Shakespeare and the Modern Stage - with Other Essays

Sidney Lee

Informations

• Publié par: itta
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 34
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Project Gutenberg eBook,
Shakespeare and the Modern Stage,
by Sir Sidney Lee
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Shakespeare and the Modern Stage
with Other Essays
Author: Sir Sidney Lee
Release Date: July 7, 2006 [eBook #18780]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHAKESPEARE AND
THE MODERN STAGE***

E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto, Linda Cantoni,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading
Team
(http://www.pgdp.net/)



SHAKESPEARE AND THE MODERN
STAGE
WITH OTHER ESSAYS
BY SIDNEY LEE
AUTHOR OF "A LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE"
LONDONARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LIMITED
1907
[Pg vii]PREFACE
The eleven papers which are collected here were written between 1899 and
1905. With the exception of one, entitled "Aspects of Shakespeare's
Philosophy," which is now printed for the first time, they were published in
periodicals in the course of those six years. The articles treat of varied aspects
of Shakespearean drama, its influences and traditions, but I think that all may
be credited with sufficient unity of intention to warrant their combination in a
single volume. Their main endeavour is to survey Shakespearean drama in
relation to modern life, and to illustrate its living force in current affairs. Even in
the papers which embody researches in sixteenth- or seventeenth-century
dramatic history, I have sought to keep in view the bearings of the past on the
present. A large portion of the book discusses, as its title indicates, methods of
representing Shakespeare on the modern stage. The attempt is there made to
define, in the light of experience, the conditions which are best calculated to
conserve or increase Shakespeare's genuine vitality in the theatre of our own
day.
In revising the work for the press, I have deemed it advisable to submit the
[Pg viii]papers to a somewhat rigorous verbal revision. Errors have been corrected,
chronological ambiguities due to lapse of time have been removed, passages
have been excised in order to avoid repetition, and reference to ephemeral
events which deserve no permanent chronicle have been omitted. But,
substantially, the articles retain the shape in which they were originally penned.
The point of view has undergone no modification. In the essays dealing with
the theatres of our own time, I have purposely refrained from expanding or
altering argument or illustration by citing Shakespearean performances or other
theatrical enterprises which have come to birth since the papers were first
written. In the last year or two there have been several Shakespearean revivals
of notable interest, and some new histrionic triumphs have been won. Within
the same period, too, at least half a dozen new plays of serious literary aim
have gained the approval of contemporary critics. These features of current
dramatic history are welcome to playgoers of literary tastes; but I have
attempted no survey of them, because signs are lacking that any essential
change has been wrought by them in the general theatrical situation. My aim is
to deal with dominant principles which underlie the past and present situation,
rather than with particular episodes or personalities, the real value of which the
future has yet to determine.
My best thanks are due to my friend Sir James Knowles, the proprietor and
editor of The Nineteenth Century and After, for permission to reproduce the four
articles, entitled respectively, "Shakespeare and the Modern Stage,"
"Shakespeare in Oral Tradition," "Shakespeare in France," and "The
[Pg ix]Commemoration of Shakespeare in London." To Messrs Smith, Elder, & Co., I
am indebted for permission to print here the articles on "Mr Benson and
Shakespearean Drama," and "Shakespeare and Patriotism," both of which
originally appeared in The Cornhill Magazine. The paper on "Pepys and
Shakespeare" was first printed in the Fortnightly Review; that on "Shakespeare
and the Elizabethan Playgoer" in "An English Miscellany, presented to Dr
Furnivall in honour of his seventy-fifth birthday" (1901); that on "The Municipal
Theatre" in the New Liberal Review; and that on "A Peril of ShakespeareanResearch" in The Author. The proprietors of these publications have
