ACTORS' IWTHRPRt TA TIOIS I(.EAN. HACKETT. YOUNG. MACREADY.
J. H. HACKETT - (J¾3le$, Cri[[œ[sllzs, -'œ., New York, x863, p. 49.)--Edmund
Kean, as Hamlet, after concluding his words to Ophelia, ' To a nunnery, go !' and
departing abruptly out of sight of his audience, used to come on the stage again,
and approach slowly the amazed Ophelia still remaining in the centre; take her
hand gently, and, after gazing steadily and earnestly in her face for a few seconds,
and with a marked expression of tenderness on his own countenance, appeared to
be choked in his efforts to say something, smothered her hand with passionate kisses,
and rushed wildly and finally from her presence. [EDwiN BOOTH does the same
thing. J.C.] [See III, i, 49. ED.]
[Page 79.] In my youth I had read the work called IVil, qelm &eis/e?s ,4;)ipren-
liceship, and been struck with and remembered Goethe's idea of causing, in repre-
sentation, Itamlet's description and comparison of his father's and his uncle's respec-
tive persons to be painted as full-length portraits, and suspended in the Queen's
closet. With the aid of Mr Thomas Barry (a most capital stage-director, as well as
good and sound actor), I determined to ty such an effect. Mr Barry, who acted
the Ghost, consented to change the costume (armour) worn when it was seen upon
the /aform, and which, as it would seem, was designed to suggest surprise, and
increase Hamlet's wonder (' My father's spirit--in arms ! all is not well!'), and
to adopt one similar to thal worn by 'My father in his habit as he lived,' and
20ained for the
