The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-07

The example Of the greatest OF all dra-
matic poets, II IL true, can be cited In de-
fence Of the dramatist who poetizes. But
We must make sure hat the cases are par.
alel. Shakespeare had no pictorial scenery,
q 90 was Obliged 70 make his characters
create the illusion OF time and plaoe. When
Mr.. Phillips, whose use Of the carpenter
and the scene painter has not beer sur
passed on the modern stage. proceeds in a
similar his lines are In effect redun-
dant, and instead Of creating illusion tend
to destroy It.. And II Il only In Shake
speare's earlier and immature period that his
characters describe what they feel rhetor1-
cally. The words OF Romeo and Juliet
flame forth incandescent from the mighty
current Of passion that Is thwarted. Ledr's
maddened brain teens with metaphor, but
IL 10 not the metaphor Of description. but
OF spontaneous utterance. HdmleFs solilo-
guy. a Lamb has said, Is 90 hackneyed that
10 Is quite impossible TO gain any fresh.
original impression OF IL; but the one thing
certain is that its language is simple to the
point Of the ~oolloquial. King Cldudius, it is
true, speaks In elaborate rhetorical meta
phor, but his is the speech Of a conscious
villain who cloaks the truth in phrases.
Idoo tells US what he is and why he does
what he does, but his is the self conscious-
meas Of deliberate and delighted villainy.
With Shakespeare at his best, in short. the
style Is that Of the character, not Of the
author.
In "Paolo and Francesca not only the
voice but the hand OF the dramatist is
manifest, and the result is far more vitality
dQatrICfiuo Nouv h0Hn IN n noaf'a nraan Of
simple human nature more evident than In
his treatment OF brief incidental characters.
Was there ever a more futile bit OF pseudo
Elizabethan fooling than that between the
soldiers and the happy villagers at the inn
near Rimini? Intended as a contrast to
PGolo's love INT despair. the scene was
80 forced as to throw 1t into the most
lugubrious shadow. Yet the major char
scters in the play are scarcely more real.
Giovanni, concealed in the Apotheedrv's
shop, overhears PGolo's confession OF his
love, and his despairing resolution to kill
himself before it results in sin. But devoted
brother though he is, he stands by and
lets the young man go forth. as he thinks.
to his death. In reading the play l must
confess / felt no inconsistency. But with
the scene before me, concrete, alive, II was
different. 1t would have taken only a
word for Giopdnni to counsel PdolO to a
manly fortitude, and another to pronounce
against him a helpful edict Of Punishment.
This was the natural course to GiordnRi in
his character OF tyrant as in his character
OF brother. But what he does is to stand
by and see the beloved Pdolo pocket the
poison and go-acoepting vengeance for a
crime that has not been committed. Super
hcially the scene has an undoubted theatrical
appeal. Essentially it is destructive of
common sense and character, and so OF
the deeper interest OF drama.
One felt again. in short. that Mr.. Phillips
was inspired by literature. not by life.
His characters as well as himself have read
their Dante not wisely but too well, and
accept their fate in its e1 post fdcto por-
~traiture instead OF living out their lives
like real people according to the present
promptings OF sense and passion. Up to
the final act. in short-the fateful violence
OF which is deployed with great skill and
feeling for effect-the play does not grip,
does not really interest. And ever the
last act, strong though it il, is not so much
dramatic az theatrical. There are many
beautiful lines in the play, and not a few
passages that give rare scope to the actor
bent on the effect Of the moment, but the
W hole is miles away from the traditions we
had hoped it might maintain.
In -Herod. asst seems to me, Mr.. Phillips
has for once risen to the sphere Of true and
compelling drama. The struggle is be-
tween ambition and love. The soldier Of
the people loves and is married to the
daughter Of the Maccabees. Policy re-
quires that Herod kill the young and dearly
loved brother Of Marianne. He does So
and in the end realizes that he has forfeited
Mdridmne's love. In a passion Of barbaric
jealousy he procures her death. But love
proves the stronger passion. Herod sinks
into madness and despair In the midst Of
the very power and grandeur he had killed
his love to gain. There are some few lines
poetizing, and the characters are indi-
Gated rather han realized; but the voice
spontaneous passion prevails and the
OF will and fate is maintained TO an
inevitable close.
When 1 saw the play acted In London
five years ago it moved me as few poetic
tragedies ave ever done, though the
Herod was Mr.. Beerbohm Tree. And
lately when I reread it-with f~oreboding,
De IL hlut III L hhN JuSb AuAA1hCu 1ub OH
OF David"-it still seemed to me to nave the
true voice OF love. terror and emorse
It is a less snowy play than "Cyrano de
Bergerao,' and the theme is so distressing
that it can never have great popular vogue.
But deeply as lam convinced Of the fulfil ity
Of the rest OF Phillips 1 am convinced of
the greatness Of this play.
One strong reason for the failure OF our
hopes of six years g is perhaps to be
found in the fact that both the English
and the Frenchman have drawn
their themes from history and myth, unin-
fuenced by the inspiration Of the life about
them. II has not been so with the great
Shakespeare is never more
Elizabethan than in his histories. Goethe
and Schiller were prominently of their
time in Faust" and TELL The
gods and heroes Of Eschylus and Sopho-
sIss we're living realities to the throngs Of
the theatre OF Donysos. But CvrGno
and Herod are no more to US than we to
them.
Mr.. Phillips, II is true, is convinced Of
the success OF his cause. OF his plays he
lately said;
a- - - sr tt