Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Written by Mr. William Shakespeare (1736) by Anonymous
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Anonymous >> Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Written by Mr. William Shakespeare (1736)
The _French_, (as has been often observ'd) by their Rules of Criticism,
have voluntarily imposed on themselves an unnecessary Slavery; and when
little Genius's among them have written Tragedies with these Chains on,
they have made most miserable work of it, and given Plays entirely void
of Spirit. Even the great Genius's in that Nation, such as _Corneille_
and _Racine_, and Mr. _De Voltaire_ (which last being capacitated by
having liv'd among us, and by learning our Language, to judge of the
Defects and Merits of both Nations, is highly sensible of the Truth of
what I now say, as appears in his Preface to his _Brutus_) even they
have been forced to damp their Fire, and keep their Spirit from soaring
in almost all their Pieces; and all this is owing to the false Notions
of Decency, and a Refinement of Taste among our Neighbours, which is
getting now to such a Height, that so far from being able to bear the
Representation of Tragical Actions, they are hardly able to bear any
Subjects which turn upon the weightier Passions; such as Ambition,
Revenge, Jealousy, &c. The Form of their Government, indeed, is of such
a Nature, that many Subjects cannot be treated as they ought, nor work'd
up to that Height which they are here, and were formerly at _Athens_,
&c. and Love, for that Reason among others is made to be the Basis of
almost all their Tragedies. Nay, the Education of the People under such
a Government, prevents their delighting in such Performances as pleased
an _Athenian_ or a _Roman_, and now delight us _Britons_. Thus every
Thing conduces to debase Tragedy among them, as every Thing here
contributes to form good Tragick Writers; yet how few have we! And what
is very remarkable, each Nation takes Delight in that, which, in the
Main, they the least excel in, and are the least fit for. The Audience
in _England_ is generally more crowded at a Comedy, and in _France_ at a
Tragedy; yet I will venture to affirm, (and I shall be ready upon
Occasion to support my Assertion by good Reasons) that no Comick Writer
has ever equal'd _Moliere_, nor no Tragick Writer ever came up to
_Shakespeare_, _Rowe_, and Mr. _Addison_. Besides the many Reasons I
have already given in Relation to the _French_, I might add, that their
Language is less fit for Tragedy, and the Servitude of their Rhime
enervates the Force of the Diction. And as for Our Comedies, they are so
full of Lewdness, Impiety and Immorality, and of such complicated
perplexed Plots, so stuffed with Comparisons and Similies, so
replenished with Endeavours at Wit and Smartness, that I cannot forbear
saying, that whoever sees or reads them for Improvement (I make some
Exceptions in this Censure) will find a contrary Effect; and whatever
Man of a True Taste expects to see Nature, either in the Sentiments or
Characters, will (in general) find himself very much mistaken.
_FINIS_.
The _Remarks_ was printed anonymously, in 1736, with the following
title page:
Some / Remarks / on the / Tragedy / of /
_Hamlet_ Prince of _Denmark_, / Written by /
Mr. _William Shakespeare_. / [double rule
enclosing a printer's device] / _London_: /
Printed for W. Wilkins, in _Lombard_-/
_Street_. M,DCC,XXXVI. price 1s.
The edition of 1736 was reprinted in London, 1864, for sale by John
Russell Smith, with an identical title page. The reprint bore the
following cover:
Reprints of Scarce Pieces of Shakespeare
Criticism. No. 1. Remarks on Hamlet,
1736.
The usual ascription of the essay heretofore to Sir Thomas Hanmer
derives from the statement by Sir Henry Bunbury, on page 80 of his _The
Correspondence of Sir Thomas Hanmer, Bart_, London, 1838, that he had
"reason to believe that he was the author ..."
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