The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-20

expressed In % rev WOruS or even vi
u few pages. except In u most general
manner. / consider II u great honor
that the public SHOULD consider my
opinion Of this greatest Of all Shake
spcarc'r tragedies to be worth while
quoting.
when I refer to Macbeth as the
most difficult Of oil shakespeare
tragedies ! merely voice tho opinion
OF the majority. no: only Of our
English Shakcsocnr.en commentators
but foreign commentators, notably the
German. I may also add that Abra-
ham Lincoln In u letter to my father
c%oncurred in this opinion. and within
the last few days I have received a
letter from the Hon. Theodore Roose-
welt In his characteristic style, from
which I take the liberty Of quoting
the following sentence:
81 have more than once said how
ever different | may be from Lincoln
in other respects I resemble him in
the fact that Macbeth is my favorite
play Thus with the majority Of the
older commentator and REINFORCED by
two such brilliant minds as Lincoln
s'i'' hN''sNN'i'. y lNtI that lily DitIllStN
In stating that Macbeth IL the great
est land most difficulty OF all Shake
speare's tragedies are sound.
Now We naturally come to the most
doubtful point. and that is whether my
conception Of the character Of Mac
beth is at all worth while. Let us
start upon this hypothesis. Shake
speare wrote. for the sake Of arCu-
mcnt, forty plays. So-cailed students
Of Shakespeare therefore must have
started their analysis at at least the
age IF mental puberty. which. lct MS
assume. would he approximately -.
Therefore to fainiliarizc ones self with
these many and varied works IL would
require. purely from n critical and
literary analysis. at least two years
for each play before one could speak
with m authority worth while re-
garding each or n individual play.
and this analysis would he solely not
Il creative analysis In the sense of the
projection of the part by the players.
but solely n theoretic analysis. without
the additional study which is neCcs-
sary to project the part before the
mind Of the auditor or auditors Cthe
plural is used. unfortunately with a
meaning. II the fact hat I was fed
upon Macbeth from the time I was :
through my hereditary association
with the stage tand / might add oc-
cas!onally to the point of mental and
physical indigestion). n II the fact
that ] have averaged at least four
hours a day for nearly two years on
the character Inc the play Of Mac
beth alone be Of any value. then the
public is right in asking for my hum
BILE views. and | herewith gladly give
them.
Il realize thoroughly that 'concep-
ton does not NEAR succe ssful eXecu-
ton of the thought or thoughts con-
ce!ved. so let us remember that ! am
speaking purely regarding my con-
ception and not in any sense regard.
ing my cyccution.
"MOcbCth seems to me very clearly
To appear first IN the play as a Who'll
sou.ed. hrawny, fearless and success
fu. solder aryi warrior. He has res,
cused his country at great physica
risk by winning bloody victories owe
two armies II has saved Scotland
from the invading hosts. He is aC
claimed by his King ana fellow sol
d.crs exactly IL any triumphant. wJr
Ike solder to-day would he acCla.mc,
upon his return fr"m any successful
military expedition in which he ma!
have been engaged.
lie is Il man sensitive a. the sur
round.neS Of his time. both mental.
and physically. That he * a mu,,
beloved man IS shown Couclus.yc,y T.!
the Kings reference to him. tna h
is tender hearted ard noble is show
beyond ~peradvcH;ure IN his wife's line
Thou art too fun of the milk II hu
man kiOIiess to catch the ncaros
way To my rial this admits of II,
argument. When he meets tho w.tchc
for the first time he is not awct =
them: he is in thu seventh heaven d
delight hMoyed NJ by victory. return
ing after his triumphant campa!g.
0 not only To- honor but to his home an
e h.N wiic's love. The spir!, Of evil. I
4 mS mind, is symbOllZed 10y the witChe.
They were used hy ShaNospoare {
= give a note uf reality to the audience
@ of his day the medium of w.tchCrar
which probably "ls more Compc.,in
in that time han ia the prcscn
. era, and from that momcnt evil IN
i%tuences which unuucstionably ha
n been planned by tn" secret, black an
a m.dn,G't hacs' start the though
, which makes for his T. mp;at.on. an
ultimately his unGoing.
a ITO hold that Macbeth has ~ hea,
or no remorse is, in my opinion, un
tenahlo. He weighs carefully whctht