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
Mr. Kean appeared at Drury-Lane in the character of Romeo, for the first
time on Monday last. The house was crowded at an early hour, and neither
those who went to admire, nor those who went to find fault, could go
away disappointed. He discovered no new and unlooked-for excellences in
the part, but displayed the same extraordinary energies which he never
fails to do on every occasion. There is, indeed, a set of ingenious
persons, who having perceived on Mr. Kean’s first appearance, that he
was a little man with an inharmonious voice, and no very great dignity
or elegance of manner, go regularly to the theatre to confirm themselves
in this singular piece of sagacity; and finding that the object of their
contempt and wonder has not, since they last saw him, ‘added a cubit to
his stature,’—that his tones have not become ‘as musical as is Apollo’s
lute,’ and that there is still an habitual want of grace about him, are
determined, till such a metamorphosis is effected, not to allow a
particle of genius to the actor, or of taste or common sense to those
who are not stupidly blind to every thing but his defects. That an actor
with very moderate abilities, having the advantages of voice, person and
gracefulness of manner on his side, should acquire a very high
reputation, is what we can understand, and have seen some instances of;
but that an actor with almost every physical disadvantage against him,
should, without very extraordinary powers and capacities indeed, be able
to excite the most enthusiastic and general admiration, would, we
conceive, be a phenomenon in the history of public imposture, totally
without example. In fact, the generality of critics who undertake to
give the tone to public opinion, have neither the courage nor
discernment to decide on the merits of a truly excellent and original
actor, and are equally without the candour to acknowledge their error,
after they find themselves in the wrong.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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