. On the art of the theatre . ing of Macbeth, sees only themad ambition of the man, this human passion ofambition; and he tells us that this sight, insteadof irresistibly detracting from the evil ambitionin us, rather augments it. Perhaps this is so; butit seems to me that behind all this there is muchmore than evil ambition and the idea of the heroand the villain. Behind it all I seem to perceive the unseen forcesalready spoken of; those spirits that Shakespearewas always so fond of hinting stood behind allthings of this earth, moved them, and movedthem apparently to these great deeds for goo
. On the art of the theatre . ing of Macbeth, sees only themad ambition of the man, this human passion ofambition; and he tells us that this sight, insteadof irresistibly detracting from the evil ambitionin us, rather augments it. Perhaps this is so; butit seems to me that behind all this there is muchmore than evil ambition and the idea of the heroand the villain. Behind it all I seem to perceive the unseen forcesalready spoken of; those spirits that Shakespearewas always so fond of hinting stood behind allthings of this earth, moved them, and movedthem apparently to these great deeds for good orevil. In Macbeth they are called by the old grand-270 MACBETH A Witch.—Act. IV. Scene I. 2nd Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake ; In the cauldron boil and bake ;Eye of newt, and toe of frog,Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,Adder^s fork, and blind-worms stingLizards leg, and howlets wing,For a charm of powerful a hell-broth hoil and bubble. All. Douhle, double, toil and trouble ; Fire, bum ; and, cauldron, [J*ace pa-ge 270. ^ THE THREE WITCHES ^ mothers title of the Three Witches, that elasticname which the public in the theatre may eitherlaugh at or be serious about as it wishes. Now when I speak of this hypnotic influence ofthese spirits as though I were mentioning somethingquite new, I am speaking entirely in relation to theinterpretation of Shakespeare on the stage and notmerely as his student. I know that the studentshave written about these spirits, comparing them tocertain figures in the Greek tragedy and writingof them far more profoundly than I can do. Buttheir writings are for those who read Shakespeare,or who see him acted, not for those who take partin the presentation of his plays. Whether theplays were ever intended to be acted or no, whetheror not they gain by being acted, does not concernme here. But if I were asked to present this playof Macbeth upon the stage, I should need to bringto it an understanding different entirely from thatwhich t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecttheater, bookyear1911
