Shakespeare and Lincoln

[Steve]

I came across this announcement that might interest forum members who live in the Illinois area who have a love of Lincoln and Shakepeare. I live too far away to go to any of these events, but it may be of interest to some of you here:

http://www.pjstar.com/entertainmentlife/...s-writings

[David Lockmiller]

(06-10-2018 05:47 PM)Steve Wrote:  I came across this announcement that might interest forum members who live in the Illinois area who have a love of Lincoln and Shakepeare. I live too far away to go to any of these events, but it may be of interest to some of you here:

http://www.pjstar.com/entertainmentlife/...s-writings

BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS — The Illinois Shakespeare Festival announces a “Shakespeare in the Land of Lincoln” symposium, which will explore the unique fascination that Abraham Lincoln had with William Shakespeare’s writings. The symposium events coincide with the festival’s 2018 season of plays and other activities starting June 30.

I think that it would be a good idea for a well-regarded lecturer and appreciator of President Lincoln to read to an accepting audience first-hand contemporaneous accounts of Lincoln discoursing on the works of Shakespeare. In particular, I would recommend the elevated discussion on Shakespeare that took place at the White House between President Lincoln and a celebrated actor of the time, John McDonough. (Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time, Collected and Edited by Allen Thorndike Rice (1888), Chap. XIV - Representative William D. Kelley, pages 263-270.)

The introduction of this section III of the chapter reads as follows:

"There were persons who knew of Mr. Lincoln but as a story-teller, and believed him to be devoted to intercourse with men who enjoyed hearing and knew how to tell mirth-provoking stories. Of this class was my friend, the late John McDonough, a celebrated actor, who was an intensely partisan Democrat, and had accepted the theory that Mr. Lincoln a mere buffoon, whose official duties were performed by his Cabinet. I may without injustice to the memory of a valued friend make this statement, for after the incident to which I am about to refer he made the utmost atonement for any injustice he might have done Mr. Lincoln."

And, the index to F.B. Carpenter's book "The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln, Six Months at the White House" (1879) contains four references to "Shakespeare" at pages 49, 115, 150, and 162.

The first entry runs from pages 49 to 52 and ends with this paragraph:

"Then, unconsciously assuming the character, Mr. Lincoln repeated, also from memory, Richard's soliloquy, rendering it with a degree of force and power that made it seem like a new creation to me. Though familiar with the passage from boyhood, I can truly say that never till that moment had I fully appreciated its spirit. I could not refrain form laying down my palette and brushes, and applauding heartily, upon his conclusion, saying, at the same time, half in earnest, that I was not sure but that he had made a mistake in the choice of a profession, considerably, as may be imagined, to his amusement. Mr. Sinclair has since repeatedly said to me that he never heard these choice passages of Shakespeare rendered with more effect by the most famous of modern actors."

There must be other highly-regarded books on Lincoln that also contain references to Shakespeare and will serve as sources of additional material on the subject.

[RJNorton]

When I think of Lincoln and Shakespeare, one thought that always comes to mind is a letter the President wrote to Shakespearean actor James Hackett:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To James H. Hackett


Executive Mansion,
My dear Sir: Washington, August 17, 1863.

Months ago I should have acknowledged the receipt of your book, and accompanying kind note; and I now have to beg your pardon for not having done so.

For one of my age, I have seen very little of the drama. The first presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours here, last winter or spring. Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say, as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again. Some of Shakespeare's plays I have never read; while others I have gone over perhaps as frequently as any unprofessional reader. Among the latter are Lear, Richard Third, Henry Eighth, Hamlet, and especially Macbeth. I think nothing equals Macbeth. It is wonderful. Unlike you gentlemen of the profession, I think the soliloquy in Hamlet commencing ``O, my offence is rank'' surpasses that commencing ``To be, or not to be.'' But pardon this small attempt at criticism. I should like to hear you pronounce the opening speech of Richard the Third. Will you not soon visit Washington again? If you do, please call and let me make your personal acquaintance. Yours truly A. LINCOLN.

[David Lockmiller]

(06-11-2018 01:00 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  When I think of Lincoln and Shakespeare, one thought that always comes to mind is a letter the President wrote to Shakespearean actor James Hackett:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To James H. Hackett


Executive Mansion,
My dear Sir: Washington, August 17, 1863.

Months ago I should have acknowledged the receipt of your book, and accompanying kind note; and I now have to beg your pardon for not having done so.

For one of my age, I have seen very little of the drama. The first presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours here, last winter or spring. Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say, as I truly can, I am very anxious to see it again. Some of Shakespeare's plays I have never read; while others I have gone over perhaps as frequently as any unprofessional reader. Among the latter are Lear, Richard Third, Henry Eighth, Hamlet, and especially Macbeth. I think nothing equals Macbeth. It is wonderful. Unlike you gentlemen of the profession, I think the soliloquy in Hamlet commencing ``O, my offence is rank'' surpasses that commencing ``To be, or not to be.'' But pardon this small attempt at criticism. I should like to hear you pronounce the opening speech of Richard the Third. Will you not soon visit Washington again? If you do, please call and let me make your personal acquaintance. Yours truly A. LINCOLN.

Roger,

You may recall Lincoln's implicit criticism of Shakespearean actor James H. Hackett to fellow Shakespearean actor John McDonough in Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time at pages 265-266:

"I am very glad to meet you, Mr. McDonough, and am grateful to Kelley for bringing you in so early, for I want you to tell me something about Shakespeare's plays as they are constructed for the stage. You can imagine that I do not get much time to study such matters, but I recently had a couple of talks with Hackett -- Baron Hackett, as they call him -- who is famous as Jack Falstaff, but from whom I elicited few satisfactory replies, though I probed him with a good many questions. . . . Hackett's lack of information impressed me with a doubt as to whether he had ever studied Shakespeare's text, or had not been content with the acting editions of his plays."

And, Professor Burlingame writes on this topic as follows (Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Vol. Two, page 744):

The indiscreet actor released the Lincoln letter of August 17, 1863 to the New York Herald. The newspaper then ridiculed Lincoln's taste in soliloquies.

Hackett apologized to Lincoln, who then wrote in reply to Hackett on November 2, 1863 (Complete Works of Lincoln, 6:558-559):

"Give yourself no uneasiness on the subject. . . . My note to you I certainly did not expect to see in print; yet I have not been much shocked by the newspaper comments upon it. Those comments constitute a fair specimen of what has occurred to me through life. I have endured a great deal of ridicule without much malice; and have received a great deal of kindness, not quite free from ridicule. I am used to it."

The friendly correspondence between them ended when Hackett asked to be named consul in London, a post that could not be given to him.