The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-24
SHAKESPEARE
AND MACBET TIL
"A Criticism OF the
Play by Miss
Lewis.
ESTIMATE OF THE
HERO'S CHARACTER
Young Woman's Christian Asso
citation Members Listen to a
Well Prepared Paper.

The parlors of the Young Women's
Christian Association in the Boston block
were thronged yesterday afternoon with
ladies when Miss Mary Elizabeth Lewis
of Oahu College gave the third of her
lectures on literature. Her subject yes
terday was a critical portrayal of the life
work of Shakespeare, with especial ref
erence to his masterpiece of tragedies
Macbeth. Miss Lewis delineation of the
various characters who stand out prom
inently in the play was carefully word
ed, and the lights and shadows which
Turk in and between the lines We're deli
cately brought out with the skill of one
familiar with every phase of Shake
speare's intentions in his various works.
The life of the Bard of Avon, as given
by Miss Lewis, was only Incidental 10
the analysis of the play, AMI only the
salient points of his career which haG
bearing upon the writing of the great
tragedy were spoken of. She described
the play of Macbeth as a tragedy of twi-
light where darkness set in thickly upon
is so cleverly drawn. 1t was one of the
plays in which the author had tenacious
~ chung to the strict rules of dramatic
construction in certain parts, and in 9TH
ers had toally disregarded them. As to
the hero, Miss Lewis gave an estimate
of his character, at once strong and pa
triotIc and a man of true worth, and at
last weak, vacillating, easily influenced
by others of more determined natures
With such diverging characteristics IN
his hero, Shakespeare with bis wealth
of description for every phase Of the
royal murderer's personality, was able
to create a startling plot and weave q
story which stands today as a monu-
ment to Shakespeare himself, in his own
fitting phrase, Some are born great,
some achieve greatness, and others have
greatness thrust upon them.
The lecturer stated that Macbeth was
not wholly good, nor wholly bad, which
was Aristotles estimate of what nero
/ should he. Mach his changing moods
showed the authors masterful portrayal
of character. 1t was such 4 nature as
Macbeth possessed which led him into
committing not one murder but several.
| In studying the two main cha -acters it
would be difficult to liferentata them.
The hero in the first part of the play is
praised as a valiant warrior, ana Is
spoken of with admiration by his king
| and his manly qualities won him also
| the admiration of the soldiers. This is
the man as Duncan knew him. Lady
/ Macbeth was also complimented in the
first portion as fair, beautiful and even
! fragile, indicating that hers was a beau
| tiful character and unsullied by the baser
motives which afterwards took posses
] sion of her Miss Lewis differs with crit
] les who describe her wholly as fair, beau
| tiful and fragile. She possessed above all
else, tact; her whole character was dis
closed in her conversation with her hus-
band, when reference is made to the
Fair is foul, and foul is fair of the
witches.
The villainous side of Macbeth develops
steadily The latent powers of wicked
ness awaken, although Lady Macbeth
| feared he was too good by nature to re-
main steadfast to his purpose. She pos
sessed power over him to turn his mega
| tive goodness into positive badness His
vaulting ambition alone stood sponsor
to his evil intentions, and made of him
a man full of base motives. AS the time
came to commit his first crime, his vacil-
Iating nature wavered and wounded the
pride of Lady Macbeth. But she had
laid her plans so well and felt so secure
that Macbeth was buoyed up with false
hopes. He was fainthearted; she was OF
a nervous wire nature, and urged him
on. Thus he went downward until he
| CROPPED about in the depths of evil do
| ings. Realizing that he was dishonor-
able, for so he looked upon his first deco,
he came to know he had lost his friends,
! and so fell lower and lower. His final
! despair brought out his pristine bravery,
and it was only when he came face To
face with McDuff that his soul became
overcharged and he fought with the fury
of an animal at bay which knew it had
no escape.