The Washington times., 1903-03-03
MANSFIELDS JULIUS CAESAR"
\ MARVELLOUS CONCEPTION


sentiment distinctly notable.
The mos, actively interesting char
aCter. perhaps" wrote great critic
and great student Of Shakespeare. is
mat Of Cassius-an ideal OF pure OK
allied intellect. For Cassius
believes i'm the Justice OF his cause and
the righteous ness Of his purpose.
g., is no; az Iago lie is grim. austere,
sTlcuetic- But his larger motive is
hatred of tyranny; and when, At last.
The storm is up and all is on the
hazard no man shows a drawer mind.
a more uuselfsh spirit. a more heroic
i II ont TO The foe. q cooler Indifference 70
coath." TO this conception OF tho role
/ Mr.. PauIdins closely approaches. In his
FIRST and last scenes. especially-the in
( aIEural ami he defeat of his projCct-he
: ac,. with marked skill. finish and eff
1 feet. He is "A good Cassius. but nos
/ sreat enough. if living memory and
stage history are to be trusted, TO be
measured with the Cassius OF Lawrence
/ Barrett and Edwin Booth.
/ Mr.. FORESTS Antony has been and will
+ continue TO be much more highly com
. mCndtd than il deserves. II Is acting
OF the kind which appeals specifically.
/ although not without inherent merit.
Ii is an impersonajion which depends
chiefly on attractive poses, extravagant
/ ordinations and an acceptable elocu-
tiOnary me hod rather than on great
knowledge and dee thought
Antony is a dissolute sensuaIist. sus-
ceptible TO every form Of beauty even
TO the beauty OF that virtue to which he
makes no pretense. His esthetic incn-
nations are so strong that he appreciates
The sublimiry of the spectacle presented
. by the conspirators as they stand over
Caesars body He speaks in verse He
is soadroit that he Stimulates effectively
Guinness as cloak for craft These are
the salient elements OF his character as
discovered by the text OF the play and
the comment OF all great students OF
Shakespeare.
An enactment OF this role succeeds or
fails then. according as these qualities
are observed and presented. Mr. Forrest
fails in just the degree that he does no;
display these several phases OF Antony's
character.
The Brutus OF Mr.. Mansfield has al
ready been forecasted in Washington by
the reviews written OF IL in New York.
Boston. Philadelphia and Baltimore. 1t
was known TO be original and by many
was anticipated a. weirdly imaginative
and fanatical Consequently. the audi
cnce was hOnorcd by the presence OF
many who were prepared TO display their
wisdom. After the first act there We're
wise holdings % the head and grave
questionings. After the second Mr.
Faulding and Mr.. Forrest were tbs stars
After the assassination Mr. Mansfield as
Brutus narrowly escaped being ''ludi-
croUs.' IL was Q time or triumph for
the cheap critic. Yet out OF all This
number H. Is 10 Re doubted whether a
single one had half Mr. Mansheld's
scholarly realization OF the role. had
given il half the attention. or had ap-
preached IT. with half his intelligence.
A 30 was disclosed yesterday the
Brutus OF Mr. Mansfield was a Roman
Of manifest high breeding a man gen
tie calm. broad. seIf-contained males
tic yet with a mind haunted. a soul iso-
lated among its fellows. conscience
riven with vaciIiation between purpose
and doubt -predestinate TO misery and
ruin" This is not the Brutus TO which
the stage is now accustomed. In the
prcssive dignity. great reserve force.
cold aUsterity superiority TO fault. and
crystalline devotion 10 duty This was
the Brutus OF Macready. wallack. Dav-
export. Barrett and Booth II was IN
doubleday a brilliant achievement But
much is yet to be said Of the Mansfield
/ conception
4 great scholar. Prot Michael MacmiI-
Ian. spoke for most OF his fellows when
he characterized Brutus in these words:
There can be no doubt that there Is
1 a close resemblance in two impoFt9nt
points between Hamlet and Brutus. Do n
Of them were primarily students and
philosophers. AMI were suddenly called
away from their books 10 do in the eyes
of the world great act Of violence that
geemcd imposed upon them by imperious
necessity. Hamlet wavered =
Brutus on the contrary. as soon as he
had convinced himself that Caesar ought
10 b. slain took the earliest opportunity
OF killing him. sim, TO some extent
. 81 may be said that I'm the case Of Rru-
tus. as Goethe said OF Hamlet. a lovely
,fure. noble and most moral nature. with
, out the strength OF nerve which forms a
hero. sinks beneath a burden which il
, cannot hear ana must not cast away d"
ON such a basis. "a likeness OF BrutUs
: 10 Hamlet approved by years OF care
tul study aud the judgment OF ,he
I scholars mind, this concept OF the role
could rest securely But IL is supper ed
abuudantIy IN the text. One speech viii
suffice 10 indicate This
b. Cas-Irs.
, T., not derci,'d. i. have veiI-d my IoJA.
turn ihe trouble 70 my cpuutcunnce
Merely upon myself NcyeI
. ~ late with passions OF some difference.
Conceptions only proper 60 myself
AIch glyC some soil. perhaps. 20 nay b"haN.orS
4 But lct not, Therefore. mv good friends be
groy'd %.
Among which ruL-u.s Ssssiu=. De you one.
b Nor ,onStrUr ans further uy neglect,
{ Than that poor Brutus, with himself a.
forycis tas shows g. love 90 other men.
But, sustained by scholarship and text
this interpre alton ~ further confirmed
by the considerations OF dramatic uJiI-