short stories and essays-第9章

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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　woman　may　play　Hamlet　with　a　less　shocking
effect　than　a　man　may　play　Desdemona；　but　all　the　same　she　must　not　play
Hamlet　at　all。　　That　sublime　ideal　is　the　property　of　the　human
imagination；　and　may　not　be　profaned　by　a　talent　enamoured　of　the
impossible。　　No　harm　could　be　done　by　the　broadest　burlesque；　the　most
irreverent　travesty；　for　these　would　still　leave　the　ideal　untouched。
Hamlet；　after　all　the　horse…play；　would　be　Hamlet；　but　Hamlet　played　by　a
woman；　to　satisfy　her　caprice；　or　to　feed　her　famine　for　a　fresh　effect；
is　Hamlet　disabled；　for　a　long　time；　at　least；　in　its　vital　essence。
I　felt　that　it　would　take　many　returns　to　the　Hamlet　of　Shakespeare　to
efface　the　impression　of　Mme。　Bernhardt's　Hamlet；　and　as　I　prepared　to
escape　from　my　row　of　stalls　in　the　darkening　theatre；　I　experienced　a
noble　shame　for　having　seen　the　Dane　so　disnatured；　to　use　Mr。　Lowell's
word。　　I　had　not　been　obliged　to　come；　I　had　voluntarily　shared　in　the
wrong　done；　by　my　presence　I　had　made　myself　an　accomplice　in　the　wrong。
It　was　high　ground；　but　not　too　high　for　me；　and　I　recovered　a　measure　of
self…respect　in　assuming　it。






THE　MIDNIGHT　PLATOON

He　had　often　heard　of　it。　　Connoisseurs　of　such　matters；　young　newspaper
men　trying　to　make　literature　out　of　life　and　smuggle　it　into　print　under
the　guard　of　unwary　editors；　and　young　authors　eager　to　get　life　into
their　literature；　had　recommended　it　to　him　as　one　of　the　most　impressive
sights　of　the　city；　and　he　had　willingly　agreed　with　them　that　he　ought
to　see　it。　　He　imagined　it　very　dramatic；　and　he　was　surprised　to　find　it
in　his　experience　so　largely　subjective。　　If　there　was　any　drama　at　all
it　was　wholly　in　his　own　consciousness。　　But　the　thing　was　certainly
impressive　in　its　way。




I。

He　thought　it　a　great　piece　of　luck　that　he　should　come　upon　it　by
chance；　and　so　long　after　he　had　forgotten　about　it　that　he　was　surprised
to　recognize　it　for　the　spectacle　he　had　often　promised　himself　the
pleasure　of　seeing。

Pleasure　is　the　right　word；　for　plea