The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-11

sist? In Hamlet there is a passage
that might be taken as the keynote to
many OF Shakespeare's tragedies IL,
So oft it chances. in particular men
mat Tor some vicious moe of nature in
Shall in the general censure take corrup-
From that particular fault; the dram Of
eale
Doth all the noble substance Of a doubt
TO his own scandal.
1 know there has been a decided re-
action in recent years against the ten
dency to treat Shakespeare's tragedies
from an altogether subjective stand
point especially is this true Of Ham
let and Romeo and Juliet" We are
believing more and more that the
tragedy consists in the one case in the
conflict between Hamlet and his en-
Vironment, and in the other play to
view Romeo and Juliet as ''star-crOsse4
lovers whose happiness is blasted by
the Iury OF their two houses. And yet
there is something else in the old criti-
cism, too; somehow Hamlet can't ad-
just himself to circumstances: with a.
greater viii saneT judgment and a.
more fixed faith ne could do otherwise
AFTER al there is ''the dram Of eale'
III MS nature when viewed from the alb
SOlute standpoint land that is Shake
speare's standpoint, for he was. 4 ldaed
one OF Gods spies, and. as Meredith
suggests the recording angel himself
might nave taken his pen).
The tragedy in "CoriOlanus' arises
from the dram Of ealen in Coriols ms
nature. Shakespeare does not exnre~s
ms own views through COriOIanus az
Hazntt thought With all his power
and many magnificent qualities OF
mind, be stands as if man were author
or himself and had no kin. He lacks
the touch of nature that makes the
Whole world akin-that sympathy that
so charms Us in Brutus. COriOlanus
mas much, undoubtedly, to vex him
one almost sympathiZes with him as he
thlnks OF the world into which he is
thrown, world that viii but agra
vate his faults. The tickle poDIIace
that had once hailed him as the savior
OF MS country, and now curses him:
the aVarlclouS army that in the war
the NolscianS seeks to Dlunder
before the battle is over. above an
that brace Of demagogues, the tribunes
these are enough to call forth into
greater prominence his natural cvDf-
CiSIl dhu mls2ntnrOpy- Hamlet finds
the world out of iOiHt-tbe very WORST
possible world for him: Romeo and
Juliet, with their intensely passionate
come face to face with a cold.
conventional world; and COrioIanus
must be brought in contact with the
common people whom he loathes and
the tribunes whom he datests. The
tragedy Is due partly to this stubborn
conflict between the people and him
self, but more especially to the inner
nature OF the hero In act >, scene 2.
a s77csarrrrr.
way and from the proDer
point of view One Of them saws that
there have been many great men that
nave hattered the people. who ne'er /
loved them, thus the indifference and
icOTn OF Marcus. The other answers.
with rare wisdom and insight: "He
seeks their hate with greater devotion
than they can render it him. and
leaves nothing undone that may fully /
discover him their opposite. Now to |
seem to affect the malice and displeas- /
ure Of the people is as bad as that
which he dtsiikes, to natter them for
Their love" Coriolanus has the con- /
Tempt for the fckleness of the mob that I
all thinking people have. but he is ant /
TO consider that all people who are not /
Datricians are beneath his notice and /
worthy Of cOntumeiy. Menenius has 4
no use for them either, but he LAUGHS /
ana JeStS with them IN his hearty good (
lumor. Nolumnla treats them with I
cold Indifference: but Coriolanus loses I
his dignity in his blind rage against /
them. For once he is like d child. ne /
who Is generally a giant sOne wonders +
Il the same man can be at once so /
powerful and so weak. To this pride +
and passionate hatred of the people he /
sacrifices the happiness of his family I
and the prosperity Of his country. and /
finally is willing to lead an army
against the walls cf Rome 1t IS this I
weakness. this rift within the Lutte"
hat causes the tragedy Of the play /
the failure Of a great soul to geccg- /
lize the bones that bind him to other /
men,"
An Important Scene.
There are few more impressive scenes