short stories and essays-第7部分

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Charles　Fechter　transcended　in　its　virile　range　the　effect　of　her
subtlest　womanish　intuition。　　His　was　the　first　blond　Hamlet　known　to　our
stage；　and　hers　was　also　blond；　if　a　reddish…yellow　wig　may　stand　for　a
complexion；　and　it　was　of　the　quality　of　his　Hamlet　in　masterly
technique。




II。

The　Hamlet　of　Fechter；　which　rose　ghostlike　out　of　the　gulf　of　the　past；
and　cloudily　possessed　the　stage　where　the　Hamlet　of　Mme。　　Bernhardt　was
figuring；　was　called　a　romantic　Hamlet　thirty　years　ago；　and　so　it　was　in
being　a　break　from　the　classic　Hamlets　of　the　Anglo…American　theatre。
It　was　romantic　as　Shakespeare　himself　was　romantic；　in　an　elder　sense　of
the　word；　and　not　romanticistic　as　Dumas　was　romanticistic。　　It　was；
therefore；　the　most　realistic　Hamlet　ever　yet　seen；　because　the　most
naturally　poetic。　　Mme。　　Bernhardt　recalled　it　by　the　perfection　of　her
school；　for　Fechter's　poetic　naturalness　differed　from　the
conventionality　of　the　accepted　Hamlets　in　nothing　so　much　as　the
superiority　of　its　self…instruction。　　In　Mme。　Bernhardt's　Hamlet；　as　in
his；　nothing　was　trusted　to　chance；　or　〃inspiration。〃　　Good　or　bad；　what
one　saw　was　what　was　meant　to　be　seen。　　When　Fechter　played　Edmond　Dantes
or　Claude　Melnotte；　he　put　reality　into　those　preposterous　inventions；
and　in　Hamlet　even　his　alien　accent　helped　him　vitalize　the　part；　it
might　be　held　to　be　nearer　the　Elizabethan　accent　than　ours；　and　after
all；　you　said　Hamlet　was　a　foreigner；　and　in　your　high　content　with　what
he　gave　you　did　not　mind　its　being　in　a　broken　vessel。　　When　he
challenged　the　ghost　with　〃I　call　thee　keeng；　father；　rawl…Dane；〃　you
Would　hardly　have　had　the　erring　utterance　bettered。　　It　sufficed　as　it
was；　and　when　he　said　to　Rosencrantz；　〃Will　you　pleh　upon　this　pyip？〃
it　was　with　such　a　princely　authority　and　comradely　entreaty　that　you
made　no　note　of　the　slips　in　the　vowels　except　to　have　pleasure　of　their
quaintness　afterwards。　　For　the　most　part　you　were　not　aware　of　these
betrayals　of　his　speech；　and　in　certain　high　things　it　was　soul
interpreted　to　soul　through　the　poetry　of　Shakespeare　so　finely；　so
directly；　that　there　was　scarcely　a　sense　of　the　histrionic　means。

He　put　such　divine　despair　into　the　words；　〃Except　my　life；　except　my
life；　except　my　life！〃　following　the　mockery　with　which　he　had　assured
Polonius　there　was　nothing　he　would　more　willingly　part　withal　than　his
leave；　that　the　heart…break　of　them　had　lingered　with　me　for　thirty
years；　and　I　had　been　alert　for　them　with　every　Hamlet　since。　　But　before
I　knew；　Mme。　Bernhardt　had　uttered　them　with　no　effect　whatever。　　Her
Hamlet；　indeed；　cut　many　of　the　things　that　we　have　learned　to　think　the
points　of　Hamlet；　and　it　so　transformed　others　by　its　interpretation　of
the　translator's　interpretation　of　Shakespeare　that　they　passed
unrecognized。　　Soliloquies　are　the　weak　invention　of　the　enemy；　for　the
most　part；　but　as　such　things　go　that　soliloquy　of　Hamlet's；　〃To　be　or
not　to　be；〃　is　at　least　very　noble　poetry；　and　yet　Mme。　　Bernhardt　was　so
unimpressive　in　it　that　you　scarcely　noticed　the　act　of　its　delivery。
Perhaps　this　happened　because　the　sumptuous　and　sombre　melancholy　of
Shakespeare's　thought　was　transmitted　in　phrases　that　refused　it　its
proper　mystery。　　But　there　was　always　a　hardness；　not　always　from　the
translation；　upon　this　feminine　Hamlet。　　It　was　like　a　thick　shell　with
no　crevice　in　it　through　which　the　tenderness　of　Shakespeare's　Hamlet
could　show；　except　for　the　one　moment　at　Ophelia's　grave；　where　he
reproaches　Laertes　with　those　pathetic　words

