Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-16
Two Of the Worlds Greatest
Dramatic Tragedies Power.
fully Read.
WERE MIGHTY MENTAL FEASTS
The Charcter Portrayal So Superbly
Done as to Elicit Unbounded Eu.
lhusiasm and Applause.

A talented and scholarly enthusiast
never fails TO interest and instruct. His
scholarship gives him a comprehensive,
mastery OF his subject, and his talents
enable him 20 spread before an audience
the fruits OF that scholarship as a re-
past that Is intellectually refreshing.
The truth OF this statement was evil
denced in yesterdays eocutionary eff
forts Of Prof. Clark IN Hawthorne's
Scarlet Letter" and the evning's in
depreciation recital Of Shakespeare's
Richard H." IN the hands Of such a
man. the written poge assumes new
life. the theme becomes Of vivid inter-
est. and there Is an awakening an in
telleetual renaissance that fastens with
lasting iirmness on the mind historic
facts and scenes.
At both performances, Barratt hall
was well filed by cultivated audiences
composed largely OF professional peo-
pie. and there was an attention paid to
everything Prof, Clark said that must
have assured hlmemore than ever of the
high appreciation in which he is held
among the educated classes Of this city
And as noted In yesterdays News
that unspoken, yet at the same time
manifest sympathy going out from au-
dience to speaker with such encourage
ing heartiness, was again noticeable
yesterday, perhaps more than ever
Spurred by such an appreclative ell
vironment, the talented lecturer was
once more at his best, and gave his
hearers series OF recitals that made
them forgetfu Of all else but what was
coming from the platform.
Prof Clark's presentation OF the
Scarlet Letter" was most dramatic
effort, the lesson TO be taught being,
What man does to another, he does
TO himself" After Introductory com
ments on the book from literary
standpoint, the speaker took up the four
characters around which the story is
woven, and read passages giving the
best insight into these characters, He
showed how Hester Prynne through
suffering and self sacrifice became to
her fellow mortals a veritable angel of
mercy; how Arthur Dimmesdale after
seven years OF suffering from the pangs
of conscience, won salvation finally
through confession Of sins Then there
was Pearl, the child Of sin, yet at the
same time n symbol Of purity, and Ar
thur Chillngworth, the tempter whose
attempted troiumph over Arthur Dim
mesdae failed entirely. Prof Clark
showed himself masterful deineator
OF character, and gave to his audience
verbal portraiture not easily to be
forgotten.
In the evening, Orchard was himself
again" in the Interpretation recital Of
Richard Ill" Why the two morning
Salt Lake papers should dismiss such
an effort In a mere, perfunctory office
written paragraph OF scarcely half a
dozen lines Is one Of the mysteries with
which are cnVlroned the attempts or
mlsattempts OF those publications TO
give the news and the truth about It."
as the late Samuel Bowles would re-
mark II was "A mastery effort that
held that large audience with eager at
tention through the entire evening. The
speaker read detached parts of the play
as best calculated to paint the charac-
ter OF one Of the greatest wretches OF
history, and connected the passages
with pertinent descriptive and narra-
tive which gave a connect
ed and sympathetic whole to the
recital Prof Clark explained that the
play was one OF Shakespeare's very
earliest efforts in which the work of
the writer MARROW was plainly evident,
Perhaps the play WAS more NARROW
esque than Shakespearean. The play
was true to history, and Richard killed
no more, If as many persons In the
play as he did In history. The play
I'm one respect Is superior to the his
torioa narrative, In that while the his
torlan can do no more than deal with
external fact and outward acts appear
ances Of man, the playwright is privil-
eyed 10 enter into the motives the true
% "a
He can reach IN and grasp the inward
philosophers Of outward manifestation,
the subjective ego which may be OBJ
scured or only be very imperfectly
mirrored In the objective ego. And so
Il Is In Richard III one Of Shake
speares most dramatic and popular
dramas.
Prof. Clark made a special point Of
the fact that the elimination Of the
plot was an example OF a great and
world wide truth the ultimate triumph
Of virtue and righteousness. Richard
was an ideal character, an ideal villain
wholly absorbed In himself, and utter
ly intolerant Of opposition. despsing
the voice Of conscience, and entirely
Obvious to the suggestions of tho
higher nature. The impatuosity OF his
wlokedness Is illustrated in his crusty
remark when asked as to his policy
should Hastings prove unwilling to en-
ter the conspiracy to make Richard
king, why, chop off his mead, mani"
This was the natural sequence to be in
ferred TO any opposition. The consum-
mate art OF polished and schemlng
villainy was well set forth In Glosters
passage at arms with Anne before the
corpse OF Henry VI, and his befogging
the lord mayor OF London with assump-
tions OF sanctlty. But at the last, as
Richard awakens from HIS horrid night
marc X the night before the battle of
Rosworth Field, with a cold sweat COW
ering his now crlnglng and frightened
person. he cried In the depths OF des-
pair. "Haye mercy jesuit" A life OF
murder and OF criminal plotting and
vllalny has come 20 n most tragic end,
and on the battle field this wretched
soul goes like Judas to his own place.
The vivid portrayal Of this last scene
by Prof. Clark viii long be remembered
by those who heard Il, and the earnest
ness with which he made apparent the
triumph OF truth virtue and righteous
ness will not be easily forgotten.
Prof clark gives reading Of Tenny-
sons "Gareth and Lynette," this after
noon, and this evening comes an inter-
.