The collected works of William Hazlitt, Vol. 08 (of 12)Hazlitt, William
General
The collected works of William Hazlitt, Vol. 08 (of 12)
Hazlitt, William
English essays -- 19th century
We cannot speak too highly of Mr. Raymond’s representation of the Ghost.
It glided across the stage with the preternatural grandeur of a spirit.
His manner of speaking the part was not equally excellent. A spirit
should not whine or shed tears.
Mr. Dowton’s Polonius was unworthy of so excellent an actor. The part
was mistaken altogether. Polonius is not exceedingly wise, but he is not
quite a fool; or if he is, he is at the same time a courtier, and a
courtier of the old school. Mr. Dowton made nothing, or worse than
nothing, of the part.
MR. KEAN’S OTHELLO
_The Morning Chronicle._
_May 6, 1814._
Othello was acted at Drury-Lane last night, the part of Othello by Mr.
Kean. His success was fully equal to the arduousness of the undertaking.
In general, we might observe that he displayed the same excellences and
the same defects as in his former characters. His voice and person were
not altogether in consonance with the character, nor was there
throughout, that noble tide of deep and sustained passion, impetuous,
but majestic, that ‘flows on to the Propontic, and knows no ebb,’ which
raises our admiration and pity of the lofty-minded Moor. There were,
however, repeated bursts of feeling and energy which we have never seen
surpassed. The whole of the latter part of the third act was a
master-piece of profound pathos and exquisite conception, and its effect
on the house was electrical. The tone of voice in which he delivered the
beautiful apostrophe, ‘Then, oh farewell!’ struck on the heart and the
imagination like the swelling notes of some divine music. The look, the
action, the expression of voice, with which he accompanied the
exclamation, ‘Not a jot, not a jot;’ the reflection, ‘I felt not
_Cassio’s kisses_ on her lips;’ and his vow of revenge against Cassio,
and abandonment of his love for Desdemona, laid open the very tumult and
agony of the soul. In other parts, where we expected an equal interest
to be excited, we were disappointed; and in the common scenes, we think
Mr. Kean’s manner, as we have remarked on other occasions, had more
point and emphasis than the sense or character required.[30]
The rest of the play was by no means judiciously cast; indeed, almost
every individual appeared to be out of his proper place.
MR. KEAN’S IAGO
_The Morning Chronicle._
_May 9, 1814._
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