The sun., 1903-08-01
The Mind or Shakespeare.

Prot. Richard c. Moulton of the Univer-
sitv Of Chicago is the author ot The Moral
System Of Shakespeare: Popular Illus
tration of Fiction as the Experimental
Side of Philosophy" (The Macmillan Com
pany). 1t is explained that the term
moral system" as applied to fiction means
the same thing that Providence means IN
the direction Of natural affairs. The mind
OF a dramatic poet is not to be determined
by quotations from his plays. Quotations
represent merely the minds OF the various
characters.
Really the plot is the thing. This work
shall have for it's basis the study OF plot.
PILOT is the reduction Of all the details Of
poem TO unity OF design II is in fiction
what Providence is in the world OF reality
As we contemplate the vast universe we
delight to believe that all are but parts of
one stupendous whole; the religious mind
instinctively feels this; science is occupied
in taking the phenomenal universe TO
pieces and tracing the parts OF which II IL
made UP. So in the mimic world OF drama
or story all are but parts OF one artlstlc
whole. the cultured mind has all instructive
sense OF such plot: criticism takes the
drama or story to pieces and analyHes the
parts which have been moulded INTO
unity When analysis OF the var
ious plays has put together results drawn
from each. then we have body OF ma
terial sufficient for the study Of underlying
principles and SO far as may be-for the
coordination Of principles INTO something
of moral system"
Tie professor proceeds to consider the
root ideas of Shakesl cares moral system,
He finds that the first four of the histories
illustrate herosm and moral balance.
the second four wrong and retrihuton.
In Romeo and Jule" the root ideas are
innocence and pathos. "A Winters Tale"
and "Cvmbeline" sci forth wrong and
rotribuiion. In Henry the Eighth" we
have for the root ideas "the life without
and the life within" which Is rs much as
to say spec acle and motive, what some
body does and why he does i.
There hove been critics who have over
looked the idea Of innocence and pashos.
They have assumed that punishment must
ALWAYS have been for cause. and that
Cordehn NAV have been punished because
she called in tho French Prof, Moulton
finds that CJrdeItl no more sinned against
patriotism in using the French army against
the wicked queens than the authors Of the
revolution of 1888 sinned against it when
they called William # Orange to deliver
England from King james. For6cl'r was
punished simply for the cake of pathos.
sympathy is a beautiful sentiment; tears
are Christening.
Having gone through the plays in a series
Of chapters which are very flowing and
readable. whatever may be thought of the
importance OF the underlying idea, the pro-
lessor comes TO a department of rather
surprising tables and diagrams which en-
body the summing up. Ii Is curious to
sec dramatic intrigue and irony repre-
scnted in paralelograms and circles, with
arrows shooting back and forth and the
names of characters stuck up like corner
signs. We have no doubt that they all
show perfectly the beautiful balance in
voIvcd IN Shakcspeare's moral system
Perhaps he had set himself. and kept his
eye on il when lie was at work.