The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-24
The Winters Tale.
Shakespearean Play Was the DIamati-
cation of Novel

Shakespearean Play Was the Dramati-
zation of Novel
The interest of the story Of The Win
ter's Tale" centers about the meanest
and most tOTturing attitude Of the human
mind. that state Of the man or woman
who is torn by pealOusy and moved 20
visit upon the unhappy and innocent VIC
tim OF cruel suspicion the bitterest of
woe and harshest Of punishment. But
the play serves 10 present also two of
the noblest female characters to the
sketching of which Shakesneare bent
has mind. The Hermione of THE Win
ter's tale" is a noble creation, one of
those supreme works OF art. which in
spire more than admiration and COM
mand more than respect Perdita is an
other character lovely beyond compare,
a vision Of beauty, grace, and native in
nocence, that has been excelled in no
other work Of the great bard.
These two characters alone suffice to
make the play marvellous produc-
ton. But it abounds G-ith others Of
profound interest. Mamilius, for in
stance. the gentle prince and as a con-
trast the witty. melOdiOus rogue, Auto
lycus. Repulsive as is the jealousy
mat AliANNLo lAfb4lltSs the AAAcirAEA ~ ohAAt
with which his picture is drawn, the
subtle analysis Of the operations Of
jealousy in the human soul. make the
character one of absorbing interest.
knight says that no edition OF the play
was known prior to the folio of 1923:
but Chalmers assigned the play to 1901
because Of the lines put into the mouth
of Camille:
If I could find example
Of thousands that had struck anOinted
Kings
And flourish after
He held that these lines we're called
forth by the conspiracy of Essex; but
Malone spurns that thought, and de-
clares that such words were never
intended for him who had taken the
life Of the Queen Of Scots. Walpole
ranked the play among the historic
dramas. and in Leontes found a re-
Election OF Henry VIII. He declares
that Hermione's declaration on her
trial
For honor,
Tis a derivative from me 10 mine,
And only that 1 stand for
seems TO be taken from the very letter
of Anne Boleyn to the King before her
execution. He proceeds to give other
reasons for belief that The Winters
Tale" IS really a second part of Henry
VIII"
Knight is unquestionably correct in
dismissing this criticism as a mere
literary trick by Walpole TO exhibit his
ingenuity. SO great a mind assuredly
never seriously advanced such an absurd
theory. "The Winters Tale" was beyond
question adapted from novelette, by
Robert Greene, called ''Pandosto."
Henry Morley finds proof that Greene's
novel was founded upon a story OF the
treatment Of his wife by Duke MasOvius
Zemovitus. some account Of which is
found in SOmmersberg's .Revum Sill
esiariun Scriptures" as given by the
Archbishop of Guesen.
The wife in Greene's story is not
wholly discreet. though entirely limo
cent In the play. however. she is de
void OF even indiscretiOi. or If inno-
cent, of cause 10 suspect more than high
admiration for the guest. In Othello,
says Knight. Shakespeare produced the
portrait OF one not easily jealous but
here he exhibits the distractions Of q
mind to which jealousy was native.
This phase Of jealousy Coleridge has
made the theme Of a charming essay
with The Winters Tale" as a text.
The story runs much as does the play.
the compact TO poison the guest, his
flight. the commitment of Hermione to
prison, the Al peal 10 the oracle after
the jealous king had put his own child
atOdt upon the sea IN rudderlCss boat
without sail or help. The trial scene
I'm the play only partly follows the story
Of Greene. In the tale the injured
wife. hearing of the death OF her son.
falls dead. but Shakespeare preserves
the queen TO be reunited TO her lovely
daughter, who had such a romantic
career.
In Greene's story only the existence
and death Of the kings son are men
I toned, but Shakespeare has made
Mamillus one Of the most beautiful of
characters. For him the father In the
midst Of his jealous sufferiugs maintains
ed the deepest affection, and the poor
boy did all he could TO SOOthe his I'M
reasonable parent I'm no other work of
Shakespeare Is there such remarkable
knowledge Of childhood and its prompt
( ings dnd feelings shown as in this case.
( The dramatist must have studied the
/ inner soul Of the Child long. and learned
/ 1t well 90 draw such picture as he
/ did of MumilluS.
Knight well says that when one COM
! pares the novel & nd the play he best
discovers the ErOssnesS of the first and
+ the beauty of the second because
! Shakespeare genius converted raw ma
] terial into fabric OF delicate texture and
grace.