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

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ions to all and sundry. The play was made nlaucible, and its
characters v;ore reco^nisably human. The design of the pro*'action
shared this quality of reason: instead of being a gloomy
and indeterminate kingdom, Denmark was located unequivocally
in time and nlace. Whereas Irving had made alt er.^t ions in the
text which' rendered certain issues and events unclear, Barrett
had made the >lay's continuity secure, and had retainer; the
balance of character againct character. He ensured that
Hamlet should have a worthy opponent in Cl udiuc, and that
the usurper"should be understood as a sensitive and attractive,
if villainous man, Ophelia's account of Hamlet's vijit, in
11,1., and Claudius's persuasion of Laertes, in IV.5. end 7.,
reveal important aspects of the choreetors involved: Barrett,
in his concern that ths play be '.voll-n.do, ret ined them,
whilst Irving, whose concerns were predominantly with, the vivid
presentation of Hamlet, found himself able to dispense with
uae:.i. Irving*G Hamlet was a falling niigel, his "troubled weary
fcce, dicrdayinr the firct effects of moral poison": a norrl
being, tainted by hio betrayal, where Barrctt'a ; rince was
merely outwitted by evil.
Barrett revived tlie production on a rau.fojr of occasions,
including an An^rican tour, but he regained convinced tlv t he
was beirr denied, tittfe acknowledgement. In 1: -4 he wrote to
Ivloy Thomas expreccing his die -.ay at the "ut aer ignorance" of
those who attacked hio presentation of Hamlet as a youa/-" nan.
In 10C7 he v/as ..till un:,ble to coranrc'icnd the peculation that
his interpretation lacked -;oetry, and in tine hie rescntr.icnt
at thic cli lit was nubsuraed into Me convr'.ction thr.t he v/as
boin^ 1 , icrsecuted by an alliance of managero an.d critics. A
let or to ;,iro Clcuont Scott, dated only "Aug. 30" and sent
from the Granc? Hotel, Dra^lr-* announces i. !.aj.Tctt's intention
to ask "C|;j3m" to r;top the "nisr core Dentations" oT iiic Hamlet:
•jL'he "' rnr;" 1\. v never left me cince I -orofuced
the a • y~. I hc.v: il.ayed ":bo chai-:cter more often
than any living; :^ctor - to Ir-rrer r ceints. It
io not a fin;:ncirl failure.. .Only a ir.;!i to lit
beck at the naid clique .;!iich like an Octopus
reuchec out in every direction to collar no if
possible one! down ^ e »^-7
The performance vvac, perhape, treated unfairly by critics v;3io
expected the Lycourn qualities to be reproduced, but Bcu-rctt