Zanga. I must awake him into horrors.-Hoa! Alonso,-hoa! the Moor is at the gate: Awake,-invincible, omnipotent! Thou who dost all subdue. Alonso. Inhuman slave! Act V. Scene II. W. Bonner, Sc. PRINTED FROM THE ACTING COPY, WITH REMARKS, BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL. To which are added, A DESCRIPTION OF THE COSTUME,-CAST OF THE CHARACTERS, EXITS AND ENTRANCES, RELATIVE POSITION OF THE PERFORMERS ON THE STAGE, AND THE WHOLE OF THE STAGE BUSINESS, As now Performed at the THEATRES-ROYAL, LONDON. EMBELLISHED WITH A FINE WOOD ENGRAVING, By Mr. BONNER, from a Drawing by Mr. R. CRUIKSHANK. LONDON: JOHN CUMBERLAND, 19, LUDGATE HILL. REMARKS. THE strongest proof of the merit of this noble Tragedy, is, that it is read with delight, and beheld with interest, by those who are fully alive to the extraordinary beauties of Shakspeare's master-piece, "Othello." Jealousy is the ground-work of both Tragedies; and certainly, as regards plot, the "Revenge" has the advantage over "Othello," both in consistency and conduct. Nor is it wanting in the higher attributes that belong to Tragedy-grandeur and sublimity; and though the language, in many parts, is metaphorical and tumid, and the sentiments somewhat overstrained and artificial, the scenes in which Zanga thunders and lightens, are drawn with wonderful effect, and the last may fairly challenge comparison with the noblest efforts of the Tragic Muse. The character of Zanga is wrought with singular art. He is one of those "Souls made of fire, and children of the sun, With whom Revenge is virtue;" and who acting up to this grand, but mistaken, principle, banishes every emotion that might divert him from that, which, in him, is no longer a passion, but a duty. If Iago had cause for vengeance, (and that he had, we have endeavoured to shew, in our strictures upon "Othello,") the injuries of Zanga are multiplied an hundred fold. "Thou seest a prince, whose father thou hast slain; Whose sacred person, oh! thou hast profan'd; He then adds, in a tone of bitter interrogation "What was left to me So highly born? No kingdom, but Revenge ; Added to these insupportable and accumulated wrongs, he had received a blow; an indignity which the lofty spirit of the Moor could never pardon; he therefore conceives and executes his scheme of vengeance, with that wily art and firmness of purpose characteristic of his nature; making-as is too often the case in civilized society, boasting institutions founded upon truth and justice the innocent suffer for the guilty. Yet, amidst the terrible scenes in which we can hardly say he voluntarily engages, he discovers evidences of a noble nature too cruelly excited and impelled by injuries, the remembrance of which is bitterness and death. "O dire necessity! Is this my province? Whither, my soul, ah! whither art thou sunk Does this become a soldier ?" He, however, justifies the means by the end,— "And greater sure my merit, who, to gain A point sublime, can such a task sustain ; The Revenge" is evidently suggested by Mrs. Behn's tragedy of "Abdelazar," (which play is taken from "Lust's Dominion, or the Lascivious Queen," of Christopher Marlow,) and Shakspeare's "Othello." It is hardly necessary to say how greatly superior it is to the former,-and to compare it with the latter, would be invidious; since in this matchless effort of Shakspeare's genius, the poet has not only surpassed all others, but probably himself. The "Revenge" is deficient in one dramatic essential, action. The long scene in the first act, where Alonso and Carlos contend which shall evince the most pure and disinterested friendship, by resigning Leonora, however interesting in the closet, languishes on the stage. But there are many vigorous and passionate scenes, that amply atone for an occasional absence of bustle and stage effect, which, after all, do not constitute the higher qualities of the dramatic art. In the language, there are some specimens of the turgid and bombastic, of false glitter and affectation an objection that more or less applies to almost every other production of this celebrated author. There are too many "Amaranths, and roses like the morn!" and Alonso talks of "stabbing Leonora through her charms." It was Young's ambition to be uniformly great, and as Johnson remarks, he is only turgid. There are nevertheless some high strains of poetry in the character of Zanga,—we may instance the eloquent and impassioned burst at the end of the fourth act, "That's truly great!" together with Alonso's reply. But the climax is in the fifth act, every syllable that Zanga utters after his memorable exclamation, "Know then-'twas I!” is sterling gold. His concluding speech over the dead body of Alonso is exquisitely beautiful. The blow given to Zanga has not escaped the wicked wit of the parodist, which we quote for the sake of its pleasantry. General Bombardinian it seems has received a similar affront from King Chrononhotonthologos; which mortal offence to his dignity, produces the following whimsical rhodomontade : "Blush, blush, thou sun! start back, thou rapid ocean! |