The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-04

oioouy holioi-HSoih, 'hS "oi"h
Was Much to Blame.
a learned and intensely interesting
analysis of a Shakespearean MASTER
piece: Il presentation of the choicest
passages of the masterpiece, with rare
dramatic ability, and a sermon that of
itself. divorced of it's capsule, one
would willingly pay to partakc of.
was what the Brockway entertainment
bureau presented to its patrons ut the
Lyceum last night, through the emf
nent literateuer. elocutionist and
preacher, Rev. u. j. Stafford, d. D.,
of Washington.
Macbeth" was his subject. On one
of his previous visits to Scranton. DR..
Stafford gave this same lecture, yet it
can be safely estimated that those
VINO heard him before comprised
goodly part of the audience. which
last nigh. filed every seat and box in
the spacious Lyceum. He is great
favorite as q lecturer i'm Scranton.
and his "Macbeth' is. with Scranton
ians, the favorite number of his en-
tensivc repertoire.
DR.. Stafford is one of the recognized
Shakesperian authorities of the day;
he is professor of elocution and ora
tory at Georgetown university and
the Catholic university in Washing
ton, and as a pulpiteer ranks among
the leaders in his church. 1t is not
surprising. then, that when he essays
a three sided treatment of q Shakes
pearean subject as indicated above,
an audience is given a rare treat.
Macbeth" is analyzed by DR.. Staf-
ford as a story in which passion is
pushed to its limit without once over
stepping, and the greatest sermon on
sin outside of the sacred book.
His treatment of the tituar charac-
ter is widely at variance with that of
others Of the recognized Shakesperean
critics. DR.. Stafford holds that Mac
beth was a naturally good and manly
man. and that he must be accepted as
such to save Shakespeare from the
imputation of having written simply a
story of dread and horror and blood.
MACBETH ANALYZED.
The play depicts all that is horrible
in man outlined against all that is
horrible in nature. but the man was
not naturally horrible. He was good:
temptation came; he could not resist
the temptation. when that temptation
had as allies. first. the pleadings and
then the taunts of Lady Macbeth. and
he fell
DR.. tSafford took issue with the
German critics, who blame Macbeths
crimes on the witches. Something
besides the weird sisters, the doctor
says, must have stirred Macbeth to
the commission of his crimes.
The crucial question in Macbeth. he
declares. is the question of the motive
of crime. The answer is not far to
seek. Macbeth felt he had a right to
rule in Scotland and was aggrieved
when Duncan was preferred before
him. Macbeth Strove to keep loyal.
He Wavercd. There was a constant
conflict between right and wrong go
ing on within him. There was II
long. gradual and natural develop
ment of his criminality. He was not
unconscionable. If he had been, there
would be no hesitancy, no remorse, no
sadness.
While he was in one of these con-
hicts, which ragged within him inces-
sanity, with varying successes, the
hope that he might still come into
his supposed right by succeeding the
aged Duncan was destroyed by the
latter'S declaration on his return from
the war that young Malcolm was to
be his successor. The woman comes
in and urges him to crafty his ambi-
ton. He falls
He does not go rashly and headless-
ly at it. lie is committed 10 do 1t.
nut he bo1ts Dnl IrawS harl, Evan
after consenting, he makes excuses
to put ii off. BY thus making Mac
beth hesitate and withdraw, the poet
prevents his piece from descending to
the level of simple. bloody horror.
1t would be impossible for an artistic
mind to tolerate it. We're it not for
these elements of Macbeth's charac-
ter which win respect. Were he just
II cold blodded murderer, he would he
impossible.
STILL HESITATING.
Even after Duncan is in the house
and the plot is ready to be consum-
mated, Macbeth recoils. lie leaves
the banquet table and goes to the
battlements to consider. Then
Lady Macbeth divines what is going
on and follows him to the battle
ments. Macbeth is thinking of the
dishonor of the thing: His king, his
kinsman and, above all, his guest. He
also weighs the fact that the deed
does not end with its commission. 'If
it We're done when tits DONE" he COM
plains.
Here the woman comes upon him,
She finds him standing on the brink
and pushes him over. She knows she
has IL poor case, so she does not at
tempt argument. She taunts him. She
tells him he is a coward. and that
having sworn to do murder he might