New-York tribune., 1900-12-30
HER0D.
sEF ErW PLAY BY MR. STEPHEN
PHILLIPS.

sfOry of an OTieEtaL monarch who gained great
earthly poWer only TO discover that without the
love De craved his glories were but dust and
eshes. Herod. King Of Judea. dotes upon Mari
anne. his queen Salome, his sister. is stung by
her arrogance, her stiffness and her stare"
Hr Phillips does not make il very plain that
Herod's relatives have any great complaint
AGAINST his wife aside from her haughtiness; but
the posture OF affairs in the first act is one in
which Salome and Cypros, mother OF Herod. are
committed q deadly campaign against the
suee- Marianne has herself begun to SOW
trouble by persuading the king to make her
young brother Aristobulus high priest This
young man IS already well liked by the people.
IN the midst Il the court rejoicings over his
amounting messengers enter with news Of
Autors's death This takes Herod off on the in
stant TO negotiate with Cesar and make his own
dominion sure AS he is leaving, the Jewish
ruler IS made 70 suspect that the man he has
honored may be placed upon the throne in his
absence The tiger in Herod is aroused. and he
secretly orders the murder OF Aristobulus. The
queen is not long in discovering the author Of
ne tragedy, and Herod returning triumphant,
nncs an lnpregnable barrier erected between
himself and the woman he adores. The fury
excited In him by her stony contempt is fed by
Cypros and Salonle. who reappear with demands
for Marlamnc's blood IngeniOusly they con-
trsve 10 fix q falls charge upon her OF attempting
10 poison the king Herod would try her, offer
ing her the cup but when she willingly takes
n his love surges up in an Involuntary protest.
and he dashes the drink from her hand. Further
pressure is then brought 10 bear upon the un-
happy man by the TWO harpies in pursuit Of his
queen; they play upon his vlest instincts, hint
ng that Marianne had made lover Of the sol
eier Rho killed Aristobulus, in order 70 draw the
secret from him. Crazed between jealousy and
regret for the love he has lost. Herod gives the
death warrant. Again messenger enters, this
time 10 tell him his kingdom is enlarged, but
this last touch q worldly pomp, on which the
second act closes is only a prelude 10 disaster.
u the third and last act Herod goes mad. re-
FUSES 10 believe that Marianne is dead. and is
seer, the curtain falls, standing in a catalep-
&c trance beside her bier.
There are one or two points in the dramatic
fabric, considered as such, which are somewhat
disconcerting. Sa!ome and Cypros assume a
specious Importance on their first entrance. The
relation Of their private grudge TO the public
conditions Of which they would like 10 take ad-
vantage is weakly handled more skilful
srama;ist would make the two women either
NOR conspicuous OF less So There is some
thing dubious, too. about Herod's madness
Would man OF his stamp have lost his reason
because a woman scorned him, even though he
Worshipped her? MI Phillips might answer that
Eerod's collapse symbolizes the retributon that
ogertakes evil, but IN these matters symbolism
nust be left 10 take care Of itself the first duty
sf the dramatist is TO make his personage's
character. deeds and punishment seem human,
natural. and in this respect the author OF
-Her0d" completely fails US. Accordingly the
play. as a play leaves the reader trife be-
W-ldered On this side OF the subject, however,
Il is not our intention 10 dwell The time for
TIE criticism Of Mr.. Phillips a dramatist viii
come when 'Herod" is given on the stage in
WORK IN the mean time, IL we have
glanced IL the construction OF the work al all, il
has only been al those points which more es-
peciany put the poet as well as the dramatist
u his mettle.
AS a poetic figure Herod is rarely credible
Mr.. Philips ascribes 10 him certain emotions,
certain actions. and these are so managed as 70
carry on the story. But we always feel that
nat is exactly why the king exhibits the emo
ions or commits the deeds; il is TO accomplish
he unfolding OF a mechanical plot, but never be-
cause. being Of a certain character. he would
Inevitably, given the circumstances, say and do
certain things. The blight that rests upon
Eerod rests upon every other character in the
play. They all seem painted masks, through the
Hps o. which Mr.. Phillips himself is speaking
me speeches might be jumbed together and re-
distributed al random, and so far as personal ac-
cent goes the words OF Marianne might just
well be given 10 Hcrod, and the kings be given
rHFa