changes 70 the softest music. mo need
to speak of love. or pity poor Ophela. She Is
Hamlet himself with tende" spot In his
scared heart for the Beauty he bade depart to
a nunnery lest she should turn him rom the path
Of vengeance he has mapped out icr 4 t. owr'
The great actress knows the secret power of
things unsaid which is more potent than the
eloquence Of speech.
"Hamlets insanity would give the lie to the
very keynote of his character" continues Nine
Bernhard Remember too he not an
Englishman but a Dane ] have endeavOred to
make him what he was Perhaps you will be
very angry If tell you that Shakespeare is not
English He belongs to the World His genius
was what genius Is, universal-cosmopoli-
tan, He spoke in words that have reached the
furthest corner Of the earth and found an echo
in every heart! So profoundly l imbued
with the religion Of Shakespeare that cut out
much less of Hamlet than you do on the Eng
lish stage"
Did you consider it venture to play Ham
. let in London"
Il did, and very bold venture too. for a
: FrenChwOman. But / was accorded a most
generous and cordial reception"
Can any man." ventured TO ask her. quite
grasp the inner nature Of Hamet|'
Perhaps not" smiled Nine. Bernhardt.
There is so much that is feminine in II. True.
IL takes the brains of man, and the intuitive,
almost psychic. power Of a woman TO give a
+ true rendering OF it