The sun., 1909-01-19
NEW BOOKS.
Attic and EIlzabethan Tragedy.

A series OF singularly interesting COM
PARSONS between the AtheneaD and the
Shakespearien drama will be found
In book entitled Attic and Ehsd-
bethon Tragedy, by LAUcHLAN MAcLEAN
WATT, author OF 'In Loves Garden, '
&c. (E. p. Dutton a Coz What makes
this especially attractive to the general
reader is the fact that IL Is not necessary
to read Greek In order to appreciate the
authors suggestions and conclusions.
for felioitous paraphreses are given OF
the extracts from Esohylus, Sophocles
and Euripides TO which attention Is di-
rected. That Is why a careful study
Of this book might almost be described
es capable Of bestowing the epitome
OF a classical education. 80 far as Attic
tragedy is concerned. We cannot here
undertake. Of course. to reproduce these
happy translations which Mr.. Watt
modestly describes az paraphrases; all
we can do is to indicate the main lines
Of the comparison which he has insti-
tuted between the tragedies Of the three
great Attic dramatists and those OF
Shakespeare which most thoroughly
deserve TO be set beside them. namely.
Hamlet" -Othello." King Lear" and
Macbeth
Mr.. Watt recognizes a striking parallel
between the circumstances OF Greece, and
especially Of Attica, in the early part OF
the fifth century B. C. and those Of
England in the latter part Of the sixteenth
century A. d. Before indicating the
parallel he begins by asserting that
success or failure in any struggle OF
which the inevitable issue Is either ma
tional death or national vindication
cannot escaCe the poetic prize. -The
teeth are too grimly set for sound while
the struggle is going on; but laughter or
wailing must follow the triumph or the
defeat" Proceeding TO apply this general
principle to examples under review, the
author points out that. when out OF the
unknown Asia the myriads Of the Persian
invasion shook the waters and the land,
the liberty OF Greece and to the Greek
that meant the very life Of Hellas-
trembled in the balance. Darius and
Xerxes the very names darkened the
preservation drew them together. Reso-
lutte, united confident. the men Of Hellas
faced the terrible foe; and at Marathon,
Salamis, ,Artemisium and Piatea vindioated
the cause for which they took the field.
Now the rebound from action is utter
ance. Success and failure alike find
their bard. Here. naturally, the heart
strings Of Greece were drawn with a
terrific tensity-so much depended on the
struggle; but when the hour had passed
victory swept the chords and the soul OF
the people burst into great song"
SO too in Elizabethan England the six
teenth century Of our era saw the gates
Of the unknown West swinging apart.
Men feared no longer to dare the unex-
plored. Whispers of adventure and os
treasure trove came across the waters
and soon venturesome sails out Of English
havens were following the setting sun.
The growl Of Spain only kindled the
national pride the more, and the spirit
OF romantic adventure sailed the seas and
broke across the Spanish Main Then,
again, the giant threat Of the Armada
sent through English hearts thrill Of
unifying potency: Catholic and Protes-
tant drew together in an invincble
solidarity OF patriotic resistance. when
the pluck Of English sailors and the angry
storms of our island seas had sundered
and shattered the vast emprise of Spain.
the reaction was bound likewise to be an
utterance as great as the provocation
which drew il forth"
Nor was it alone in Mr. Watts opinion
the victory oS Greece and England over
al knN
noble utter,.nce from the hearts Of poets
and awokc deep interest in the general
heart of the people. Other influences
had their share. freedom itself kindled
heroic qualities in the soul OF the Greek
He felt that he held liberty as his right
whirh no man should dare to lay in
chains"
So also ElizaEethan England. quick
ened to intellectual freedom by the re-
vval OF learning in Europe and delivered
" the Reformation from the gibes of the
Roman Catholic Church, had reached a
ieve! from which 1t gained such far
stretching views as ma de il resolve not to
slf or itself any more 10 be dragged into
bondage Of any kind
The author of this book does not omit
to note the resemblance of the physical
conditions under which Attic and Eliza
bet han tragedies were played. The
theatre in Greece was at first simply the
open market place, hut in Athens after
the year 500 h. c. the great theatre of
Dionysius was built over the place OF the
wine press. The upper seats were hewn
out Of the rock, 30 that the effect would
be pretty much like that of a Highland
communion in Scotland, where the people
sit around the sides Of hollow place
in which often nature has been helped.
We are reminded that the analogy is closer
than is apparent. for the Greek theatre
was really place with worship associa-
tions looming like ghosts behind IL. The
scenery was Of the very simplest descrip-
ton The real scene was the high wall
at the back Of the stage, which in tragedy
represented q temple. The theatre. by
the way. was not rooted over. and il a
storm broke the players waited until the
sky had cleared We scarcely need say
tha, the plays we're performed in the day.
time Immense though the Athenian
theatre was, the stage filed the whole
breadth of it. but depth Of platform
was not required. as the actors were not
manv-three at most There was no
painted scenery: few conventional ar
ticlcs Of dramatic environment told the
tale The costumes were allegorically
significant rather than historically cor
rect; the mechanical and artificial sub