The San Francisco call., 1899-11-16

through his instrumentallty that the
final catastrophe is brought about.-Her-
bert A. Evans.
Lear is the greatest sufferer in Shakes
peare's plays: though so old. he has
strength which makes him subject for
prolonged and vast agony, and patience
Is unknown TO him. The elements seem
TO have conspired against him with MS
unnatural daughters: the upheaval of the
moral world and the rage OF tempest In
the air seem 70 be parts OF the same
gigantic convlls!on. In the midst OF this
tempest wanders. unhoused. the white
haired Lear. while his foOl-most pathetic
OF all the minor characters OF Shakes
peare-jests half wildly. half coherenly,
half bitterly, half tenderly, ard always
with a sad remembrance Of the happier
past. The poor boys heart has been sore
ever since his young mistress went 10
France. Edward Dowden.
In "Othello'' the tragedy turns upon the
rending Of the bonds between husband
and wife. In king Lear the tragedy Is
that OF violated ilial ties. and OF father
saved-and scarcely saved-from the de-
spair following upon unnatural cruelty by
the redeeming passion OF love in one
daughters heart The scale on which
everything is presented in this drama
borders on the titanic. The double plot
heightens and intensifies the effect.
Gloucesters wrong and Gloucestcr's
suffering are great. but they fall we'll
within the limits OF humanity. The pas
sions OF Lear almost break the bounds:
there is N them something vast and ele-
mental. and nature herself. with her
deluging streams and fierce thrusts OF
lightning and reverberating thunders.
seems TO partake in and TO reflect the
chaos of the moral world. Where hatred
deceit and egoism are outrageous love Is
deep and still. a pure and quiet fount OF
blessing: Cordelia utters no passionate
outcry, but all that IS OF virtuous power
in the play organizes itself about her. or
unconsciously takes part with her. She
dies as the martyr OF love, but when her
father falls upon her body and his strong.
worn heart at last breaks through excess
OF strain. he is looking for that unuttered
word Of .ove from her lips, the very ex-
pectation of which has saved him from
despair and moral death. Cordeia dies.
but love is not defeated.-Edward Dow
den.
king Lear" is the greatest task
Shakespeare ever set himself. the most
extensive and the most imposing-all the
suffering and horror that can arise from
the relation between a father and his
children. expressed In five acts Of mod
crate length.
No modern mind has dared to face such
a subject; nor could any one have grap-
pied with II. Shakespeare did so without
even a trace OF effort, by virtue OF the
overpowering mastery which he now. in
the meridian OF his genius. had attained
over the whole OF human life. He handles
his theme with the easy vigor that be-
longs to spiritual health. though we have
here scene upon scene OF such intense
pathos that we seem to hear the sobs OF
suffering humanity accompanying the ac-
ton. much as one hears by the seashore
the steady plash and sob OF the waves
Under what conditions did Shakespeare
take hold OF this subject? The drama
tells plainly enough He stood at the
turning point Of human life; he had lived
about forty-two years; ten years OF life
still lay before him. but OF these certainly
not more than seven were intellectually
productive. He now brought that which
makes life worse than death face TO face
with that which makes life worth living
the very breath of our lungs and Cor
delia-like solace OF our suffering-and
swept them both forward TO a catastrophe
that appals us like the ruin OF a world
George Brandes.
The fool, the best OF Shakespeare's fools.
made more conspicuous by coming after
the Insignificant clown in "Othello." is
such an echo-mordantly witty, marvel
ously ingenious. He is the protest Of sound
common sense against the foolishness
OF which Lear has been guilty, but n pro-
test that Is pure humor He never COM
plains. least OF all on his own account
Yet all his foolery produces a tragic ef-