Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1601 [1600-1601] (Annals) tragedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.80 · 528 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
It shall do well. But yet do I believe The Origin and Commencement of this grief Sprung from neglected love. How now Ophelia? You need not tell us, what Lord Hamlet said, We heard it all. My Lord, do as you please, But if you hold it fit after the Play, Let his Queen Mother all alone entreat him To show his Griefs: let her be round with him, And I'll be placed so, please you in the ear Of all their Conference. If she find him not, To England send him: Or confine him where Your wisdom best shall think. It shall be so: Madness in great Ones, must not vnwatched go. Speak the Speech I pray you, as I pronounced it to you trippingly on the Tongue: But if you mouth it, as many of your Players do, I had as live the Town-Cryer had spoke my Lines: Nor do not saw the Air too much your hand thus, but use all gently; for in the very Torrent, Tempest, and (as I may say) the Whirlwind of Passion, you must acquire and beget a Temperance that may give it Smoothness. O it offends me to the Soul, to see a robustious Pery-wig-pated Fellow, tear a Passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the Groundlings: who (for the most part) are capable of nothing, but inexplicable dumb shows, & noise: I could have such a Fellow whipped for o're-doing Termagant: it out- Herod's Herod. Pray you avoid it. I warrant your Honor. Be not too tame neither: but let your own Discretion be your Tutor. Suit the Action to the Word, the Word to the Action, with this special observance: That you ore-stop not the modesty of Nature; for any thing so ouer-done, is from the purpose of Playing, whose end both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere the Mirror up to Nature; to show Virtue her own Feature, Scorn her own Image, and the very Age and Body of the Time, his form and pressure. Now, this ouer-done, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; The censure of the which One, must in your allowance o're-way a whole Theatre of Others. Oh, there be Players that I have seen Play, and heard others praise, and that highly (not to speak it profanely) that neither having the accent of Christians, nor the gate of Christian, Pagan, or Norman, have so strutted and bellowed, that I have thought some of Nature's joverney-men had made men, and not made them well, they imitated Humanity so abominably. I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, Sir. O reform it altogether. And let those that play your Clowns, speak no more than is set down for them. For there be of them, that will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren Spectators to laugh too, though in the mean time, some necessary Question of the Play be then to be considered: that's Villainous, & shows a most pitiful Ambition in the Fool that uses it. Go make you ready.
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: T15 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It ſhall do well. But yet do I beleeue The Origin and Commencement of this greefe Sprung from neglected loue. How now Ophelia? You neede not tell vs, what Lord Hamlet ſaide, We heard it all. My Lord, do as you pleaſe, But if you hold it fit after the Play, Let his Queene Mother all alone intreat him To ſhew his Greefes: let her be round with him, And Ile be plac'd ſo, pleaſe you in the eare Of all their Conference. If ſhe finde him not, To England ſend him: Or confine him where Your wiſedome beſt ſhall thinke. It ſhall be ſo: Madneſſe in great Ones, muſt not vnwatch'd go. Speake the Speech I pray you, as I pronounc'd it to you trippingly on the Tongue: But if you mouth it, as many of your Players do, I had as liue the Town-Cryer had ſpoke my Lines: Nor do not ſaw the Ayre too much your hand thus, but vſe all gently; for in the verie Torrent, Tempeſt, and (as I may ſay) the Whirle-winde of Paſſion, you muſt acquire and beget a Temperance that may giue it Smoothneſſe. O it offends mee to the Soule, to ſee a robuſtious Pery-wig-pated Fellow, teare a Paſſion to tatters, to verie ragges, to ſplit the eares of the Groundlings: who (for the moſt part) are capeable of nothing, but inexplicable dumbe ſhewes, & noiſe: I could haue ſuch a Fellow whipt for o're-doing Termagant: it out-Herod's Herod. Pray you auoid it. I warrant your Honor. Be not too tame neyther: but let your owne Diſcretion be your Tutor. Sute the Action to the Word, the Word to the Action, with this ſpeciall obſeruance: That you ore-ſtop not the modeſtie of Nature; for any thing ſo ouer-done, is frō the purpoſe of Playing, whoſe end both at the firſt and now, was and is, to hold as 'twer the Mirrour vp to Nature; to ſhew Vertue her owne Feature, Scorne her owne Image, and the verie Age and Bodie of the Time, his forme and preſſure. Now, this ouer-done, or come tardie off, though it make the vnskilfull laugh, cannot but make the Iudicious greeue; The cenſure of the which One, muſt in your allowance o're-way a whole Theater of Others. Oh, there bee Players that I haue ſeene Play, and heard others praiſe, and that highly (not to ſpeake it prophanely) that neyther hauing the accent of Chriſtians, nor the gate of Chriſtian, Pagan, or Norman, haue ſo ſtrutted and bellowed, that I haue thought ſome of Natures Iouerney-men had made men, and not made them well, they imitated Humanity ſo abhominably. I hope we haue reform'd that indifferently with vs, Sir. O reforme it altogether. And let thoſe that play your Clownes, ſpeake no more then is ſet downe for them. For there be of them, that will themſelues laugh, to ſet on ſome quantitie of barren Spectators to laugh too, though in the meane time, ſome neceſſary Queſtion of the Play be then to be conſidered: that's Villanous, & ſhewes a moſt pittifull Ambition in the Foole that vſes it. Go make you readie.