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃What　is　the　reason　that　you　use　me　thus？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　loved　you　ever；　but　it　is　no　matter。〃

Here　Mme。　　Bernhardt　betrayed　a　real　grief；　but　as　a　woman　would；　and　not
a　man。　　At　the　close　of　the　Gonzago　play；　when　Hamlet　triumphs　in　a　mad
whirl；　her　Hamlet　hopped　up　and　down　like　a　mischievous　crow；　a
mischievous　she…crow。

There　was　no　repose　in　her　Hamlet；　though　there　were　moments　of　leaden
lapse　which　suggested　physical　exhaustion；　and　there　was　no　range　in　her
elocution　expressive　of　the　large　vibration　of　that　tormented　spirit。
Her　voice　dropped　out；　or　jerked　itself　out；　and　in　the　crises　of　strong
emotion　it　was　the　voice　of　a　scolding　or　a　hysterical　woman。　　At　times
her　movements；　which　she　must　have　studied　so　hard　to　master；　were　drolly
womanish；　especially　those　of　the　whole　person。　　Her　quickened　pace　was　a
woman's　nervous　little　run；　and　not　a　man's　swift　stride；　and　to　give
herself　due　stature；　it　was　her　foible　to　wear　a　woman's　high　heels　to
her　shoes；　and　she　could　not　help　tilting　on　them。

In　the　scene　with　the　queen　after　the　play；　most　English　and　American
Hamlets　have　required　her　to　look　upon　the　counterfeit　presentment　of　two
brothers　in　miniatures　something　the　size　of　tea…plates；　but　Mme。
Bernhardt's　preferred　full…length；　life…size　family　portraits。　　The　dead
king's　effigy　did　not　appear　a　flattered　likeness　in　the　scene…painter's
art；　but　it　was　useful　in　disclosing　his　ghost　by　giving　place　to　it　in
the　wall　at　the　right　moment。　　She　achieved　a　novelty　by　this　treatment
of　the　portraits；　and　she　achieved　a　novelty　in　the　tone　she　took　with
the　wretched　queen。　　Hamlet　appeared　to　scold　her　mother；　but　though　it
could　be　said　that　her　mother　deserved　a　scolding；　was　it　the　part　of　a
good　daughter　to　give　it　her？

One　should；　of　course；　say　a　good　son；　but　long　before　this　it　had　become
impossible　to　think　at　all　of　Mme。　Bernhardt's　Hamlet　as　a　man；　if　it
ever　had　been　possible。　　She　had　traversed　the　bounds　which　tradition　as
well　as　nature　has　set；　and　violated　the　only　condition　upon　which　an
actress　may　personate　a　man。　　This　condition　is　that　there　shall　be
always　a　hint　of　comedy　in　the　part；　that　the　spectator　shall　know　all
the　time　that　the　actress　is　a　woman；　and　that　she　shall　confess　herself
such　before　the　play　is　over；　she　shall　be　fascinating　in　the　guise　of　a
man　only　because　she　is　so　much　more　intensely　a　woman　in　it。
Shakespeare　had　rather　a　fancy　for　women　in　men's　roles；　which；　as
women's　roles　in　his　time　were　always　taken　by　pretty　and　clever　boys；
could　be　more　naturally　managed　then　than　now。　　But　when　it　came　to　the
eclaircissement；　and　the　pretty　boys；　who　had　been　playing　the　parts　of
women　disguised　as　men；　had　to　own　themselves　women；　the　effect　must　have
been　confused　if　not　weakened。　　If　Mme。　Bernhardt；　in　the　necessity　of
doing　something　Shakespearean；　had　chosen　to　do　Rosalind；　or　Viola；　or
Portia；　she　could　have　done　it　with　all　the　modern　advantages　of　women　in
men's　roles。　　These　characters　are；　of　course；　〃lighter　motions　bounded
in　a　shallower　brain〃　than　the　creation　she　aimed　at；　but　she　could　at
least　have　made　much　of　them；　and　she　does　not　make　much　of　Hamlet。




