robert louis stevenson-第20章
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d be re… writ … re…writ especially towards the ending … and the scandalous Beau tarred and feathered； metaphorically speaking； instead of walking off at the end in a sneaking； mincing sort of way； with no more than a little momentary twinge of discomfort at the wreck and ruin he has wrought； for having acted as a selfish； snivelling poltroon and coward； though in fine clothes and with fine ways and fine manners； which only； from our point of view； make matters worse。 It is； with variations I admit； much the same all through： R。 L。 Stevenson felt it and confessed it about the EBB…TIDE； and Huish； the cockney hero and villain； but the sense of healthy disgust； even at the vile Huish； is not emphasised in the book as it would have demanded to be for the stage … the audience would not have stood it； and the more mixed and varied； the less would it have stood it … not at all； and his relief of style and fine or finished speeches would not THERE in the least have told。 This is demanded of the drama … that at once it satisfies a certain crude something subsisting under all outward glosses and veneers that might be in some a lively sense of right and wrong … the uprisal of a conscience； in fact； or in others a vague instinct of proper reward or punishment； which will even cover and sanction certain kinds of revenge or retaliation。 The one feeling will emerge most among the cultured； and the other among the ruder and more ignorant； but both meet immediately on beholding action and the limits of action on the demand for some clear leading to what may be called Providential equity … each man undoubtedly rewarded or punished； roughly； according to his deserts； if not outwardly then certainly in the inner torments that so often lead to confessions。 There it is … a radical fact of human nature … as radical as any reading of trait or determination of character presented … seen in the Greek drama as well as in Shakespeare and the great Elizabethan dramatists； and in the drama…transpontine and others of to…day。 R。 L。 Stevenson was all too casuistical （though not in the exclusively bad sense） for this； and so he was not dramatic； though WEIR OF HERMISTON promised something like an advance to it； and ST IVES did； in my idea； yet more。〃
The one essential of a DRAMATIC piece is that； by the interaction of character and incident （one or other may be preponderating； according to the type and intention of the writer） all naturally leads up to a crisis in which the moral motives； appealed to or awakened by the presentation of the play； are justified。 Where this is wanting the true leading and the definite justification are wanting。 Goethe failed in this in his FAUST； resourceful and far… seeing though he was … he failed because a certain sympathy is awakened for Mephistopheles in being； so to say； chivied out of his bargain； when he had complied with the terms of the contract by Faust； and Gounod in his opera does exactly for 〃immediate dramatic effect；〃 what we hold it would be necessary to do for R。 L。 Stevenson。 Goethe； with his casuistries which led him to allegory and all manner of overdone symbolisms and perversions in the Second Part； is set aside and a true crisis and close is found by Gounod through simply sending Marguerite above and Faust below； as； indeed； Faust had agreed by solemn compact with Mephistopheles that it should be。 And to come to another illustration from our own times； Mr Bernard Shaw's very clever and all too ingenious and over…subtle MAN AND SUPERMAN would； in my idea； and for much the same reason； be an utterly ineffective and weak piece on the stage； however carefully handled and however clever the setting … the reason lying in the egotistic upsetting of the 〃personal equation〃 and the theory of life that lies behind all … tinting it with strange and even OUTRE colours。 Much the same has to be said of most of what are problem…plays … several of Ibsen's among the rest。
Those who remember the Fairy opera of HANSEL AND GRETEL on the stage in London； will not have forgotten in the witching memory of all the charms of scenery and setting； how the scene where the witch of the wood； who was planning out the baking of the little hero and heroine in her oven； having 〃fatted〃 them up well； to make sweet her eating of them； was by the coolness and cleverness of the heroine locked in her own oven and baked there； literally brought down the house。 She received exactly what she had planned to give those children； whom their own cruel parents had unwittingly； by losing the children in the wood； put into her hands。 Quaint； naive； half…grotesque it was in conception； yet the truth of all drama was there actively exhibited； and all casuistic pleading of excuses of some sort； even of justification for the witch （that it was her nature； heredity in her aworking； etc。； etc。） would have not only been out of place； but hotly resented by that audience。 Now； Stevenson； if he could have made up his mind to have the witch locked in her own oven； would most assuredly have tried some device to get her out by some fairy witch…device or magic slide at the far end of it； and have proceeded to paint for us the changed character that she was after she had been so outwitted by a child； and her witchdom proved after all of little effect。 He would have put probably some of the most effective moralities into her mouth if indeed he would not after all have made the witch a triumph on his early principle of bad…heartedness being strength。 If this is the sort of falsification which the play demands； and is of all tastes the most ungrateful； then； it is clear； that for full effect of the drama it is essential to it； but what is primary in it is the direct answering to certain immediate and instinctive demands in common human nature； the doing of which is far more effective than no end of deep philosophy to show how much better human nature would be if it were not just quite thus constituted。 〃Concentration；〃 says Mr Pinero； 〃is first； second； and last in it；〃 and he goes on thus； as reported in the SCOTSMAN； to show Stevenson's defect and mistake and； as is not； of course； unnatural； to magnify the greatness and grandeur of the style of work in which he has himself been so successful。
〃If Stevenson had ever mastered that art … and I do not question that if he had properly conceived it he had it in him to master it … he might have found the stage a gold mine； but he would have found； too； that it is a gold mine which cannot be worked in a smiling； sportive； half…contemptuous spirit； but only in the sweat of the brain； and with every mental nerve and sinew strained to its uttermost。 He would have known that no ingots are to be got out of this mine； save after sleepless nights； days of gloom and discouragement； and other days； again； of feverish toil； the result of which proves in the end to be misapplied and has to be thrown to the winds。 。 。 。 When you take up a play…book （if ever you do take one up） it strikes you as being a very trifling thing … a mere insubstantial pamphlet beside the imposing bulk of the latest six… shilling novel。 Little do you guess that every page of the play has cost more care； severer mental tension； if not more actual manual labour； than any chapter of a novel； though it be fifty pages long。 It is the height of the author's art； according to the old maxim； that the ordinary spectator should never be clearly conscious of the skill and travail that have gone to the making of the finished product。 But the artist who would achieve a like feat must realise its difficulties； or what are his chances of success？〃
But what I should； in little； be inclined to say； in answer to the 〃concentration〃 idea is that； unless you have first some firm hold on the broad bed…rock facts of human nature specially appealed to or called forth by the drama； you may concentrate as much as you please； but you will not write a successful acting drama； not to speak of a great one。 Mr Pinero's magnifications of the immense effort demanded from him must in the end come to mean that he himself does not instinctively and w
