The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-06
THIRTY
SHAKESPEARE EVENINGS.
Nv.
Herotnes of s.The winters Tale"

one minu. IN the urSt scene IN the last
act. se was put quickly to confusion. Now,
similarly, he is demoralzed and ahashed.
He forgets the dignity of the court. with
which he has tried TO fortify himself; he
abandons his official role ana aescends 10
domestic scoiding. Hermione does not
oisdain to reply TO him. for his sake,
upon this plane He has no recourse but
TO make new charges. and declare that
her doom is fixed already. This stlrs no
recalcitrant feeling. though something
very different springs up in her heart:
''Sir, spare your threats:
The bug which you would Fighter mo
with / seek.
To me can life be no commodity.
The crown and comfort Of my life. your
do give lost. for / do feel Il gone.
But know not how 1t went"
That her affection for him is not extin-
guished IN spite OF all he has done to
forfeit IL, that she misses II and longs
for 1t even at this moment, Is sublimeiv
pathetic. and shows the measure OF her
character and devotion.
There have been wide departures here
from the treatment employed in 'Cymbe-
line In that play Imogen conquers by
Influences of innocence and meekness
that go out from her personality. Hermit
one conquers by far more and potent
forces. Imogens wifely spirit was ruff
fed for the moment. at the injustice and
mione resists not the intended evil by
so much as a frown. Immediately the at
tack upon her is changed to a defense
against her. The assailant seems van
auished. disarmed, Inundated We do not
much understand the psychology OF such
rout; there have not been examples
enough for study II Ii evident enough
that evil, when unresisted. as here, fer
the sake OF the one attempting to iniiict
II. recoils upon the adversary's head
IL Is interesting to compare the daugh-
ter so far az she has been developed To
us. with her mother. Periita Ia not 80
stalwart or self-poised, there is less OF
the true and more OF beauty In her ma
ture. She stands between Hermione and
lmogen- She has grown up in a shep-
herds cottage. without knowledge of the
world and unsuspecttng that she is OF
gentle birth. Fforixcf son OF King Pol
ixenes. following his falcon across her
supposed fathers lands. now greatly
broadened by her treasure, chances TO
see her. and is attracted by her dignity
and beauty. He has wooed her In the
gnise OF great landholder under the
name Of Doricles. So he IL presented to
us at the opening OF scene in the fourth
act, In a shepherds frock, put on over his
court dress. while he has persuaded Per-
dita TO don gown and f'nery brought
from the palace. She has arrnyed her.
self in the costly clothing to please her
lover. caring nothing for the elegance
and sorry to outshine the netghbor farm
girls and SWANS who are TO be her guests.
IT IL Perdita's part to be mistress Of
the festival In her dead mothers place:
and Shakespeare has wished US to-ssee a
queens child rise to her true plane by na-
tive nobieness. and without instruction. In
shepherds cottage. So he has consti-
tuted her woer capable OF the within of
robing her as queen indeed Fiorzel is
made In turn to have put on shepherds
garments for plot reasons. soon 10 arpeas.
Perdita. wholly unprovided with social
forms, received the awkward bucolic COM
pany in the great living room and for the
moment seems at a loss. Her lover Is
standing by unsssisted and waiting to req
her entertain them sprightlily. as he q
sure she Will. Two men, manifestiy OF
substance, but strangers. have presented
themselves az Of the company. and are
giving her father particu ar concern. Per-
dita begins by bidding these a somewhat
formal welcome. In default ~ better
courtesy. she bestows on them flowers
that suit with years they have not yet
reached hut have affected I'm Their dis
gulse. 1t is an easy victory for men
OF glib court tongues To pretend that
they are dispieased: and pretty Is the
dismay with which perdita tries 10 ex-
cuse her error. The king draws her into
wit she has. with this she nnds her
strength. and from this moment assumes
unconscious mastery OF the sjtuattFn.
Turning from the great gsnsismen vito
have monopolized her attention hither o.
she Rreets her girls friends from ths
nelghbcrsng farms half absorbed with
interpretasive insight into the world OF
beauty;
Now. my fsirrnt friend.
7 would that I had aame fowtre ~ the
spring that might
BECOME your time ~ day. ard yours.
For ire flowers nov that friahted thou
lets fail
From Dies wagon Danodls.
That come before the swallow dsres.
The Winds Of Maresr wttsr s,-zssty::- vfgfets-
dim
or Cytheraa hFeath pale rrtmros@s
That die unmarried. ere thfs can behold
fright phDebgs. IN his stfengths bold
The crown imperial. flies 81 All klns.
Ths naAar.zis=izcsz lsiraE nna-0 fkAsA /
lack.
To make you gariaHds x. ana, nay sweet
To strew him o'er and Der"
with such a mlna. such vision. Peraia
Wins hef wag wish The group about her
ard VITA ourselves T-aeB. ~ aue ee,lgse.
comes the motaent when the author us-
ing Pohsenes weak and netuiaas temper
% turn the riot and give the levers
chance ~ eseaps, tHakes him accuse her
~ having with purpose ana knowledge
bewitehgd the ar4nee and thFeAEsn 70 e.
faea her besufFl tEat thsrs " 40 ansaf
Hfsa no e0nfae&sH
4 vas net much sfeafed. Fer onoe o.
twice
was ahaus 20 speak and ielg him plainly
Tae H*ifs#uae san tbst shsnes ppon his
court
IgiGea n4i hia tlsage srnra Cur coftAgs
but
Looks on All aiike -
Soc igaka EsfsHdInK9y At FiFrfzef. ~hn
saxN no sassagaiAk agEA Asg sse&s AsEa
faT hin aeks h. xanag There II no thought
~ reg5Fgsash sssfR#Fs tsxK Fszszzs3 ssEs-l
FsFacfarHhle expectations and asyFFfe9 ~ith
ls---- e.-st4s-es4-LlA Ia Ahz heir A+-..AEAzls
aAA ala gAghEA MIfh hsr ags paramount
She 8 szxAsled csssfsS ~ aseT fssAsers syas
ahe does ssas retarA aHKflly nr weesl hot
tears ~ shua one lock ~ in5lghafion IT
this SANDER Bat sts inlustire helps her
8ee the Path before Ser Cast ~ ~ her
father. abs must Hee vita the prince.
whom Camille EHstzfnS tn his atstayR1Ty-