Life, 1904-03-24 · page 12 of 20
Life — March 24, 1904 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features a portrait sketch labeled "Mr. Forbes Robertson in 'Hamlet'" alongside theatrical commentary. The article discusses Robertson's performance of Hamlet, praising his delivery while analyzing whether Shakespeare's character could credibly speak his famous soliloquies naturally. A small decorative illustration shows a classical figure gesturing dramatically near what appears to be a skull—referencing Hamlet's graveyard scene. The piece argues that Robertson successfully conveys Hamlet's philosophical depth through careful articulation and musical speaking voice, though the author notes this requires more artistic skill than strict realism might suggest. The satire gently questions whether even brilliant actors can make Shakespeare's elaborate speeches seem genuinely spontaneous rather than performative.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Reality and Me. (AN MEGELIAN DiTTY.) [M8 Predicate of Reality Hanging on by ideality; In the Now and He: Caught within its sphere, 1 gain corporeality. Well I know my entity Is but bald nonentity ; Still, [ love te el Freedom from the Real wy self-identit ‘Till, through respectivity, I posit conjunetivity (Though purely formal And strictly normal In the relativity); And by contact in the This — Trarest, sweetest, fleetest kiss !— Win community In the unity Of a higher synthesis. inal dear caress rbject coalesce, eto be Undivoreeably Linked in mutual Otherness. HM. B. Alerander. ZS Shakespeare Still Lives. AS measuring-stick for ate SEwELi actors, the char Ruscece Hamlet possesses a value pe- ly its own, attempt to play it evinces either artistic bravery or inar- tistic presumption, In the case of Mr. Forbes ison the end fully the attempt. His i speech. Mr. Robertson gives the impression that Handet must have thought ont all his us his physical condi Booth, so mechanical a mies carefully, word for Robertson brings to the pa that of Lawrence , in advance, and that his sentences and an unus rett, so eccentric as to his lips ready-made. He was at T mal Henry Irving's. so the university, we know, but he must have and manly impersonation, even if one is youthful and graceful as that of Walker been a prize scholar and have devoted his often tempted to quarrel with its intel- Whitesides, so gentlemanly as that of Mr stime at Elsinore to deep cogitation — lectuality, ‘There is no doubt that he gains Sothern, nor so ladylike as that of the Mr i of choice language to athies thoroughly, even if his Russell who gained oue smiles last spring. ts pour themselves out in the — philosophy makes a less deep impression Itis a nervous Hamlet, not a lative elocutionary torrent which at times describes on our minds than that of other Hanlets nora melancholy one. In this sense it is Mr. I ertson’s delivery. Those were who dwell more strongly on the re rather a new concer It raises the weighty reflections which afflicted Hamlet's i he cha vr. Althou question of whether the Hamlet shown in mind, and it scems hardly within the range i . the Shakespeare's lines could possibly have — of credibility that they could voice them- — is potent, showing that we ¢ been so nervous and so quick of mannerand — selves so pat aud so quickly, no matter more of the artist than of the author. comicbooks.com