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

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and would appear, from the prompt-copy 1 a notes, to have been
simply and effectively conceived - "even old pi; ygoers, "wrote
Scott, "must have trembled behind their convictions", co
thoroughly had Barrett "br; ,ced up tho nervee of the audience
and communicated to them hie own electricity". The danger
lay in the actor's exhausting himself and his ;>Ui ience by so
energetic and sustained & ppce.
The first scene of Barrett »s third oct (ill. 2 of the
original) was a front scene!, and began with a "Proceocion
of attendants &c v/ith torches on their way to see the play"
(promnt-copy). The Times cV scribed Hamlet's manner with the
players as "respectful and even deprecatory":
he roes not hurl his maxims at the tragedian's
or rumble them from the ctopths of his th.vjat,
but submits them v;ith the diffidence of an amateur.
At "Get you a place" (89) the scene changed to c.notaor p; rt of
the castle . : ounds, whore the -plr.y was to be performed. Godwin
described the arrangements in his Life interview, justifying
the outdoor setting in terms of the Danish climate and the
play's tinc-rj-i; n (between sirinc .and autumn, he thought). The
scene bore some resemblance to the Pastoral Players' theatre
at Coombe, exceot that performances there he cl not u; od a
raided platform. In the interview Godwin fave the following
account of the scene in Hamlet ;
There io a garden portal, end the curtain is hung
between the tv/o trees, v/?iore there is a little rjto^e
up three steps. The v/hole court r.rc r^iiread round
the garden, the ladies h^vin. ; ferns, PS well as
her.d-cloths vrcrnecl around then to protect their
throats. There v/ill be plenty of torches, ?nd a
reflection of the moon on the sea.
The Times, after point inr out the cr;v rtic effectiveness of
Hamlet's presenting the rlr.y in the very orc'h rd where the
crinc h; a been conrait'ced, ; ercribed f irt.icr ac'v; nta^es of the
new c.t: riii^:
Spectacul.'.rly at all events the change ±z a v st
inr^rovo^iont u^on \vhnt has c-.li.r.ys been a conewhrit
absurd scene when re rc.,entecl indoors, i'ro- 1 the
necessity of ran^inc the King and Queen an