Or _memorize another Golgotha_,
I cannot tell.—_ii_, 39-41.
* * * * *
Till that _Bellona's bridegroom, lapp'd in proof,
Confronted him with self-comparisons,
Point against point rebellious_, arm 'gainst arm,
Curbing his lavish spirit.—_ii_, 54-57.
* * * * *
He shall live a man _forbid_.—_iii_, 21.
* * * * *
The weird sisters, hand in hand,
_Posters_ of the sea and land.—_iii_, 32, 33.
* * * * *
Art not without ambition, but without
_The illness should attend it_.—_v_, 20-21.
* * * * *
All that impedes thee from the _golden round_
That fate and _metaphysical aid_ doth seem
To have thee crowned withal.—_v_, 30-31.
* * * * *
To _beguile_ the time
Look like the time.—_vi_, 63.
* * * * *
—Those honors deep and broad wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: for those of old
And the late dignities heap'd up to them
We rest your _hermits_.—_vi_, 16-20.
* * * * *
This Duncan
Hath borne his _faculties_ so meek.—_vii_, 16-17.
* * * * *
What cannot you and I perform upon
The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His _spongy_ officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great _quell_.—_vii_, 69-72.
This list again may be made longer or shorter, with the same proviso
as before, that it be not unnecessarily distended. Phrases like
"craves composition" and "insane root," which I have put into the
first section, may be grouped here if it seems better. I have not felt
it needful to indicate the way in which the meaning of these obscure
passages is to be brought out, for the method would be essentially the
same as that taken to interest the class in the vocabulary of detached
words.
III
Passages possibly obscure from the thought may for the most part be
left for the later study of the play in detail. A few of them it is
well to take up for the simple purpose of training the student in
poetic language, and some need to be understood for the sake of the
first general effect. In the first act of "Macbeth" the passages which
it is actually necessary to examine are few, but the list may be made
long or short at the pleasure of the teacher. The following may serve
as examples:
The merciless Macdonwald—
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villainies of nature
Do swarm upon him.—_ii_, 9-12.
* * * * *
As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come
Discomfort swells.—_ii_, 25-28.
* * * * *
But thither in a sieve I'll sail,
And like a rat without a tail,
I'll do, I'll do and I'll do.—_iii_, 8-10.
This passage is a good example of what may be passed over in the first
reading, yet which if understood adds greatly to the force of the
effect. If the scholar knows that according to the old superstition a
witch could take the form of an animal but could be identified by the
fact that the tail was wanting, the idea of the hag's flying through
the air on the wind to the tempest-tossed vessel bound for Aleppo,
and on it taking the form of a tailless rat to gnaw, and gnaw, and
gnaw till the ship springs a leak, is sure to appeal to the youthful
imagination.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is
But what is not.—_iii_, 139-142.
This is one of those passages which is sure to puzzle the ordinary
school-boy, although a little help will enable him to understand it,
and to see how natural under the circumstances is the state of mind
which it paints. The murder is as yet only imagined (fantastical),
and yet the thought of it so shakes Macbeth's individual (single)
consciousness (state of man) that the ordinary functions of the mind
are lost in confused surmises of what may come as the consequences of
the deed; until to his excited fancy nothing seems real (is) but what
the dreadful surmise paints, although that does not yet exist.
Your servants ever
Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt
To make their audit to your highness' pleasure,
Still to return your own.—_vi_, 25-28.
* * * * *
His two chamberlains
Will I with wine and wassail so convince,
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbec only.—_vii_, 63-67.
The whole of Macbeth's soliloquy at the beginning of scene _vii_ is a
case in point. It may be taken up here, but to my thinking is better
treated after the class is familiar with the circumstances under which
it is spoken.
IV
The taking up of especially striking passages beforehand may be omitted
altogether, although what I consider the possible advantages I have
already indicated.[175:1] Perhaps the better plan is to do this after
the first reading of the play, and before the second reading prepares
the way for detailed study. The sort of passage I have in mind is
indicated by the following examples:
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not.—_iii_, 58-59.
The attention of the pupils may be called to the especial force and
fitness of the image. The impossibility of telling from the appearance
of a seed whether it will grow or what will spring from it makes very
striking this comparison of events to them, so unable are we to say
which of these "seeds of time" will produce important results and which
will show no more growth than a seed unsprouting.
_Dun._ This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.
_Ban._ This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve
By his loved mansionry that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here.—_vi_, 1-7.
This is not only charming as poetry, but it is excellent as a help to
train the class to appreciative reading by attention to significant
details. "Nimbly,"—with a light, quick motion,—the air "recommends
itself,"—comes upon us in a way which makes us appreciate its
goodness,—unto our "gentle,"—delicate, capable of perceiving subtle
qualities,—senses. In the reply of Banquo the use of "guest," one
favored and invited, of "temple-haunting," conveying the idea of one
frequenting places consecrated and revered, of "loved mansionry,"
dwellings which the eye loves to recognize, all help to strengthen the
impression, and to give the feeling to the mind which we might have
from watching the flight of the slim, glossy swallows flitting about
their nests.
