Part 25 (1/2)

During the last half-century textual, aesthetic, and biographical criticis industry and energy; and although laboured and supersubtle theorising characterises much German aesthetic criticism, its mass and variety testify to the impressiveness of the appeal that Shakespeare's work has made to the German intellect The efforts to stem the current of Shakespearean worshi+p made by the realistic critic, Gustav Ruart, 1866), and subsequently by the draart, 1873, 8vo), proved of no effect In studies of the text andrecent German writers, be accorded the first place; in studies of the biography and stage history Friedrich Karl Elze (1821-1889); in aesthetic studies Friedrich Alexander Theodor Kreyssig (1818-1879), author of 'Vorlesungen uber Shakespeare' (Berlin, 1858 and 1874), and 'Shakespeare-Fragen' (Leipzig, 1871) Ulrici's 'Shakespeare's Dramatic Art' (first published at Halle in 1839) and Gervinus's Co in 1848-9), both of which are faestive but unconvincing aesthetic interpretations The German Shakespeare Society, which was founded at Weimar in 1865, has published thirty-four year-books (edited successively by von Bodenstedt, Delius, Elze, and F A Leo); each contains useful contributions to Shakespearean study

On the Gere

Shakespeare has been no less effectually nationalised on the Ger Schroeder (1744-1816) of Ha Devrient (1784-1832), and his nephew Gustav Eely derived their fame from their successful assu Devrient's nephews, Eduard (1801-1877), also an actor, prepared, with his son Otto, an acting Ger years)

An acting edition by Wilhelm Oechelhaeuser appeared previously at Berlin in 1871 Twenty-eight of the thirty-seven plays assigned to Shakespeare are now on recognised lists of Ger all the histories {346a} In 1895 as many as 706 perforiven in German theatres {346b} In 1896 no fewer than 910 perforiven of twenty-three plays In 1897 perfore of nearly three Shakespearean representations a day in the Ger districts of Europe {347} It is not only in capitals like Berlin and Vienna that the representations are frequent and popular In towns like Altona, Breslau, Frankfort-on-the-Maine, Ha, and Rostock, Shakespeare is acted constantly and the greater nuularly kept in rehearsal 'Othello,' 'Ha of the Shrew' usually prove most attractive Of the many German musical composers who have worked on Shakespearean theht's Dreas) have achieved the greatest success

In France Voltaire's strictures

In France Shakespeare won recognition after a longer struggle than in Geriarised 'Cymbeline,'

'Harippina' About 1680 Nicolas Cleination, natural thoughts, and ingenious expression, but deplored his obscenity

{348a} Half a century elapsed before public attention in France was again directed to Shakespeare {348b} The Abbe Prevost, in his periodical 'Le Pour et Contre' (1733 et seq), acknowledged his power

But it is to Voltaire that his countrymen owe, as he himself boasted, their first effective introduction to Shakespeare Voltaire studied Shakespeare thoroughly on his visit to England between 1726 and 1729, and his influence is visible in his own dramas In his 'Lettres Philosophiques' (1731), afterwards reissued as 'Lettres sur les Anglais,'

1734 (Nos xviii and xix), and in his 'Lettre sur la Tragedie' (1731), he expressed adenius, but attacked his want of taste and art He described hirand fou d'ailleursto the Abbe des Fontaines in November 1735, Voltaire admitted many merits in 'Julius Caesar,' on which he published 'Observations' in 1764 Johnson replied to Voltaire's general criticism in the preface to his edition (1765), and Mrs Elizabeth Montagu in 1769 in a separate volume, which was translated into French in 1777 Diderot ainst the Voltairean position, and increased opportunities of studying Shakespeare's works increased the poet's vogue Twelve plays were translated in De la Place's 'Theatre Anglais' (1745-8)

Jean-Francois Ducis (1733-1816) adapted withoutin 1769 with 'Hamlet,' his version of which was acted with applause In 1776 Pierre Le Tourneur began a bad prose translation (completed in 1782) of all Shakespeare's plays, and declared hiainst this esti of two letters, of which the first was read before the French Acadeust 25, 1776 Here Shakespeare was described as a barbarian, whose works--'a huge dunghill'--concealed soradual eh Voltaire's censure was rejected by the majority of later French critics, it expressed a sentienius of the nation, and radually effaced Marmontel, La Harpe, Marie-Joseph Chenier, and Chateaubriand, in his 'Essai sur Shakespeare,'

1801, inclined to Voltaire's view; but Madame de Stael wrote effectively on the other side in her 'De la Litterature, 1804 (i caps 13, 14, ii

5) 'At this day,' wrote Wordsworth in 1815, 'the French critics have abated nothing of their aversion to ”this darling of our nation” ”The English with their bouffon de Shakespeare” is as fa them as in the time of Voltaire Baron Grimm is the only French writer who seems to have perceived his infinite superiority to the first nae which the Parisian critic owed to his German blood and German education' {350a} The revision of Le Tourneur's translation by Francois Guizot and A Pichot in 1821 gave Shakespeare a fresh advantage Paul Duport, in 'Essais Litteraires sur Shakespeare' (Paris, 1828, 2 vols), was the last French critic of repute to repeat Voltaire's censure unreservedly Guizot, in his discourse 'Sur la Vie et les OEuvres de Shakespeare' (reprinted separately from the translation of 1821), as well as in his 'Shakespeare et son Teeneral essay, {350b} and Barante in a study of 'Haenius with comparatively few qualifications Other complete translations followed--by Francisque Michel (1839), by Benjaut (1867), but the best is that in prose by Francois Victor Hugo (1859-66), whose father, Victor Hugo the poet, published a rhapsodical eulogy in 1864 Alfred Mezieres's 'Shakespeare, ses OEuvres et ses Critiques' (Paris, 1860), is a saner appreciation

On the French stage

Meanwhile 'Hamlet' and 'Macbeth,' 'Othello,' and a few other Shakespearean plays, becae A powerful impetus to theatrical representation of Shakespeare in France was given by the perforlish actors in the autumn of 1827 'Hamlet' and 'Othello' were acted successively by Charles Kemble and Macready; Edmund Kean appeared as Richard III, Othello, and Shylock; Miss Smithson, who became the wife of Hector Berlioz the musician, filled the _roles_ of Ophelia, Juliet, Desdemona, Cordelia, and Portia French critics were divided as to the merits of the performers, but most of them were enthusiastic in their cony prepared a version of 'Othello' for the Theatre-Francais in 1829 with eminent success An adaptation of 'Hamlet' by Alexandre Du by the Chevalier de Chatelain (1864) was often repeated

George Sand translated 'As You Like It' (Paris, 1856) for representation by the Comedie Francaise on April 12, 1856 'Lady Macbeth' has been represented in recent years by Madame Sarah Bernhardt, and 'Hamlet' by M

Mounet Sully of the Theatre-Francais {351b} Four French musicians--Berlioz in his symphony of 'Romeo and Juliet,' Gounod in his opera of 'Romeo and Juliet,' Ambroise Thomas in his opera of 'Hamlet,'