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A DRAMATIC CRITIC learning have their highest exemplification. No character in Shakespeare, with the possible exceptions of King John and King Lear, asks, " in the true performing of it," such variety, penetration, subtilty, and sensitiveness of mind as the accomplished Prince of Denmark. Simply to understand his plainer speech is much, for Hamlet's meaning does not often lie near the sur- face. But to follow all the twists and turns of his swift-pacing wit, even before it shows the disorder of real or pretended disease; to feel, as the condition precedent of reproducing them, the contrasting glow and gloom of his wondrous imagination; to justify his incoherence by exhibiting the missing links of thought which his indiffer- ence or ecstasy so often drops; to display the deep affectionateness which the keener intuition discovers under all his masks; to show the superfine sanity which constantly characterizes his wildest utterances, and yet to indicate his dangerous nearness to [ 218 ]
HENRY IRVING that madness with which " great wit ever is alHed; " and finally, to exhibit a charac- ter that, in spite of all the contradictions with which the master-poet has chosen to fill it, shall yet be human, lovable, and reasonably comprehensible, — these are tasks which require the most searching, refined, and patient intelligence; and by their accomplishment Mr. Irving proves hi^ mental quality beyond dispute, and his ability to grapple with any dramatic dif- ficulty which a well-furnished brain can overcome. The artist's intelligence, in this impersonation, constantly shines with elec- tric clearness, and it seems to me that there is scarcely a sentence which does not receive a new illumination from his action or utterance. Even soliloquies, which of course suffer under his poor elocution, are thought out so lucidly and given with such care — though always as if the actor were thinking aloud, and not " speaking a piece " — that they often disclose new [ 219 ]
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- Page 229 and 230: HENRY IRVING have said that he hope
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- Page 233 and 234: HENRY IRVING the subject of wonder
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- Page 237 and 238: HENRY IRVING grip which he at once
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HENRY IRVING<br />
that madness with which " great wit ever<br />
is alHed; " and finally, to exhibit a charac-<br />
ter that, in spite of all the contradictions<br />
with which the master-poet has chosen to<br />
fill it, shall yet be human, lovable, and<br />
reasonably comprehensible, — these are<br />
tasks which require the most searching,<br />
refined, and patient intelligence; and by<br />
their accomplishment Mr. Irving proves<br />
hi^ mental quality beyond dispute, and his<br />
ability to grapple with any dramatic dif-<br />
ficulty which a well-furnished brain can<br />
overcome. The artist's intelligence, in this<br />
impersonation, constantly shines with elec-<br />
tric clearness, and it seems to me that<br />
there is scarcely a sentence which does not<br />
receive a new illumination from his action<br />
or utterance. Even soliloquies, which of<br />
course suffer under his poor elocution,<br />
are thought out so lucidly and given with<br />
such care — though always as if the actor<br />
were thinking aloud, and not " speaking a<br />
piece " — that they often disclose new<br />
[ 219 ]
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