It is not necessary to multiply examples, since each teacher will
have his personal preferences for striking passages; and since many
will probably prefer to leave this whole matter to be taken up in the
reading.
V
The first reading of a play, whether it come before or after the
mastering of the vocabulary, should be unbroken except by the pauses
necessary between consecutive recitations, and must above everything be
clear and intelligible. In all but the most exceptional circumstances
it should be done by the teacher, the class following the text in
books of their own. No teacher who cannot read well has any business
to attempt to teach literature at all, for reading aloud is the most
effective of all means to be used in the study. This does not mean that
the reading should be over-dramatic, and still less that it should be
what is popularly known as "elocutionary;" but it does mean that it
shall be agreeable, intelligent, and sympathetic. The teacher must
both understand and feel the work, and must be trained to convey both
comprehension and emotion through the voice. The pupils will from a
first reading get chiefly the plot, but they may also be unconsciously
prepared for the more important knowledge of character which is
naturally the next step in the process of studying the drama.
As preparation for the first reading of "Macbeth" little is needed in
the way of general explanation. The discussion of the supernatural
element, of the responsibility of the characters, and of the central
thought of the play, may safely be left for later study. Young people
will respond to the direct story, and it is not unwise to let the
plot produce its full effect as simple narrative. It is well to state
beforehand how it comes that the kingship does not necessarily go by
immediate descent, and so to make it evident how Macbeth secured the
throne; it may be well also to comment briefly on the state of society
in which crime was more possible than now; but beyond this the play may
be left to tell its own tale.
In this first reading the teacher will do well to indicate such points
of stage-setting as are not evident, and such stage "business" as is
necessary to the understanding of the scene. It is as well, however,
not to give too much stress to this. To follow the play of emotions
is with children instinctive, and this they will do without dwelling
on the details of the scene too closely in a material sense. At least
a very little aid will be sufficient at this stage. In a subsequent
reading these matters may be more fully brought out, although I am
convinced that even then it is easy to overdo the insisting upon aids
to visualization.
What may be done and should not be omitted is the interspersion in
passing of comments so brief that they do not interrupt, yet which
throw light upon meanings which might otherwise be likely to pass
unnoticed. Nothing should be touched upon in this way which is so
complicated as to require more than a word or two to make it plain.
What I mean is illustrated by these examples:
I come Graymalkin.
Paddock calls.—_i_, 9, 10.
The voice in reading conveys the idea that the witches speak to
familiar spirits in the air, but it is well to state that fact
explicitly.
What, can the devil speak true?—_iii_, 107.
Banquo thinks instantly of the word of the witches,
Glamis, and thane of Cawdor, etc.—_iii_, 111-119.
In these lines and in 126-147, it is of so much importance that the
distinction between the asides and the direct speech be appreciated
that it may be well to call attention to the changes.
Cousins, a word, I pray you.—_iii_, 126.
Banquo draws the others aside, probably to tell them of the prediction
by the witches of the news they have brought, and this gives Macbeth a
moment by himself to think of the strangeness of it.
Think upon what hath chanced.—_iii_, 153.
This is said, of course, to Banquo.
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest son, Malcolm.—_iv_, 37.
Here the conditions of succession already spoken of may be alluded
to, and the fact noted that if Macbeth had entertained any hopes of
succeeding Duncan legitimately, these were now dispelled.
And when goes hence?—_v_, 60.
The sinister suggestion of this may well be emphasized by calling
attention to it.
By your leave, hostess.—_vi_, 31.
With these words Duncan, who has taken the hand of Lady Macbeth, turns
to lead her in.
VI
Once the play has been read as a whole the way has been prepared for
more careful attention to details. For each recitation the parts should
be assigned beforehand for oral reading, three or four pupils being
assigned to each part so that in a long scene opportunity is given for
bringing a number of the students to their feet.[180:1] It is well
to prepare for this second reading by selecting the central motive of
the play, and having the class discuss it. In the case of "Macbeth" it
is easy to select ambition as the main thread. In some plays a single
passion or emotion is not so easily detached, but it is generally
needful to remember that if children are to be impressed and are to
see things clearly, they must be dealt with simply; so that even at
the expense of slighting for the time being some of the strands it is
well to keep to the principle of naming one and holding to it with
straightforwardness until the work is tolerably familiar.
