robert louis stevenson-第34章
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in as felt or acknowledged in human nature or in the Universe itself。
Stevenson's toleration and constant sermonising in the essays … his desire to make us yield allowances all round is so far； it may be； there in place； but it will not work out in story or play； and declares the need for correction and limitation the moment that he essays artistic presentation … from the point of view of art he lacks at once artistic clearness and decision； and from the point of view of morality seems utterly loose and confusing。 His artistic quality here rests wholly in his style … mere style； and he is； alas！ a castaway as regards discernment and reading of human nature in its deepest demands and laws。 Herein lies the false strain that has spoiled much of his earlier work； which renders really superficial and confusing and undramatic his professedly dramatic work … which never will and never can commend the hearty suffrages of a mixed and various theatrical audience in violating the very first rule of the theatre； and of dramatic creation。
From another point of view this is my answer to Mr Pinero in regard to the failure of Stevenson to command theatrical success。 He confuses and so far misdirects the sympathies in issues which strictly are at once moral and dramatic。
I am absolutely at one with Mr Baildon； though I reach my results from somewhat different grounds from what he does； when he says this about BEAU AUSTIN； and the reason of its failure … complete failure … on the stage：
〃I confess I should have liked immensely to have seen ＇？ to see＇ this piece on the boards； for only then could one be quite sure whether it could be made convincing to an audience and carry their sympathies in the way the author intended。 Yet the fact that BEAU AUSTIN； in spite of being 'put on' by so eminent an actor…manager as Mr Beerbohm Tree； was no great success on the stage； is a fair proof that the piece lacked some of the essentials； good or bad； of dramatic success。 Now a drama； like a picture or a musical composition； must have a certain unity of key and tone。 You can； indeed； mingle comedy with tragedy as an interlude or relief from the strain and stress of the serious interest of the piece。 But you cannot reverse the process and mingle tragedy with comedy。 Once touch the fine spun…silk of the pretty fire…balloon of comedy with the tragic dagger； and it falls to earth a shrivelled nothing。 And the reason that no melodrama can be great art is just that it is a compromise between tragedy and comedy； a mixture of tragedy with comedy and not comedy with tragedy。 So in drama； the middle course； proverbially the safest； is in reality the most dangerous。 Now I maintain that in BEAU AUSTIN we have an element of tragedy。 The betrayal of a beautiful； pure and noble…minded woman is surely at once the basest act a man can be capable of； and a more tragic event than death itself to the woman。 Richardson； in CLARISSA HARLOWE； is well aware of this； and is perfectly right in making his DENOUEMENT tragic。 Stevenson； on the other hand； patches up the matter into a rather tame comedy。 It is even much tamer than it would have been in the case of Lovelace and Clarissa Harlowe； for Lovelace is a strong character； a man who could have been put through some crucial atonement； and come out purged and ennobled。 But Beau Austin we feel is but a frip。 He endures a few minutes of sharp humiliation； it is true； but to the spectator this cannot but seem a very insufficient expiation； not only of the wrong he had done one woman； but of the indefinite number of wrongs he had done others。 He is at once the villain and the hero of the piece； and in the narrow limits of a brief comedy this transformation cannot be convincingly effected。 Wrongly or rightly； a theatrical audience； like the spectators of a trial； demand a definite verdict and sentence； and no play can satisfy which does not reasonably meet this demand。 And this arises not from any merely Christian prudery or Puritanism； for it is as true for Greek tragedy and other high forms of dramatic art。〃
The transformation of villain into hero； if possible at all； could only be convincingly effected in a piece of wide scope； where there was room for working out the effect of some great shock； upheaval of the nature； change due to deep and unprecedented experiences … religious conversion； witnessing of sudden death； providential rescue from great peril of death； or circumstance of that kind； but to be effective and convincing it needs to be marked and FULLY JUSTIFIED in some such way； and no cleverness in the writer will absolve him from deference to this great law in serious work for presentation on the stage； if mere farces or little comedies may seem sometimes to contravene it； yet this … even this … is only in appearance。
True； it is not the dramatists part OF HIMSELF to condemn； or to approve； or praise： he has to present； and to present various characters faithfully in their relation to each other； and their effect upon each other。 But the moral element cannot be expunged or set lightly aside because it is closely involved in the very working out and presentation of these relations； and the effect upon each other。 Character is vital。 And character； if it tells in life； in influence and affection； must be made to tell directly also in the drama。 There is no escape from this … none； the dramatist is lopsided if he tries to ignore it； he is a monster if he is wholly blind to it … like the poet in IN MEMORIAM； 〃Without a conscience or an aim。〃 Mr Henley； in his notorious； all too confessional； and yet rather affected article on Stevenson in the PALL MALL MAGAZINE； has a remark which I confess astonished me … a remark I could never forget as coming from him。 He said that he 〃had lived a very full and varied life； and had no interest in remarks about morals。〃 〃Remarks about morals〃 are； nevertheless； in essence； the pith of all the books to which he referred； as those to which he turned in preference to the EDINBURGH EDITION of R。 L。 Stevenson's works。 The moral element is implicit in the drama； and it is implicit there because it is implicit in life itself； or so the great common…sense conceives it and demands it。 What we might call the asides proper of the drama； are 〃remarks about morals；〃 nothing else … the chorus in the Greek tragedy gathered up 〃remarks about morals〃 as near as might be to the 〃remarks about morals〃 in the streets of that day； only shaped to a certain artistic consistency。 Shakespeare is rich in 〃remarks about morals；〃 often coming near； indeed； to personal utterance； and this not only when Polonius addresses his son before his going forth on his travels。 Mr Henley here only too plainly confessed； indeed； to lack of that conviction and insight which； had he but possessed them； might have done a little to relieve BEAU AUSTIN and the other plays in which he collaborated with R。 L。 Stevenson； from their besetting and fatal weakness。 The two youths； alas！ thought they could be grandly original by despising； or worse； contemning 〃remarks about morals〃 in the loftier as in the lower sense。 To 〃live a full and varied life；〃 if the experience derived from it is to have expression in the drama； is only to have the richer resource in 〃remarks about morals。〃 If this is perverted under any self…conscious notion of doing something spick…and…span new in the way of character and plot； alien to all the old conceptions； then we know our writers set themselves boldly at loggerheads with certain old…fashioned and yet older new…fashioned laws； which forbid the violation of certain common demands of the ordinary nature and common…sense； and for the lack of this； as said already； no cleverness； no resource； no style or graft； will any way make up。 So long as this is tried； with whatever concentration of mind and purpose； failure is yet inevitable； and the more inevitable the more concentration and less of humorous by…play； because genius itself； if it despises the general moral sentiment and instinct for moral proportion … an ethnic reward and punishment； so to say
