In the last scene of RICHARD II his despair lends him courage: he
beats the keeper, slays two of his assassins, and dies with
imprecations in his mouth against Sir Pierce Exton, who 'had
staggered his royal person'. Henry, when he is seized by the deer-
stealers, only reads them a moral lecture on the duty of allegiance
and the sanctity of an oath; and when stabbed by Gloucester in the
Tower, reproaches him with his crimes, but pardons him his own
death.
RICHARD III
RICHARD III may be considered as properly a stageplay: it belongs to
the theatre, rather than to the closet. We shall therefore criticize
it chiefly with a reference to the manner in which we have seen it
performed. It is the character in which Garrick came out: it was the
second character in which Mr. Kean appeared, and in which he
acquired his fame. Shakespeare we have always with us: actors we
have only for a few seasons; and therefore some account of them may
be acceptable, if not to our cotemporaries, to those who come after
us, if 'that rich and idle personage, Posterity', should deign to
look into our writings.
It is possible to form a higher conception of the character of
Richard than that given by Mr. Kean: but we cannot imagine any
character represented with greater distinctness and precision, more
perfectly ARTICULATED in every part.
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