III。

The　strongest　reason　against　any　woman　Hamlet　is　that　it　does　violence　to
an　ideal。　　Literature　is　not　so　rich　in　great　imaginary　masculine　types
that　we　can　afford　to　have　them　transformed　to　women；　and　after　seeing
Mme。　Bernhardt's　Hamlet　no　one　can　altogether　liberate　himself　from　the
fancy　that　the　Prince　of　Denmark　was　a　girl　of　uncertain　age；　with　crises
of　mannishness　in　which　she　did　not　seem　quite　a　lady。　　Hamlet　is　in
nothing　more　a　man　than　in　the　things　to　which　as　a　man　he　found　himself
unequal；　for　as　a　woman　he　would　have　been　easily　superior　to　them。
If　we　could　suppose　him　a　woman　as　Mme。　Bernhardt；　in　spite　of　herself；
invites　us　to　do；　we　could　only　suppose　him　to　have　solved　his
perplexities　with　the　delightful　precipitation　of　his　putative　sex。
As　the　niece　of　a　wicked　uncle；　who　in　that　case　would　have　had　to　be　a
wicked　aunt；　wedded　to　Hamlet's　father　hard　upon　the　murder　of　her
mother；　she　would　have　made　short　work　of　her　vengeance。　　No　fine
scruples　would　have　delayed　her；　she　would　not　have　had　a　moment's
question　whether　she　had　not　better　kill　herself；　she　would　have　out　with
her　bare　bodkin　and　ended　the　doubt　by　first　passing　it　through　her
aunt's　breast。

To　be　sure；　there　would　then　have　been　no　play　of　〃　Hamlet；〃　as　we　have
it；　but　a　Hamlet　like　that　imagined；　a　frankly　feminine　Hamlet；　Mme。
Bernhardt　could　have　rendered　wonderfully。　　It　is　in　attempting　a
masculine　Hamlet　that　she　transcends　the　imaginable　and　violates　an
ideal。　　It　is　not　thinkable。　　After　you　have　seen　it　done；　you　say；　as
Mr。　Clemens　is　said　to　have　said　of　bicycling：　〃Yes；　I　have　seen　it；　but
it's　impossible。　　It　doesn't　stand　to　reason。〃

Art；　like　law；　is　the　perfection　of　reason；　and　whatever　is　unreasonable
in　the　work　of　an　artist　is　inartistic。　　By　the　time　I　had　reached　these
bold　conclusions　I　was　ready　to　deduce　a　principle　from　them；　and　to
declare　that　in　a　true　civilization　such　a　thing　as　that　Hamlet　would　be
forbidden；　as　an　offence　against　public　morals；　a　violence　to　something
precious　and　sacred。

In　the　absence　of　any　public　regulation　the　precious　and　sacred　ideals　in
the　arts　must　be　trusted　to　the　several　artists；　who　bring　themselves　to
judgment　when　they　violate　them。　　After　Mme。　Bernhardt　was　perversely
willing　to　attempt　the　part　of　Hamlet；　the　question　whether　she　did　it
well　or　not　was　of　slight　consequence。　　She　had　already　made　her　failure
in　wishing　to　play　the　part。　　Her　wish　impugned　her　greatness　as　an
artist；　of　a　really　great　actress　it　would　have　been　as　unimaginable　as
the　assumption　of　a　sublime　feminine　role　by　a　really　great　actor。　　There
is　an　obscure　law　in　this　matter　which　it　would　be　interesting　to　trace；
but　for　the　present　I　must　leave　the　inquiry　with　the　reader。　　I　can　note
merely　that　it　seems　somehow　more　permissible　for　women　in　imaginary
actions　to　figure　as　men　than　for　men　to　figure　as　women。　　In　the　theatre
we　have　conjectured　how　and　why　this　may　be；　but　the　privilege；　for　less
obvious　reasons；　seems　yet　more　liberally　granted　in　fiction。　　A　woman
may　tell　a　story　in　the　character　of　a　man　and　not　give　offence；　but　a
man　cannot　write　a　novel　in　autobiographical　form　from　the　personality　of
a　woman　without　imparting　the　sense　of　something　unwholesome。　　One　feels
this　true　even　in　the　work　of　such　a　master　as　Tolstoy；　whose　Katia　is　a
case　in　point。　　Perhaps　a　w