Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic]

5 are charmingly discriminated, and the m, though compressed into a few brief quisite piece of work. The elder is inal, cautious in his words, hardly knowing s uncle or not, and, with a fine instinctive oubt under a pregnant equivoque. The recocious, and clever, and prattles out his in perfect freedom from apprehension, of the stings it carries. Their guileless eet trustfulness of disposition make a capnic subtlety and virulent intellectuality of

, in my judgment, many and great faults, have noted already. Certain scenes and the workmanship in all its parts, in lanthe verse, and quality of tone, is greatly in the Poet's later plays. In many places, lied roundness of diction and regularity of vithal the persons often deliver themselves tyle of set speeches, and rather as authors han as men and women stirred by the real ests of life; there is at times an artificial

n the dialogue and many strains of elabo

hay aptly refer to the hero's soliloquy when ly from his "fearful dream"; some parts of ear the Poet's best style, others in his worst. I have quoted already, and those are indeed e rest is made up of forced conceits and as Nature utterly refuses to own; albeit vels of that time were generally full of them. ›ecimen :

I fear? myself? there's none else by: oves Richard; that is, I am I.

murderer here? No; - yes, I am :

What, from myself? Great reason why, —

renge myself upon myself.

ove myself. Wherefore? for any good yself have done unto myself?

as, I rather hate myself

Ful deeds committed by myself.

eve that Shakespeare could have written this

is life, or that the speaker was meant to be ting such riddles; but he was. Some have o see a reason for the thing in the speaker's ut this view is, to my thinking, quite upset Is of the same speech.

then, I should say that in this piece the ng and vibrating between the native impulses

the force of custom and example; or like out of youth into manhood, and fluctuating . For even so, in some of his plays, the more by fashion than by inspiration, or cons within him, now what is around him. to reason, that he could not have reached s of art without first practising in the ways unproved Of cource

And

as evnerience grad.

ually deve taught hi throw asid since thes portion as And thi at tragedy besides b

been play

earliest ob

here he w unreserved

converse w

reason hav he would n faculty of the elemen modulate t balanced h

that in pro

the forces
would be
that the ad
be promine
doubt, that
spearian in
tragedies o
such a ma
make othe

At all ever
kinds

[graphic]

native strength, and at the same time is was sufficient for, he would naturally d more the aids of custom and precedent; come to be felt as incumbrances in proble to do better without them.

naturally hold much more in his efforts comedy. For the elements of comedy, e light and wieldy in themselves, had about his boyhood, and mingling in his of human life and character: so that apt to cast himself more quickly and Nature, as he had been used to meet and Tragedy, on the other hand, must in all to him a much more artificial thing; and uire both a larger measure and a stronger on and experience, before he could find

Nature, and become able to digest and the many-toned yet severe and nicelyof Dramatic Art. Is it not clear, then, s he lacked the power to grasp and wield edy, in his first efforts in that kind, he overned by what stood before him, and is helps and influences of the time would roduced in his work? Therefore it is, no lier comedies are so much more Shakeand spirit and characterization than his he period. For can it be questioned that

cumstanced would both find himself and

ough the process of imitation that his chargot worked out into free and self-reliant

ave elsewhere remarked, it is a great misShakespeare as one with whom the ordinary Is of intellectual growth and virtue had little D. He must indeed have been a prodigious nfant he unquestionably was; and had to usual paths from infancy to manhood, howay have been the ease and speed of his red perhaps with such a portion of genius o no other mortal, still his powers had to the common infirmities and incumbrances For, assuredly, his mighty mind was not and ready-furnished for the course and 1, but had to creep, totter, and prattle; servation, experience, in a word, a long, process being required to insinew and disate his genius into power.

KI

KING EDWA EDWARD, Pr RICHARD, D Duke of Cla

Duke of Glo

A young Sor HENRY TUD BOURCHIER, ROTHERHAN

JOHN MORT STAFFORD, I JOHN HOWA THOMAS, his WOODVILLE, Marquess of RICHARD LO JOHN DE VE WILLIAM LO THOMAS LOR

Lords and oth

[ocr errors][merged small]
[graphic]

RSONS REPRESENTED.

[ocr errors]

Brothers.

Richmond. England. -p of York.

of Ely. kingham. f Norfolk.

f Surrey.

7.

A young Daughter of Clarence.

ts; two Gentlemen, a Pursuivant, Scrivener, Citi ers, Messengers, Ghosts, Soldiers, &c.

« PreviousContinue »