of Shakespeare, that his drama is the mirror of life; that he who has mazed his imagination in following the phantoms which other writers raise up before him may here be cured of his delirious ecstasies by reading human sentiments in human language, by scenes from which a hermit may estimate the transactions of the world, and a confessor predict the progress of the passions. 4. Shakespeare's plays are not, in the rigorous and critical sense, either tragedies or comedies, but compositions of a distinct kind; exhibiting the real state of sublunary nature, which partakes of good and evil, joy and sorrow, mingled with endless variety of proportion and innumerable modes of combination; and expressing the course of the world, in which the loss of one is the gain of another; in which, at the same time, the reveller is hasting to his wine, and the mourner burying his friend; in which the malignity of one is sometimes defeated by the frolic of another, and many mischiefs and many benefits are done and hindered without design. 5. Shakespeare has united the powers of exciting laughter and sorrow not only in one mind, but in one composition. Almost all his plays are divided between serious and ludicrous characters, and, in the successive evolutions of the design, sometimes produce seriousness and sorrow, and sometimes levity and laughter. That this is a practice contrary to the rules of criticism will be readily allowed; but there is always an appeal open from criticism to nature. The end of writing is to instruct; the end of poetry is to instruct by pleasing. That the mingled drama may convey all the instruction of tragedy or comedy cannot be denied, because it includes both in its alternations of exhibition, and approaches nearer than either to the appearance of life, by showing how great machinations and slender designs may promote or obviate one another, and the high and the low co-operate in the general system by unavoidable concatenation. 6. The force of his comic scenes has suffered little diminution from the changes made by a century and a half in manners or in words. As his personages act upon principles arising from genuine passion, very little modified by particular forms, their pleasures and vexations are communicable to all times and to all places; they are natural, and therefore durable. The adventi tious peculiarities of personal habits are only superficial dyes, bright and pleasing for a little while, yet soon fading to a dim tinct, without any remains of former lustre. But the discriminations of true passion are the colors of nature: they pervade the whole mass, and can only perish with the body that exhibits them. The accidental compositions of heterogeneous modes are dissolved by the chance which combined them; but the uniform simplicity of primitive qualities neither admits increase nor suffers decay. The sand heaped by one flood is scattered by another; but the rock always continues in its place. The stream of time, which is continually washing the dissoluble fabrics of other poets, passes without injury by the adamant of Shakespeare. MILTON'S TRIBUTE TO SHAKESPEARE. What needs my Shakespeare for his honored bones Or that his hallowed relics should be hid Under a star-ypointing' pyramid? Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name? Hast built thyself a livelong monument : For whilst to th' shame of slow-endeavoring art That kings for such a tomb would wish to die. 1 Star-ypointing, star-pointing. The y (= Anglo-Saxon ge, the prefix of the tast participle) is here wrongly used in combination with a present participle. I. THE FUNERAL OF JULIUS CÆSAR. [INTRODUCTION.-The passage here given forms the second scene, act iii., of Shakespeare's play of Julius Cæsar (written about 1600, and first printed in 1623). The events represented immediately follow the assassination of Cæsar, B.C. 44. Mark Antony, a friend of Cæsar, had been allowed by Brutus and Cassius, the leaders of the conspiracy, "to speak at Cæsar's funeral." Cassius had objected to granting Antony this privilege, lest his words should "move" the people; but Brutus overcame this by proposing that he should himself speak first and "show the reason of our Cæsar's death." The scene opens with the Roman populace clamoring to know this reason.] Scene- The Forum in Rome. Present- BRUTUS and CASSIUS and a throng of Citizens. We will be satisfied ;* let us be satisfied. Brutus. Then follow me, and give me audience,* friends.— Cassius, go you into the other street, And part the numbers.— Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here; Those that will follow Cassius, go with him ; And public reasons shall be rendered Of Cæsar's death. NOTES.-Line 1. We... satisfied: that 7. public reasons... rendered. "Public LITERARY ANALYSIS.-What is the nature of the verse in which this play (save in its prose parts) is written? Ans. It is blank verse. Define (see Def. 13). What is the measure? Ans. The measure is pentameter, consisting of five feet of two syllables each, with the accent on the second; thusThen follow me', | and give' | me au' | dience, friends'. I. satisfied. What is the etymology of this word? (See Glossary.) 2. audience. Derivation of? What is the distinction between audience (abstract) and an audience? 2, 3. Then foliow, etc. Cassius, go, etc. grammatically considered? (See Def. 54.) 5. 'em: a contraction of what? What kind of sentences are these, * The asterisk [*] in this book always indicates that the word to which it is affixed will be found in the Glossary. 5 First Citizen. I will hear Brutus speak. Second Citizen. I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons, ro When severally we hear them rendered. [Exit Cassius, with some of the Citizens. Brutus goes into the pulpit.] Third Citizen. The noble Brutus is ascended: silence! Brutus. Be patient till the last. * me in Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear; believe me for mine honor, and have 13 respect to mine honor, that you may believe; censure your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against 20 Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him: but, as 25 10. and compare: that is, and let us compare. [The "pulpit" here means the elevated platform called rostrum, from which orators addressed the people.] 12. is ascended. We should now use the auxiliary has; but in Shake speare's time (as also long afterwards) the compound tenses of verbs of motion were generally formed with the auxiliary to be, and not as now with to have. 14. lovers, friends. 16. censure me: that is, judge me, form an opinion of me. LITERARY ANALYSIS.-10. and compare. Supply the ellipsis. 14-32. Romans, countrymen. reply. Is the speech of Brutus that of one who is convinced of the justice of his cause? Does it, at the same time show that he deemed that it would require an effort to convince others of it? Hence what is the tenor of the speech-argumentative or emotional? May this account for its being in prose? 14-18. Romans... Judge. Show the corresponding parts in this balanced sentence. (See Def. 58, ii.) What words are effectively repeated? What synonym is used for "censure?" 24-26. As Cæsar... him. What is the figure of speech in this sentence? See Def. 83.) What subsequent sentence has the same figure? he was ambitious,* I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honor for his valor; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude* that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I 30 offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. All. None, Brutus, none. Brutus. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated* wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced for which he suffered death. Enter ANTONY and others, with CESAR's body. 35 Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dy- 40 ing, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart-that, as I slew my best lover for the good 29. rude, barbarous. 35, 36. The question... enrolled = the matter of his death (as far as calling for official explanation) 37. enforced, overstated, exaggerated. insinuates that they had been deprived of their independence under the tyranny of Cæsar, but that now they should have their full rights, their "place in the commonwealth." 41. as which of you, etc. Brutus here 42. my best lover = him I loved best. LITERARY ANALYSIS.-26. ambitious. What is the literal meaning of this word?—There is. The construction "there is" followed by a plural or by several subjects occurs frequently in Shakespeare, but it is not authorized by modern grammatical rule. 29-32. Who is here... offended. Suppose these three interrogatories had been united in one, would they have been as effective as they are now? Try this arrangement and compare. 30. him have I, etc. Is this the direct or the rhetorical order? (See Def. 45.) What is the result? [Give the derivation of "censure" (16); how does its Shakespearian differ from its modern meaning? Etymology of "rude" (29)? Of "extenuate" (36)?] |