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62 NOTICES OF BOOKS.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Ska Clarke 7cespeare . Smith Characters ...
the " way This , it greatl has y not reasonin unfrequently g scene is been never the represented practice to argue on the on stage a question ; and , "b in y
theatrical Shakespeare cop ' s ies plays are , from so notoriousl what is known y abrid of ged them , that through it is impossible the actors ; to yet judge the fairly of the poet ' s delineation of character , who never wrote a line " that did
not " In harmoniz the scenes e with , , too and , with tend his to define heart-friend the portrait Horati he o , was Hamlet limning is . uniformly rational ; with one exception only ; and that is immediately after the
playwords scene , he and utters the may discovery be fairl of y the imputed king ' s to appalled the result conscience of excitement , when consequent the wild upon the confirmation of the Ghost ' s murder tale .
maintain " With the the consistency players , too of , the and part the he gravedi had assumed ggers , where , he is it perfectl is unnecessary y collected to , wherein and even he utters decidedl sound criticism imputes and his profoun former d misconduct philosophy to ; his mental apology aberration to Laertes is ,
the nearest approach y to a confirmation of the idea that he has been reall , y insane he has ; all but along this scene intended takes to place deceive in the his presence of moreover the whole bein court still , whom left _,
unaccomplished . I therefore conclude , , and I revenge think reasonably , that g they have intended read the whole to portray play real with and very not little feigned reflection madness , who in conceiv the conduct e that Shakespeare of Hamlet
, . ' With reference to Shakespeare ' s heroinesnever did kniht
splinter a lance more gallantly in his lady ' s , honour , than does g our author when maintaining the chivalrous bearing of
Shakespeare towards in our mind women it . Fresh t be as allo are w Mrs ed . there Jameson is room ' s exquisi for the te
p essays resent critique . , In Mr . Clarke ' s hands , Ophelia , Isabella , Portia , Beatrice , Cleopatra , lose none of their perfection , while
cl by early the li in gh the t of por traiture intelli of gence som , e we of the trace minor the ch lineam aracters ents . inore Thus with . Lady Macbeth's waiting woman :-
—" An ordinary play-writer would have followed the usual recipe for concocknew ting a th lad at y courtl ' s maid y serving , by m - aking women hex hear clack , see , like and a say mill nothing -wheel . ; and Shak in e such speare a
The court whole as that of this of Macbeth scene is , an a master atten - dant piece would of natural scarcel effect y be . over The -confidential curiosity of . — the an doctor d the — cool who reserve is , moreover of the , waiting a court- - doctor woman , , and are characteristi in their respective cally inquisitive vocations .
and habits , both edifying . " and The unimpassioned prosaic Audrey face dons with her grea rus ter distinctness t gown and . show Even t s her Emilia calm ,
her T to he wards redeemin one w t ow g ards , poin we w ts mus hom . And t t confe he so s on t hor , to had have shows we but no deep space m an for ipa is thy J extract essica , has . ercy
and his remarks on her sordid selfish character are excellent . , moral At t rec he titude end of of Shak wor espeare k , Mr . : — Clarke gives his opinion on the
peare questionable " He never does not sneers comp varnish lexion at real — to he p naked does iety , not , and unsop even he histicated polish never vice hints virtue ; and a . contempt he Again never , Shakes for gives the a - he
dearest and most sacred privileges of our social union ; and therefore
62 Notices Of Books.
62 NOTICES OF BOOKS .
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Sept. 1, 1863, page 62, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01091863/page/62/
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