Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-10-18
FREDERICK WARDE
SIMPLY IMMENSE
BEAUTIFUL WORD PICTURE OF
LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE.
Brought Out Many New Phases
OF Works of the Immortal Bard
Opened Mems Club Entertain
ment Course at Turner Last
Evening.

In the opening number of the Mems
Club entertainment course proved a
grand literary treat to those who heard
this celebrated champion of Shakes
peraian literature at the Turner opera
house last evening Mr.. Wards was
introduced by Rev. H. c. Rehm of
the Congregational church and for two
hours he dealt upon his subject in a
manner that held the closest attention
of his hearers. Mr.. Warde is not only
one of the rIpest Shakespearian
scholars in this country, but he is a
speaker of great power and interest.
To hear him lecture, especially when
he take his theme from the works
of the Immortal Bard, is as great a
treat as to see him act. He is one
of the very few actors who think
more of their art and its promotion
than of themselves and their per-
sonal convenience. Off the stage he
is courteous, genial gentleman,
living quietly and decently, as gen.
tleman should, and in Lesser hours
cultivating those graces of mind and
character which come only from
study, reflection and enabling assocI-
ations. He is courteous and gentle
manly as was evidenced in his visit
in Watertown.
MIR. Warde prefaced his remarks
last evening by giving brief but
interesting sketche of the life of
shakespeare. He told little incidents
and characteristics of the great actor
which do not conicide with the opinions
held by many of the great character,
also speaking uf the generally accept
ed details of life of the great man.
Mr.. Warde then took up the Ba-
CONAN theory, holding that up to
ridicule. He then dwelt upon the
various theories that have been
advanced by cranks for ages, holding
B!eorien as On excellent example OF
humor. He picked to pieces Tolstoi
attack on the memories of Shakespeare,
characterizing it as audacity. He
then proceeded to the sources OF
Shakespeare knowledge and in
spiIation claiming that his historical
works are founded on chronicles of
English history. He also spoke of
his classical plays on lives uf the
ancients; his italian plays on the old
Italian novels and plays, on his own
observations IN the woods and meadows
of Stratford
Mr.. Warde made the statement that
he did not believe with one exception
there was ever greater apostle of
christianity than Shakespeare. He
proceeded to prove this by examples
from Henry VIII, Henry V. Richard
Ill and Henry vi. The best illustra-
tion was in the life of our martyred
president, William Mckinley, who
got his inspiration from Shakespearian
works, which he lived up to even OH
his death bed.
Mr.. Warde then spoke of the in
ventIve mind of Shakespeare, of his
family relations, all tending to show
that he was not the bad character that
some of his critics have pictured him
to be. He gave fiowery illustrations
of Shakespeare's philosophy in his
teachings to believe in the immor-
tality of the soul. He then gave to
the audience Palonius' advice to his
son from Hamlet, adding that he
would like to see it printed in large
letters and hung in every school room
in the United States. Then to fur
Their prove Shakespeare temperance
trend of thought, Mr.. Ward quoted
from Othello: go, that men should
put an enemy into their mouths to
steal away their BRAIN" Credit Was
then given to Shakespeare for his
thoughts On specific gravity and
circulation of the blood, going to
prove that he was a man of rare
mental powers and of originality.
No adequate idea of the eloqence
with which Mr.. Warde uttered his
beautiful word-pictures can be trans
ferred to paper and The Leader can
only add IN closing that those who
missed hearing him. mi ssed rare
literarv treat