‘Macbeth' and Irving by Frederick Wedmore
Frederick Wedmore doubts Macbeth can match Hamlet in any actor's hands, since Macbeth draws less sympathy, with audiences wondering more at his wife and caring more for Macduff. He credits Henry Irving with bringing out what remains noble in Macbeth: reverence, indignation at baser crimes than his own, admiration of courage, and hesitation before further bloodshed, seen in his attitude before the grooms' prayer, his remark on the hired murderers, his invocation to his wife, and his warning to Macduff, even as the darker qualities stay more conspicuous. Wedmore reads Irving's main idea as the gradual deterioration of character through one crime leading to another, with added emphasis on Macbeth's subjection to the supernatural: the weird voices' prophecy as destiny, his crimes done under a spell, driven by a force from without. This separates Macbeth from his hired murderers, themselves desperate rather than willing, until the distance shrinks: from his regret at not saying "Amen" with the grooms to his curse at the cream-faced messenger and his final, savage resolve, "Yet I will try the last," spoken with the murderers' own hopelessness. Wedmore calls it a worthy performance showing both the early pathos and the final savagery, and the crime-by-crime transition between them.
By Frederick Wedmore · Genre: Literary Criticism, Theater Criticism, Shakespearean Studies · 878 words
First lines
I question if _Macbeth_ can ever, in the hands of _any_ tragedian, make the same mark as _Hamlet_. _Hamlet_, as far as the opportunities for the display of the one actor are concerned, might almost have been written by an actor's playwright of our day, bent on securing prominence for the ‘star. ' Macbeth claims little of our sympathy. Most of us wonder more at his wife, and care more for Macduff. But it is a point in Henry Irving's art, as displayed in this play, that he brings into such high relief all that Macbeth had of noble, or of the remains of noble: reverence and awe; indignation at crimes that seemed to him baser, because they were done for pettier ends, than his own; admiration of courage in another, and of character more resolute than his; hesitation, having gone so far, to go yet further in the taking of innocent blood. Macbeth's attitude before the prayer of the grooms; his righteous satire -- ‘your spirits shine through you' -- on the hired murderers; his invocation to his wife; his almost tender and pitying warning to Macduff --
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Genres
- Literary Criticism — The work provides detailed critical analysis of Shakespeare's Macbeth, examining character interpretation, thematic development, and the artistic merit of a specific theatrical production.
- Theater Criticism — The essay focuses extensively on Henry Irving's theatrical performance, discussing his acting choices, interpretive decisions, and their effects on audience reception and character understanding.
- Shakespearean Studies — The work analyzes Shakespeare's text directly, discussing character development, the supernatural as a dramatic force, moral deterioration, and structural elements within the play.
- Performance Analysis — The essay examines Irving's specific artistic techniques for conveying Macbeth's internal conflict, dignity, and moral decline through staged action and delivery.
Tags
Henry Irving · Shakespeare · Macbeth · Hamlet · Theater criticism · Dramatic interpretation · Character analysis · Character deterioration · Moral decline · Ambition · Crime · The supernatural
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‘Macbeth' and Irving is listed on Textopian as an essay by Frederick Wedmore, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Frederick Wedmore
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Criticism, Theater Criticism, Shakespearean Studies, Performance Analysis, Essay
- Length: 878 words
- Structure: 1 section, 12 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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