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Show THE COMPOSITION OF BALLETS. 247 deron, too, notwithstanding his defects, is another instance of dramatic motion. 13. Faust, a drama by the celebrated Goethe; Manfred, by Lord Byron ; Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, by Mr. Shelly, are works of the terrific class. " Simile mostro visto ancor non fue." DANTE. 14. The celebrated Pagano has also written a treatise on the beautiful; it contains observations that may prove very useful to performers. 15. Apelles being desired to paint the portrait of King Antigonus, who had but one eye, in order to conceal this defect, painted that king in profile. 16. " The multitude of actors employed by some tragic poets, frequently, for want of invention, become very embarrassing as the catastrophe approaches, when it is necessary to get rid of them by some means or other. The author, therefore, finds himself obliged to seize the first opportunity of despatching them by sword or poison." What this writer has said with respect to the number of characters is perfectly true ; but it may be added, that it is not necessary the poet should kill a troop of characters at the dinoument of his piece. Tragedy, as w e have aleady remarked, may still be tragedy, and produce effect, without sanguinary scenes; this m a y be proved by examples: the dagger and the poisoned bowl are not the only objects necessary to excite terror and pity. 17- Philip and Virginius are two characters from Alfieri's tragedies. The following characters from Corneille, Racine, and Voltaire are models for the deep study of performers ;-Curiace, Auguste, Don Carlos, Le Cid, Sertorius, Nicomede, Chimene; Acomat, Niron, Mithridate, Achille, Agamemnon, Narcisse, Phedre, Hermione, Berenice, Athalie, Roxane, Clitemnestre, An-dromaque; QSdipe, Brutus, L'Orphelin, Tancride, Mahomet, Orosmane, Gengis Khan, Me'rope, Alzire, Simiramis, Adelaide. For characters of comedy, Moliere alone will supply a sufficient quantity. 18. " If a soliloquy has neither object, interest, nor consequence, it must necessarily become puerile; for children, idiots, and drunkards are accustomed to soliloquize in this manner. " The monologue appears absurd if employed to give ahistorical recital which is neither expected to arise from the situation of the person w h o delivers it, nor from the general progress of the action; this is, in effect, not a monologue 16* |