courteously given me permission to include the articles in this volume. The
essay on "Aspects of Shakespeare's Philosophy" was prepared for the
purposes of a popular lecture, and has not been in type before.
In a note at the foot of the opening page of each essay, I mention the date when
it was originally published. An analytical list of contents and an index will, I
hope, increase any utility which may attach to the volume.
SIDNEY LEE.
1st October 1906.
[Pg xi]CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface vii
I
Shakespeare and the Modern Stage
I. The Perils of the Spectacular Method of Production 1
II. The Need for Simplifying Scenic Appliances 4
Consequences of Simplification. The Attitude of the Shakespearean
III. 7
Student
IV. The Pecuniary Experiences of Charles Kean and Sir Henry Irving 9
V. The Experiment of Samuel Phelps 11
VI. The Rightful Supremacy of the Actor 12
VII. The Example of the French and German Stage 16
VIII. Shakespeare's Reliance on the "Imaginary Forces" of the Audience 18
The Patriotic Argument for the Production of Shakespeare's Plays
IX. 23
constantly and in their variety on the English Stage
II
Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Playgoer
I. An Imaginary Discovery of Shakespeare's Journal 25
Shakespeare in the rôle of the Ghost on the First Production of
II. 27
Hamlet in 1602
[Pg xii]III. Shakespeare's Popularity in the Elizabethan Theatre 29
IV. At Court in 1594 31
V. The Theatre an Innovation in Elizabethan England 36
VI. Elizabethan Methods of Production 38VII. The Contrast between the Elizabethan and the Modern Methods 43
The Fitness of the Audience an Essential Element in the Success of
VIII. 46
Shakespeare on the Stage
III
Shakespeare in Oral Tradition
I. The Reception of the News of Shakespeare's Death 49
II. The Evolution in England of Formal Biography 51
III. Oral Tradition concerning Shakespeare in Theatrical Circles 57
IV. The Testimonies of Seventeenth-century Actors 61
V. Sir William D'Avenant's Devotion to Shakespeare's Memory 69
VI. Early Oral Tradition at Stratford-on-Avon 73
Shakespeare's Fame among Seventeenth-century Scholars and
VII. 78
Statesmen
VIII. Nicholas Rowe's Place among Shakespeare's Biographers.
The Present State of Knowledge respecting Shakespeare's Life 79
IV
Pepys and Shakespeare
I. Pepys the Microcosm of the Average Playgoer 82
II. The London Theatres of Pepys's Diary 85
III. Pepys's Enthusiasm for the Later Elizabethan Drama 90
Pepys's Criticism of Shakespeare. His Admiration of Betterton in
IV. 93
Shakespearean rôles
The Garbled Versions of Shakespeare on the Stage of the
V. 102
Restoration
The Saving Grace of the Restoration Theatre. Betterton's Masterly [Pg xiii]VI. 109
Interpretation of Shakespeare
V
Mr Benson and Shakespearean Drama
I. A Return to the Ancient Ways 111
The Advantages of a Constant Change of Programme. TheII.
Opportunities offered Actors by
113
Shakespeare's Minor Characters. John of Gaunt
III. The Benefit of Performing the Play of Hamlet without Abbreviation 116
IV. Mr Benson as a Trainer of Actors. The Succession to Phelps 119
VIThe Municipal Theatre
I. The True Aim of the Municipal Theatre 122
Private Theatrical Enterprise and Literary Drama. The Advantages
II.
and Disadvantages of the
123
Actor-Manager System. The Control of the Capitalist
Possibilities of the Artistic Improvement of Theatrical Organisation in
III. 127
England
IV. Indications of a Demand for a Municipal Theatre 129
V. The Teaching of Foreign Experience. The Example of Vienna 134
VI. The Conditions of Success in England 138
VII
Aspects of Shakespeare's Philosophy
The Conflicting Attitudes of Bacon and Shakespeare to Formal
I. 142
Philosophy
Shakespeare's "Natural" Philosophy. Concealment of his
II. 148
Personality in his Plays
His Lofty Conception of Public Virtue. Frequency of his Denunciation
III. 152
of Royal "Ceremony"
IV. The Duty of Obedience to Authority 161
[Pg xiv]V. The Moral Atmosphere of Shakespearean Drama 164
VI. Shakespeare's Insistence on the Freedom of the Will 166
VII. His Humour and Optimism 169
VIII
Shakespeare and Patriotism
I. The Natural Instinct of Patriotism. Dangers of Excess and Defect 170
An Attempt to Co-ordinate Shakespeare's Detached Illustrations of
II. the Working of
Patriotic Sentiment. His Ridicule of Bellicose Ecstasy. Coriolanus 172
illustrates the Danger of Disavowing Patriotism
Criticism of One's Fellow-countrymen Consistent with Patriotism.
III. Shakespeare on the