Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-27
RICHARD III HIS THEME
DIR. sTAFFoRD's LECTURE ON
sHAKFsPEARIAN CHARACTER.
Distinguished Audience at New Ma
tional Theater-Benefit of the
Catholic University.

A distinguished audience gathered last
night at the New National Theater to lis
ten to a lecture on Richard III by Rev.
Father D. J. Stafford, under the auspices or
the Knights of Columbus.
Among the prelates and laymen who oc-
cupied seats in the boxes were Cardinal
Gibbons, Mgr. Falconio, the papal delegate;
Mgr O'Connell, rector of the Catholic Uni
versity; Rev. w. s. Caughy, Mgr. Mar
chetti of the papal delegation; Rev. George
A. Dougherty, Signor Vannutelli nephew of
Cardinal Vannutelli DR.. Maurice Francis
Egan, Professors Dunn and Mccarthy,
Rev Drs. Shanahan, Healy, Griffith and
Melody, all of the Catholic University.
The lecture was given for the purpose
of raising funds to relieve the embarrass-
ment of the Catholic University, and was
the result of a conference held with Car
dinal Gibbons by local members of the or
der of Knights of Columbus. The affair
was under the direction of a. committee
composed of DIR. w. P. Malone, chairman;
Edward p. Harrington, secretary; Wiiliam
Easby-Smith, P. ]. Haltigan, George W.
Barry, Joseph E. Ralph and w. A. Cal
lahan.
Greatest Villain of Any Stage.
The lecture was a mastery effort.
Father staffords portrayal of Richard was
intensely dramatic.
He said of the great character:
Richard III. the greatest villain of any
stage, affords subject worthy OF our deep
attention. and teaches a lesson not less
important than Macbeth which in many
respectS it resembles. Teh play Is in the
early style of the poet. Critics find many
imperfections in the text, and indications
of the fact that the poets genius was not
are imperfections indeed, but no one who
loves the poet or has been close to his
heart can doubt the authorship OF many
Passages. The mind that conceived Ham
let saw also the vision of Clarence and
wrote the beautiful and poetic description
of the princes death. The poet found ms
material in Holinshed, Hall and Moore He
is accused of darkening the colors, out In
reality he has not done so; all that is In
the poet is found also In the historian He
has in a sense made the character less re-
pulsive by giving it a consistency and unity
There is no guessing here; here Is no
Hamlet with his mystery of sorrow. Rich
ard declares his positions; he gives his at
titude; he Is simple, plain villain Ed
mund in Lear finds reason for his VII
lainy in his disgrace of origin, Richard
in his defermity of person; and since ma
ture has made his body so crooked, he
begs the powers of hell to come and make
his deformity of person. and is at the
same time conscious of the power of his
mind, the fascination of his speech. and
the strength of his personality. He is
is resident in his heart; he is a man apart.
HE starts out to get the crown-noth-
ing can cause him to hesitate-no motive
no law no rule, tie of kindred, In
stinct human or law divine.
Presents Two Pictures.
For this purpose he employs his w.t.
wisdom, courage, daring, hypocrisy; and
the poet makes him perfect in every part
He gives two pictures of himself. one as
he would appear to others. and one as he
appears to himself. He accepts evil for
his good; he deliberately changes the
order of the Norld. throws conscience
away SCOTS at all law, scorns all obiiga-
lions, however sacred, and breaks every
tie that binds him to humanity. He Is
not like King John, a dastardly criminal;
nor like Macbeth, a sad and joyless sinner,
who weeps and means over the foul deed
done. No; Richard is the jester of pam
demonium, the wit of hell: who not only
does sin but declares he finds happiness
in IT. He jigs, he ambles. he dances, he
jests: he ven makes Factions references
to that deformity Of person about which