THE READER'S SHAKESPEARE: HIS DRAMATIC WORKS CONDENSED, CONNECTED, AND EMPHASIZED FOR SCHOOL, COLLEGE, PARLOUR, AND PLATFORM. IN THREE VOLUMES. BY DAVID CHARLES BELL, AUTHOR OF "THE THEORY OF ELOCUTION,' &C., &C. VOL. II. TRAGEDIES, AND ONE ROMANTIC PLAY- "THE TEMPEST." NEW YORK: FUNK AND WAGNALLS COMPANY, 1896. 22.33 777054 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1896, by DAVID CHARLES BELL, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. J PREFACE. This Second Volume of "The Reader's Shakespeare " contains all the Tragedies, with the addition of one Romantic Play, “The Tempest ”—which is here inserted to equalize the size of the volumes. As in the Historical Plays, the Tragedies are condensed by the omission of all unnecessary or objectionable scenes and words-retaining, however, (as much as possible,) all the poetry of expression, with the interest or humour of situation and action. The Original Readings-marked in the notes O. R.-(the text of the First Folio being generally given, although that of the earlier quartos has been sometimes preferred,) have been carefully followed: obsolete and difficult words and allusions are briefly explained, and the punctuation is regulated. The Editor's aim has been, not to restore or patch up a corrupted version, by any conjectural emendations; but to give to every retained passage a definite meaning-at once intelligible to the Reader, and appreciable by the Auditor. The Connecting Narratives have been drawn up, as well as the Explanatory Notes, with determinate brevity. The Emphatic and Principal Words are denoted by an "unobtrusive" diacritic mark placed 'before the word, (although the stress is chiefly manifested on the ac'cented syllable.)—One additional mark has been retained [...] to note an expressive or emotional pause. Several Correspondents have inquired, On what principle is the "little diacritic " introduced? A reply, extracted from "The Standard Elocutionist "a (p. 11) is here given : 66 'Every sentence, or association of words or clauses making up a proposition, has a principal idea, the word chiefly expressive of which should be distinguished from the subordinate and accessory words. In phrases or sentences, all words that express ideas new to the context are distinguished by accent; and all words that have been previously stated or implied are unaccented. In Reading at Sight, all meanings, (words, or phrases,) that may reasonably have been anticipated that are repeated-that are subordinate-that are a logical sequence, -or that, in any way, may be concluded or inferred, or that appeal to the auditors' foreknowledge,-should be read without any force of emphatic stress. a"The Standard Elocutionist, pp. 600-the 179th thousand-by David Charles Bell and Alexander Melville Bell: London, Hodder and Stoughton: New York, Funk and Wagnalls Co. 8 Any word used in contrast to a preceding term is rendered promi nent by superior accent; and any word used in contrast to an anti thesis that is not formally expressed, is pronounced with a stronge degree of emphasis to suggest the contrasted idea.” The Third Volume will contain Condensations of all the Comedies The Editor is desirous to make a record here—that, in his first at tempts to condense and arrange the Plays of Shakespeare for Public Reading, (more than fifty years ago,) he had the co-operation of his father, Professor Alexander Bell, a profound Shakespearean scholar : and that, more lately, he has been indebted to his brother, Professor Alexander Melville Bell, for many important suggestions. 1517 THIRTY-FIFTH STREET, 3 WEST WASHINGTON, D. C., July, 1896. Professor Alexander Bell, author of many valuable works on Elocution and Impediments of Speech, died in London, 1865, aged 76. b The Inventor of "Visible Speech," and Author of many popular professional works. |