Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-02-24

on which I base all that I have done
in my Interpretation of Macbeth, and
upon which I shall stand for exactly
five years. It reads.
'Shakespear threw all tradition to
the winds in writing his plays, SO |
propose to do likewise in my inter
pretaton of the character of Macbeth
and in the Interpretation of other
characters of the play if shall deem
it essential.
''The atmosphere pervading the play
of Macbeth is that of Evil Intrigue
and INSCRIPTIONS ambition abound
throughout the incidents. This has
led not only present day critics, but
so illustrious player as Sir Henry
Irving to paint Macbeth himself
black hearted william with his mind
bent on the murder of Duncan even
before the rise Of the curtain upon the
first act.
Il cannot understand how a man
with the gigantic brain of Sir Henry
Irving could SO misconceive the true
character of the big. bluff, good heart
ed warrior who, through the subtle
suggestions of his ambitious wife and
the influences of the same stripe which
she brings to bear upon him, is fired
at last with something of her vile
spirit of conquest and finally is moved
to murder.
'How to explain the words and &C
tons of Macbeth after the murder
has been committed, otherwise than
by Interpreting the character as l
have interpreted it, 1 cannot imagine
every other Macbeth I have ever
heard of was painted a deep dyed
scoundrel from curtain to curtain. |
prefer to consider Macbeth perfectly
human human, led into his errors step
by step by the circumstances and in
fluences mat surround him. Is not this
the history of the Development of
most Williams in real life? think it is
Glow little real attention ever has
been given to the production of Mac
| beth is clearly shown, l believe, in the
| long procession Of sheeted and for the
most part rather heavy set ghosts that
stalk and prowl badly through the
conservative production of Macbeth.
"Had those who made the presenta-
tiOns paused a moment to consider,
they would have realized that Shake
spear wanted to present a ghost to
his audience, he had to present a
ghost that was very ghostly ghost
and plainly labelled: This is ghostn
"Were Shakespear alive and writing
Macbeth to-day, he would have no such
palpable apparition. believe he would
quite agree with me. | have merely
the suggestion of ghost, made by
a Pickering green light upon the scar
let velvet of chair back, or flutter-
ing here and there about some corner
of the room Macbeth really saw no
ghost, you know; it was merely part
of the imaginings Of half-crazed man
such as I interpret Macbeth to be just
after the murder.
81 believe Macbe4h is the most diff
cult and generally Stunned of Shake
spearean roles. It has come to be a
tradition among players that to have
a part in the presentation or even to
quote Macbeth is bound to bring dis
aster.
81 do not believe this any more than
I believe the old nonsense about Shake
speare being unpopular with the pub
lie. The great trouble always has
been that Shakespeare has been made
unpopular by being presented to the
public by players who did not know
how to play Hamlet and Othello and
Falstaff.
Booths Hamlet invariably played
to packed houses. The same is true
of Keene's Othello and my fathers
Falstaff. That was because each in
respective sphere knew how to play
Hamlet and Othello and Falstaf
at is my ambition to play Macbeth
Plaped at and around and about, Mac
beth unquestionally has been; but Mac
beth himself, the real, the true Mac
beth never has been played" &c. NJ,