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

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and The ochool for oc.-.nuel. whilst Mansfielu prepared hiti
"heavy guns". On January 26 he ..rote to Dithiaar :
Richard 111 is to be an interesting production
at least. If archaeology is the rage - then
erci.aeolo^y they shall h&ve - ana ..heroes i,r Irving
is said to be correct (but is reelly only effective)
I shall strive to be both. For the first time
the actual armour - the actual "Fecht.veise" of the
period of Richard v.ill be reproduced irom the most
caruful tracings in the British i us^um and under
the supervision of r-gerton Castle (the greatest
authority here) & all the costumes k scenes
under the direction of Seymour Lucas A.K. .,0
In addition to these appeals to the t; ste for archaeology
Mansfielo intended to offer tn unconventional interpretation'
of the main chare cter:
Ky ideas of Richard III are different I think
in m ny respects to the acceptec & usual cnc
may perhaps on that account be interesting -
at all events Richard ..ill himself speck for
the Visions - i.e., y,u ill see his dre:ra -
faintly - shadowy - but you vill not hesr it
but in broken dreamy tc e^oni-cc accent,- irora
uichard, - in f • ct as men under the influence
of "ni^ht-mare." spe^k. I shall enceavour to
mi^ke Richara a cru-n who mit perchance be rej sonably
supposed to ^ iu a \.omt n under such circumstances
as those unaer .hich he wins Lacy /.nne
- and ts I find "ch> t he "»;:s i.;orcini tely fond
of dress - I shyll cress hin finely, r'lease God
I may be successful.
In this interpret tion archaeolo t.ic 1 ex^.ctituc.^ ..;.s to L>U
taken to its ultimate ae^ree - not only the setting but the
cr.ar: ctori^ation v.-t-s informac by historical research. The
proceeding v;es not entirely souna, for, es archer pointec
out, ^To insist upon historic; 1 co tails is ;iot to make sh; kospeare
f u nich; r real, but rather to r^ir.ind Uo 01 i.i., unrer.lity"
even Irvin0 had not triec to adept frocboth's theatric 1
chare. cter to the "rather virtuous ar.ci enlightened sovereign"
reve lea y history ( f.ihe orU ,