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of the firmament； and was a world of wonders and delights。 At least I
can recognize this fact now； and can rejoice in the peaceful progress all
over the country of the simple circuses which the towns never see； but
which help to render the summer fairer and brighter to the unspoiled eyes
and hearts they appeal to。 I hope it will be long before they cease to
find profit in the pleasure they give。
A SHE HAMLET
The other night as I sat before the curtain of the Garden Theatre and
waited for it to rise upon the Hamlet of Mme。 Bernhardt； a thrill of the
rich expectation which cannot fail to precede the rise of any curtain
upon any Hamlet passed through my eager frame。 There is； indeed； no
scene of drama which is of a finer horror （eighteenth…century horror）
than that which opens the great tragedy。 The sentry pacing up and down
upon the platform at Elsinore under the winter night； the greeting
between him and the comrade arriving to relieve him； with its hints of
the bitter cold； the entrance of Horatio and Marcellus to these before
they can part； the mention of the ghost； and； while the soldiers are in
the act of protesting it a veridical phantom； the apparition of the
ghost； taking the word from their lips and hushing all into a pulseless
awe： what could be more simply and sublimely real； more naturally
supernatural？ What promise of high mystical things to come there is in
the mere syllabling of the noble verse； and how it enlarges us from
ourselves； for that time at least； to a disembodied unity with the
troubled soul whose martyry seems foreboded in the solemn accents！
As the many Hamlets on which the curtain had risen in my time passed in
long procession through my memory； I seemed to myself so much of their
world； and so little of the world that arrogantly calls itself the actual
one； that I should hardly have been surprised to find myself one of the
less considered persons of the drama who were seen but not heard in its
course。
I。
The trouble in judging anything is that if you have the materials for an
intelligent criticism； the case is already prejudiced in your hands。
You do not bring a free mind to it； and all your efforts to free your
mind are a species of gymnastics more or less admirable； but not really
effective for the purpose。 The best way is to own yourself unfair at the
start； and then you can have some hope of doing yourself justice； if not
your subject。 In other words； if you went to see the Hamlet of Mme。
Bernhardt frankly expecting to be disappointed； you were less likely in
the end to be disappointed in your expectations； and you could not blame
her if you were。 To be ideally fair to that representation； it would be
better not to have known any other Hamlet； and； above all； the Hamlet of
Shakespeare。
From the first it was evident that she had three things overwhelmingly
against herher sex； her race； and her speech。 You never ceased to feel
for a moment that it was a woman who was doing that melancholy Dane； and
that the woman was a Jewess； and the Jewess a French Jewess。 These three
removes put a gulf impassable between her utmost skill and the
impassioned irresolution of that inscrutable Northern nature which is in
nothing so masculine as its feminine reluctances and hesitations； or so
little French as in those obscure emotions which the English poetry
expressed with more than Gallic clearness； but which the French words
always failed to convey。 The battle was lost from the first； and all you
could feel about it for the rest was that if it was magnificent it was
not war。
While the battle went on I was the more anxious to be fair； because I
had； as it were； pre…espoused the winning side； and I welcomed； in the
interest of critical impartiality； another Hamlet which came to mind；
through readily traceable associations。 This was a Hamlet also of French
extraction in the skill and school of the actor； but as much more deeply
derived than the Hamlet of Mme。 Bernhardt as the large imagination of
Charles Fechter transcended in its virile range the effect of her
subtlest womanish intuition。 His was the first blond Hamlet known to our
stage； and hers was also blond； if a reddish…yellow wig may stand for a
complexion； and it was of the quality of his Hamlet in masterly
technique。
II。
The Hamlet of Fechter； which rose ghostlike out of the gulf of the past；
and cloudily possessed the stage where the Hamlet of Mme。 Bernhardt was
figuring； was called a romantic Hamlet thirty years ago； and so it was in
being a break from the classic Hamlets of the Anglo…American theatre。
It was romantic as Shakespeare himself was romantic； in an elder sense of
the word； and not romanticistic as Dumas was romanticistic。 It was；
therefore； the most realistic Hamlet ever yet seen； because the most
naturally poetic。 Mme。 Bernhardt recalled it by the perfection of her
school； for Fechter's poetic naturalness differed from the
conventionality of the accepted Hamlets in nothing so much as the
superiority of its self…instruction。 In Mme。 Bernhardt's Hamlet； as in
his； nothing was trusted to chance； or 〃inspiration。〃 Good or bad； what
one saw was what was meant to be seen。 When Fechter played Edmond Dantes
or Claude Melnotte； he put reality into those preposterous inventions；
and in Hamlet even his alien accent helped him vitalize the part； it
might be held to be nearer the Elizabethan accent than ours； and after
all； you said Hamlet was a foreigner； and in your high content with what
he gave you did not mind its being in a broken vessel。 When he
challenged the ghost with 〃I call thee keeng； father； rawl…Dane；〃 you
Would hardly have had the erring utterance bettered。 It sufficed as it
was； and when he said to Rosencrantz； 〃Will you pleh upon this pyip？〃
it was with such a princely authority and comradely entreaty that you
made no note of the slips in the vowels except to have pleasure of their
quaintness afterwards。 For the most part you were not aware of these
betrayals of his speech； and in certain high things it was soul
interpreted to soul through the poetry of Shakespeare so finely； so
directly； that there was scarcely a sense of the histrionic means。
He put such divine despair into the words； 〃Except my life； except my
life； except my life！〃 following the mockery with which he had assured
Polonius there was nothing he would more willingly part withal than his
leave； that the heart…break of them had lingered with me for thirty
years； and I had been alert for them with every Hamlet since。 But before
I knew； Mme。 Bernhardt had uttered them with no effect whatever。 Her
Hamlet； indeed； cut many of the things that we have learned to think the
points of Hamlet； and it so transformed others by its interpretation of
the translator's interpretation of Shakespeare that they passed
unrecognized。 Soliloquies are the weak invention of the enemy； for the
most part； but as such things go that soliloquy of Hamlet's； 〃To be or
not to be；〃 is at least very noble poetry； and yet Mme。 Bernhardt was so
unimpressive in it that you scarcely noticed the act of its delivery。
Perhaps this happened beca