SIDELIGHTS ON SHAKESPEARE BY EDWIN GORDON LAWRENCE DIRECTOR OF THE LAWRENCE SCHOOL OF ORATORY OF NEW YORK, AND AUTHOR OF HOW TO SPEAK J HOW TO MASTER THE SPOKEN WORD MPROVE THJ ETC., ETC. BOSTON THE STRATFORD COMPANY, Publishers 1918 Copyright W18 Ttie STBATPOKD CO., Publtehw Boston. Mass. The Alpittt Frtst Bo toa, MAM., 0, S. A. TOe Immortal Spirit of William Shakespeare A POOB PLAYER WHO STRUTTED AND FRETTED HIS HOUR UPON THE STAGE OP LIFE, AND THEN WAS SEEN NO MORE, BUT WHO LIVES TODAY AS THE DRAMATIST IN A MORE EEAL SENSE THAN WHEN, IN THE GUISE OF MAN, HE WALKED THE EARTH Uhis Book is Dedicated CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1, Shakespeares Knowledge and Por trayal of Human Nature ... 1 II. Types of Shakespeare s Characters . 12 III. Classes of Shakespeares Plays . . 49 IV. Shakespeares Revelation of Himself in His Characters . . . . .79 V. The Bible in Shakespeare ... 92 VI. Oratory in Shakespeare . . .132 VII. How to Study Shakespeare . , . 137 VIII. The Disputed Plays .... 159 IX. The Authorship of the Works Known as Shakespeares .... 166 X, The Genius of Shakespeare . . . 200 CHAPTEE I Shakespeares Knowledge and Por trayal of Human Nature AS WITH a wave of a wand, Shakespeare mys teriously called into being men and women of all lands, all climes, all temperaments, and all ages. He could not have known the originals of all the types that he produced. How then did he accom plish his task Through an understanding of the nature of man. He knew that the emotions of men are similar the world over and that only in the expression of these emotions do men differ. It is this difference in the mode of expressing the feelings that move the heart and mind of humanity that pro duces the different types of men and women. Different persons see the same things in different lights and express their emotions concerning them in different ways. It is this difference in perception and action that indicates the difference in charac ters. Perceiving this in human nature, Shakespeare drew the characters of Macbeth and Richard III. He represents both men as actuated by ambition, and yet so dissimilar are these characters in speech, action, and mode of procedure while in pursuit of their object as to appear to be impelled by different motives. They are both murderers, both usurpers, both actuated by the same motives, and both work SIDELIGHTS ON SHAKESPEAEB according to the same principles but along lines peculiar to the characteristics of each, individual. The peculiar characteristic possessed by Macbeth that colored his ambition was the philosophical trend of his mind, therefore was he continually de bating with himself on the wisdom and the conse quences of his acts. On the other hand, the ambi tion of Eichard III. was directed by his belief in the superiority of the intellect over all other powers, but his intellect was so saturated with cruelty that it prompted him to perform deeds that brought about his ruin. It was the misdirection of Richards mental powers, and not his possession of them, that made him a murderer and a villain. These side- lights are necessary to a clear perception of character. Thus Shakespeare depicts two beings of different temperaments who are representative types of char acters governed by the same emotions but differing in the expression of them. This reveals what con stitutes the difference in Shakespeare s characters, and partly accounts for his marvelous portrayal of them. The grasping of this great truth that there is an underlying principle in human nature that governs the emotions and their expressions, enabled Shake speare to produce two types of the wicked woman-Lady Macbeth and Goneril. One, intellectually immoral the other, physically depraved. Lady Macbeth 7 s wickedness was tinged with determination. She would go on in any course, no matter what the penalty, provided she had made r o i PORTRAYAL OF HUMAN NATURE up her mind to do so... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.