Pictorial Shakespeare, 1880-1890 - eTheses Repository - University ...

166
a pillar, setting his tables against it and writiu: furiously
as the curtain fell. Barrett does not appear to have made any
OA
especi; il "point "^.
The Scene continued with the entrance of Claudius, Gertrude,
Polonius, Ophelia and the two fellow-stu-onts: Barrett left in
Claudius's guilty reflection, "0, 'tis too true/Hov/ smart a
lash that speech doth give my conscience..." (49-54) - lines
omit-,ed in Irving's version, but important in the presentation
of Claudius. In the scene with Ophelia, Barrett begin gently.
At MHa,Hr I Are you honest?" a note in the prompt-copy suggests
tho )oint at which his demeanour towards her loot it;j toaclcrness.
Hamlet turned uo-ctage after her lines:
Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.
There, my lord*
(101-2)
He came down again, and wao about to speak "tenderly" wh.cn he
caugiit sir/ht of Claudius behind tho a mo and rushed out
"savagely". He did not see Polonius, but continued to walk
up and aov.n, bursting out "cr.-rily and passionately" at "Go
thy ways" (130). lie caught sicht of Poloniuc at "hero's
your father?", anC, after a aud^. n and prolon^oc1 pause, put
his h.ind on Ophelia's herd and turned it round, bringing her
face to face v/ith him. In the line "Those that re married
already", Barrctt pointed to Clay/liuo's hif'itv: place with the
words "all but one". This was, in the opinion of Tho_ j'ornin;;
Poet, one of Barrett's best scenes, in .hie 1 ; he "took n strong
hold inon the : uclionco". Hie Irck of tenderness towards
Ophelia seemed unusual to The St r ;:o, and "'ho .'thonaoum thought
his very definite detection of the ±a ;octurG yet o,nother
int-rprstntion 'To tractive of the p a^*'s myctcriouc qualities.
The Dcily ; .?•- c anrccir-ted the scene c-.c a farther ctr.ge in
Hamlet's ^rovjing sense of isolation, as he realizes thot,
after Gertruce's fall, "Ophclir, in li^o manu.r, seems to
have forsaken :in, and lo.cu^d v:it-i spies cnc: enemies against
him". The "seeming duplicity" of Onhclir - "nothinc more tlrui
a weak ano blino obcc'i:::ice to her f.ithcr'a '..111 11 - was seen
by The Ir.ioc as the force checking Hamlet's natur 1 feelings
towards her. The acting of the scene v( -3 ge .v L--lly v.'cll-recoived,