New-York tribune., 1908-02-12
MRS. CAMPBELL At THE GARDEN.
Electra +"

The reader OF Vanity Fair cannot have for
gotten Thackeray's description OF the entertain
ihent given at GaUnt House, when Becky Sharp
figured in the charade the murderer Of the
s4unlpeT1ng Aganennon: "her arms bare and
Whlte-her tawny hair floats down her shoulders
her race IS deadly pale-and her eyes are lighted
up with smile so ghastly that people quake as
Iney look at her A great parsonage insisted
Heigh-ha? Run him through the body. Marry
soIntoody else, hay? the Apostle remark
made by his Royal Highness"
That opposite remark" after all contains the
essence Of the sUbfect-known to scholars. but
not perhaps, to all readers Clytemnestra, wife of
Agamemnon, IN concert with her lover, <EIgisthus,
mas murdered her husband and those criminals
reign IN his place. OF the three children of Aga
nennon and CIytemnestra,-those children being
Orestes, Electra and Chrysotheuls,-only Chryso-
theuis remains IN the palace of Argos-she being,
somewhat ANONYMOUSLY, submissive to fate. Ores
teS, absent, has been reported dead. Electra IS
expelled. and all her hIe Is devoted to grievous
waiIng for her departed sire, and to the thirst
for vengeance upon his murderers. Assurance that
her brother Orestes has indeed perished
her and largely augments both the bulk of
her lamentations and the length of her speeches.
OresteS presently returns to Argos and, to the
great comfort of Electra he kills both Clytemnes-
ira and [Egisthus. Later Orestes is pursued by
furies but, being protected by Apollo and ac-
quilted at trial before the ATeopagus, under the
presidency of Minerva, he is cleared from cen
sure. The theme is set forth in detail byEschyIus,
Euripides and Sophocles,-the latter having given
particular attention to the episode of Electras
passion, anguish and avenging purpose.
1t Is q variant version of the play Of Sophocles
that Mrs. Campbell has chosen FOR theatrical ex-
position She appeared as Electra but, as she is
not possessed OF the qualifications Of a tragic
actress, her ernergence IN that part was not I'M
preSsfve. in respect the character and the
performer viii be found accordant. for both are.
tntrinsically artiicial-the predominant attribute
OF both being monotony. alike Of condition and
expression. Electra. notwithstanding all her
waiItngs for her defunct sire, IS completely con-
CentTated upon herself; forever prattng about her
personal misfortunes. The keynote of the char
ecter is self-pity,-not flial love-and therefore
II does not awaken sympathy. Her longing for
her brother is affection for him but solicitude
for herself She is elderly spinster. moroseIy
seIf-conscious and possessed Of the gift @ CAB
VERY gaIlopin." Clytenlnestra, If not more
agreeable, is, at least more sincere; for, having
killed a husband whom she disIiked, she openly
avouches her crime. In the person OF Mrs Beer
bohrl-Tree she fnical and puny. Those Greek
tragedies, for the most part, reek with gore ana
shoulder in horrors-a hideous bIemish. for
which the great beauty of the original language
has always been vaunted redeenling grace.
Particular examination Of them discovers that
the passions exposed n them are, chiefly, lust
and hate, impelling to actions OF carnaLty and
ferocfry. II occurs to the weary mind Gas Byron
calls it,, that tt would like, occasionally, to re-
pose on something a little more conducive to
peace than a spectacle OF the depraved operations
and governed by the animal propensities OF hu-
man nature.
4 oue-act play called The Flower of Yanato,"
and translated by Con1te Robert & dHumiere, pre-
ceeded Electra In Il Mrs. Campbell appeared as
Murasaki.