The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-07
DIR. QUAYLE'S LECTURE
AN INTERESTING TALK ABOUT
CHARACTERS IN SHAKESPEARE.
Iago Was One Of the Mean Men
Evolved by the Bard of Avon-A
Trouncins for the Fop.

Rev. William A Quayle spoke to a large
audience in the Meridian-street Church
yesterday afternoon on the characters in
Shakespeare.
He had prepared an exhaustive address
but found the time inadequate to the re-
quirements of the various character studies
of Shakespeare and was compelled to stop
before he completed the list. In the course
of his remarks he discussed the optimist
as portrayed In the character of Prospero
in the Tempest" Prospero, he said. did
not worry, although beset by perplexing
situations. HE subdued all forces" said
he, mo matter what their characteristics.
Ferdinand came. but he did not conquer
Prospero. Callahan came and he. too. failed
to subdue Prospero Ariel came and he was
subdued by Prospero. When the was
raging and the sailors were bobbing around
on the waters like bubbles. Prospero was
calm. he was an optimist. The people who
control the world are not those VINO are
full of emotion and passion After Timon
of Athens, King Lear and Hamlet, it
is a relief to see one who cannot be
drowned nor conquered by brute force,
but who in time conquers all forces ar
rayed against him by his superior quail
ties. Prospero was not emotionless. but he
controlled his emotions. He was an OPP
timist.
1.-The question is often asked: who was
the meanest man in Shakspeare?' That
point is not material, in my opinion.
Shakespeare has painted one character
which we find all around us to-day. He is
the gentleman who knows what necktie
70 Wa q nd In fhn hon h0 &c 10
mode he is a la sense. He can be the ten
der troubadour under the window of lady
and a generally accomplished courtier.
Lovely man to have around the house.
you will say Did you ever see a man like
that? He's handy, like a fire shovel.
despise him because he is of the type of the
gentleman of the world. In his heart there
is no shame. For a wager he will ruin the
reputation of a woman when that reputa-
ton is so valuable that all the crown
jewels of heaven are not to compare to it.
He passes for a gentleman. but is worse
than a beast. You think these characters
are myths. 1t is not So There are no
myths in literature. Shakespeare knew
what he saw and the characters lived.
Take Iago What shall we say of him?
Good Iago. The more study lagos char
What does Desdamona think of
him? Good Iago. What thinks Othello of
him? He says. Good Iago says this or
good Iago says that But 1 think that
man compared with Iago. There was only
one worse character than Iago and that
was Count Guido. Iago was such a liar
that he believed what he said and was such
hypocrite that he deceived himself and
that indicates the last stage Of hypocrisy.
Iago looked well and always tried to i'm
press everyone with his friendship and
goodness But let no man think he can
read character by looks Some people are
q mighty sight better than they look, while
some are enough worse than they look to
make up for them. We see Desdamona ly
ing white in death and we see Othello
pierce his own heart with his sword, but
IL was Iago who thrust the sword into
Othello and took the life of Desdamona.
"TheH there's the friend in Shakespeare.
There are false friends and true Take
the Two Gentlemen of Verona and find
the story of false friendship there. But
there were true friendships as we'll.
''Take Enobarbus and Mark Antony.
Enobarbus does not tell Antony he loves
him, but he does. Cleopatra sees II and at
times hates Enobarbus because he loves
her lord Then there was Bassano who
loved his master SO that all he lived for
was to be his friend. The finest type of
friendship is that which is sometimes given
to man by friend who in ordinary life
would not be considered fit to associate with
him. Some people think that one friend
should always be telling his friend that he
Is his friend, but the best friendship is that
which goes without saying so. The pecu-
liarity OF the friendship of Hamlet and
Horatio was that they never talked about
it"