The newspaper., 1907-01-04
SHAKESPEARE As An Actor.
BY MRS. VIOLET CLARK.


there are but five facts absolutely
known to us about Shakespeare: The
date Of his birth, April %, 1864; his
marriage at 10 to Anna Hathaway;
his connection with the Globe Thea
tire and with Blackfriers; his retire.
ment from theatrical life with COM
petency; and the date OF his death
which took place upon the anniver-
sary OF his birth 1916"
However the Investigations OF the
last fifty or sixty years in municipal,
theatrical and other records in the
literature OF the Elizabethan and sue
ceeding periods and in other sources
OF information have brought to light
a multitude of indisputable facts con-
cerning the man and his works.
In his first connection with theat-
rical life he was employed as promp-
tiers attendant. Soon, however, his
abilities must have been recognized
and lie began his career as an actor,
in small parts. gradually working
his way up to n better position in
the company. II he went TO London
in 1885; seven years elapsed before
we have any positive Information
about him.
In 1892 we hear of him through n
playwright, Robert Green, who says
trust them not for there Is an up
start crow, beautified with our
feathers, with his tigers heart wrapt
in players hide" 1t is clear from
Green's envy and Chettle's eulogy
In 1892 Shakespeare had already
won credit, not only by HIS acting
but also by revising old plays for re-
production on the stage The earli-
est definite notice of Shakespeare mp
pearance on the stage, is of his having
been player in two comedies acted
before Elizabeth Mt Greenwich Palace
I'm Dec. 1884. Other performances be-
fore Elizabeth were in 1896, twice
during the Christmas holidays at
whitehall. Mt Richmond Palace on
twelfth night and Shrove Tuesday
1900 and AT Whitehall Dec. 20 same
year. at Christmas 1G0l-2 the COM
pany played four times at Whitehall:
and ut Richmond Feb. >, 1903, the
last occasion on which they could
have played before Elizabeth. In the
summer of 1892 (Which Is in the first
period of Shakespere's dramatic ca
reer.) when the first part of Henry
VI, as revised 10y Shakespeare was
a.faI ha f,,rt,
lar that we are told by Nash, ten
thousand spectators witnessed It In
the course of n few weeks. To the
same period also belong Titus An
dronicus and three comedies, Loves
Labor Lost. The comedy of Errors
and the Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Titus Andronicus evidently Is very
early work as can be seen not only
I'm SO coarse n type of tragedy hut In
the crude handling of character and
motive. and the want of harmony In
working out the details. But how
promptly and completely Shakes
pere's nobler nature turned from this
lower and bloody type. Is apparent
from the fact that he not only never
reverted to II but ridicules the piled
up horrors of Kyd's plays.
Whatever questions may be raised
with regard to the superiority of
some Of the plays belonging to the
E first period of Shakespere's dramatic
career, there can be no question at
all to any of the pieces belonging to
the second period. During these
years Shakespere's works as n mas
ter having complete command over
materials and resources OF the most
mature and flexible dramatic art,
this period includes magnificent his
torical plays as well as comedies. In
the third period OF his dramatic ca
reer years had evidently brought en-
larged visions, wider thoughts and
deeper experiences, while the old
mastery OF art remains. The works
belonging to this period seem to bear
traces OF more intense moral strug-
giles, larger and less joyous views of
human life, more troubled complex
and profound conceptions and emo