The children should be made to say—not to write, for contagion of
ideas is of the greatest importance here—what they understand by
ambition, how far they have noticed it in others, and perhaps how far
felt it themselves. A wise teacher should have little difficulty in
making such a talk personal enough to enforce the idea without letting
it become too intimate. It can be brought out that the test of ambition
is the extent of the sacrifices one is willing to make to gratify
it. The ambition already spoken of to excel in class, to be at the
head of the school baseball nine or football team, to be popular with
friends, and so on for the common ambitions of life may seem trifling,
but it belongs to the language of the child's life. Here and there
the teacher finds pupils who might seize the conception of ambition
without starting so near the rudiments, but most need it; I am unable
to see how any can be hurt by it. It is much more difficult to get a
conception vividly into the minds of twenty pupils together than it is
to impress the same thing upon a hundred separately, and I should never
feel that I could afford to neglect the humblest means which might be
serviceable. The talk, moreover, does not stop here. It is to be led on
to what the boys and girls would wish to be in the world; and from this
to historic instances of what men have done to gratify their ambitions.
The assassination of the late King of Servia is still so recent as
to seem much more real than murders farther back in history, and it
lends itself well to the effort to make vital the tragedy that is
being studied. I am not for an instant urging that literature shall be
treated in too realistic a manner, as I hope to show before I conclude;
but I do not feel that there is any fear of making it too real to the
boys and girls with whom one must deal to-day in our schools.
It is perhaps well, too, that some comment should be made at this stage
on the supernatural element. A class is likely to have had geometry by
the time it has come to the study of Shakespeare, and most children can
with very little difficulty be made to understand that in "Macbeth"
and "The Ancient Mariner" the existence of the supernatural is the
hypothesis upon which the work proceeds. When this is understood it is
not amiss to develop the idea that Shakespeare perhaps introduced the
witches as a way of showing how evil thoughts and desires spring up in
the heart. The class will easily see that the ideas of ambition, of
the possibility of gaining the crown, which little by little grew in
the heart of Macbeth can be better shown to an audience by putting the
words into the mouths of the witches than by means of soliloquies. This
giving of reasons why the dramatist does one thing or another should
not be pressed too far and should be touched upon with caution. It is
often better to let a detail go unremarked than to run the risk of
confusing the mind of the pupil. The witches, however, are almost sure
to be remarked upon, and they must be considered frankly.
In this second reading such obscure passages as have been glided over
before are to be taken into consideration. If the pupils have, as
they should have, texts unencumbered with notes, they may be given a
scene or two at a time, and told to use their wits in elucidating the
difficulties. Often they show surprising intelligence in this line,
and the bestowal of praise where it is deserved is one of the most
effective as well as one of the pleasantest parts of the whole process.
What they cannot elucidate alone, they may be if possible helped to
work out in class, or, if this fails, may be told outright. If they
have tried to arrive at the true meaning, they are in a condition when
an explanation will have its best and fullest effect.
Passages in the first act of "Macbeth" which I have thus far passed
over deliberately, to the end that the pupil be not bothered over too
many difficulties at once, are such as these:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair,—_i_, 11.
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky
And fan our people cold.—_ii_, 49, 50.
Nor would we deign him burial of his men
Till he disbursed, at Saint Colme's inch.—_ii_, 59, 60.
Ten thousand dollars.—_ii_, 62.
If, as is likely to be the case, the greater part or all of the class
have passed the word "dollars" without notice, that fact serves to
illustrate the need of care in reading. That they should pass it,
moreover, illustrates also how the anachronism might pass unnoticed
in Shakespeare's time, when historical accuracy was the last thing
about which a playwright bothered his head. The teacher may well here
refer back to the idea of considering literature as the algebra of the
emotions, and remind the class that as the poet was not endeavoring
to write history or to tell what happened in a concrete instance, but
only to represent the abstract principle of such a situation as that in
which Macbeth and his wife were involved, a departure from historical
accuracy is of no importance so long as it does not disturb the effect
on the mind of the audience or reader.
No more that thane of Cawdor shall receive
Our bosom interest.—_ii_, 63, 64.
I'll give thee a wind.—_iii_, 11.
The supposed power of the witches to control the winds and the
superstitions of the sailors about buying favorable weather from them
may be taken up in the first reading; but it seems better to leave it
for the time when the effect of the play as a whole has been secured,
and the interruption will be less objectionable.
His wonders and his praises do contend
Which should be thine or his: silenced with that.—_iii_, 63.
That, trusted home.—_iii_, 120.
Poor and single business.—_vi_, 16.
Like the poor cat i' the adage.—_vii_, 45.
It is not necessary to continue this list. Its length is decided by the
one fixed principle to which is no exception: it is too long the moment
the teacher fails to hold the interest of the class in the work which
is being done. No amount of information acquired or skill in passing
examinations can compensate for the harm done by associating the plays
of Shakespeare in the minds of the student with the idea of dulness or
boredom.
