Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-11-23
sHAKRsPEARE,s woiGEN.
VIM. Owen, the Actor, Gave Most In
tsresting Instructive Talk!to the ''.f.
,,-ts. 50. /, Shakespeare Club. E, <% - Y

,.r.s 8. Shakespeare Club. \, %lyt y y
\ "A large audience principally from
the High school and the Shakespeare
club greeted MIR. Owen at the High
school Tuesday. ~ X.
Mr.. Owens modest disclaim Of the
powers OF a public speaker was not
borne out by his talk which was the
more Interesting for being, as he
said, "a few ideas gained not from
a closet study, but from a heart
study of shakespeare great works. -
I MIR. Owens address was in sub
stance as follows: Il" ..
knowledge OF the history OF the
drama and the stage, supplemented
by q study. CT the conditions sur
rounding drama and stage In
Shakespeare's time Is necessary to
an intelligent comprehension of his
dramatic works.
Actors in that day were put down
as rogues and vagabonds; that
Shakespeare was an actor his plays
clearly show. Why did he choose
this life OF ill-repute?
All literatures have their greatest
names among the playwrlghts. Is
this accidental? TEe dramatic in
stinct in human nature ia the cause.
A little girl plays tea party with
her dolls. She sets one doll after
another down to the table-others
come in as guests; they converse; she
puts them through various actions,
to act out q story that is in her
childish mind The dramatic in
stinct.
A boy gets q hobby-horse for
Christmas; he mounts end at once
the walls Of the room fade away and
he is on the wide battle field staying
Spaniards or Filipinos by the dozens.
The same motive impels the child to
act his little plays that impels a
Shakespeare to write his immortal
plays-bothz are striving ito hold as
twere the mirror up to nature"
Shakespeare knew that while other
forms of literature may change with
fashion the drama will endure as
long as human nature-just as long
as the little girl gives her tea parties
and the boy mounts his hObby-horse
for the wars.
Therefore, since the drama is
a natural, normal gu, conc Of human
nature and ia with us to stay, why
not lend our influence. each one Of
us, to making it as good as we can?
''PeraOnally, (said Mr.. Owen I
have never seen bad play-I repeat
l have never seen a bad play. I have
never cared to spend my money to
see one.''
1t is as reasonable to say that the
stage is corrupt and actors are all
bad men, because there are some
corrupt plays and some actors who
are bad meu, as it would be to con-
denim the church because some par
tshes are faulty, or all ministers be-
cause some ministers stumble.
sHAKEsPEARE's WOMEN.
No author ought to be so beloved
b. women az Shakespeare. He has
glorified woman.
Whenever the exigencies OF his plot
compelled him to make a woman do
a wrong act he put her in the back
ground. Even Lady Macbeth, gen.
orally considered a villianess, has
strong redeeming traits, e. g. her
great devotion to husband and
children.
There is a certain family resem-
blance, as it We're, among Shakes
peare's women; it ia the trait OF
moral heroisn.
Anne Boleyn. who was sent to the
block by her husband, Henry VIII,
died with prayer for him upon her
lips. She was true to an ideal. She
rang true.
Desdemona suffered from the social
conditions - of her time. She was
young. romantic, and Lonely. From
much loneliness and thou ht she be-
came ON idealist. idealizing the ac-
tions of others. This accounts for her
love of Othello the Moor; he was a
hero, a man Of great deeds and in.
teresting experiences. She lost sight
OF his color.
Desdemona's truth and moral
heroism are best shown in her brave
attitude as she stands before the
Venetian senate OF grave old digni-
taries, each one stee ped in all the
prejudices of his class-she young,
and the only women before them all.
Her Father says: "Come hither
gentle mistress. DO You most per-
ceive in all this noble company where
most you owe Obedicnce?" Desde-
mona replies:
my noble father, do perceive here