Textual explanation, however, is of small importance as compared to an
intelligent grasp of the office and effect of each incident and each
scene in the development of the story and of the characters of the
actors in the tragedy. At the end of each scene, or for that matter
at any point which seems well to the instructor, the students should
in this second reading be called upon to comment orally on what has
been done in the play and what has been shown. I have much more faith
in the genuineness of what a boy says on his feet in the class room
than in what he may write at home. A teacher with the gentlest hint may
at once stop humbug and conventionality when it is spoken, but when
stock phrases, conventional opinions, views imperfectly remembered or
consciously borrowed from somebody's notes have been neatly copied out
in a theme, no amount of red ink corrects the evil that has been done.
The important thing is to get an appreciation, no matter how limited or
imperfect it may be, which is yet genuine and intelligent.
With the matter of disputed readings, I may say in parenthesis, the
teacher in the secondary school has no more to do than to answer doubts
which may arise in the minds of the pupils. Personally I should offer
to the consideration of the class the conjectural reading of the line
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself.—_vii_, 27.
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps its selle (saddle);
because it seems to me so plausible and because it is likely to commend
itself. For the most part, however, I should let sleeping dogs lie, and
if nobody noticed the possible confusion of the text, I would not risk
confusion of mind by calling attention to it.
The personal opinions of the class upon the actions and the acts of
the characters are not difficult to get at in this way, and often will
be the more fully shaped and more clearly thought out if the pupil is
constrained to defend an unpopular view. I am not introducing anything
new, for this sort of discussion is carried on by every intelligent
teacher; it is mentioned here only for the sake of completeness in the
process of treating a play in the class-room.
VII
It may seem superfluous to some teachers to end the study as it began,
by a complete, uninterrupted reading of the whole. It is possible that
sometimes it would weary a class already weary of going over the same
ground; but if so the class has been on the wrong tack throughout. I
make the suggestion, however, in confidence that the effect will be
good, and that the students will enjoy this review. Whether the reading
is done by teacher or pupils depends somewhat upon circumstances; but
it should certainly be by the pupils if possible.
VIII
I have carefully and intentionally omitted all mention of the study of
the sources of the plot, the probable date of the play, and things of
that sort which interest thorough Shakespearean scholars, and which
are the chosen subjects of pedantic formalists. Metrical effects and
subtilties are beyond any pupils I have ever encountered in secondary
schools. I do not believe that students in the secondary schools should
be troubled with any study of this sort. The teacher should of course
be prepared briefly to answer any questions of this nature which are
put, and to show the pupils where in books of reference information
may be found. The great principle is, however, to include in the study
nothing which does not enhance the impression of the play as a work of
imaginative literature, and to omit everything which can possibly be
spared without endangering this general effect.
The danger of overshadowing literary study with irrelevant information
is great and constant. The amount of special knowledge which a child
must acquire to appreciate a play of Shakespeare's is unhappily large
in any case; and the constant aim of the teacher should be to reduce
this to a minimum. It is far better that a pupil go through the work
with imaginative delight and fail to get the exact meaning of half
the obscure passages than that he be bored and wearied by an exact
explanation of all of them at the expense of the inspiration of the
work as a whole. My painful doubts of the wisdom of our present scheme
of insisting upon the study of literature in the common schools arises
largely from the unhappy necessity of having so much explained and
the too common lack of courage to do a sufficient amount of judicious
ignoring of difficulties.
IX
I cannot shirk entirely, as I should be glad to do, the question of
written work on the play we have been considering.[188:1] It is a
thousand pities that children must be required to write anything about
"Macbeth" when they have read it; but it is evident that under existing
conditions they will be required to produce something on paper. In
regard to this I must repeat that they should never be asked to write
as exercises in composition. Everything that a child writes is, in
one sense, a rhetorical exercise, but the teacher should impress it
upon the class that here the chief aim is to get an expression of the
child's thought. The more completely the children can be made to feel
that this is not a "composition," but a statement of impressions, of
personal tastes, and of opinions, the better.
What subjects are suited for written work is a matter which must be
decided by each teacher according to the dispositions, the knowledge,
the aptitude shown by the scholars in a particular class. It will
inevitably be influenced largely by examination-papers; and in the
face of the lists of subjects provided by these it is idle to offer
any particular suggestions. In general the test of a subject, so far
as real benefit is concerned, is whether it is one upon which the
student may fairly be expected to be able to feel and to reason in
terms of his own experience. A subject is suited to his needs so long,
and so long only, as he is able to consider it as a matter which might
concern him personally. He may think crudely and he must of course
think inadequately; but he should at least think sincerely and without
regard to what somebody else has thought before him. He should be
original in the sense that he is putting down his own impressions, is
writing thoughts which have not been gathered from books, but have been
come at by considering the play in the light of whatever knowledge he
personally has of life and human nature.