A Balance in Drama Essay Sample

đź“ŚCategory: Art, Artists
đź“ŚWords: 410
đź“ŚPages: 2
đź“ŚPublished: 04 June 2022

Drama is a form of art that often flies under the radar.  Movies and television have replaced the old-fashioned form of entertainment.  Although they still exist and are still as interesting, theater reviewers are not as prominent as they once were.  Henry James’ review of “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth” is a passionate critique from 1875.  Through repetition and descriptive detail, James hopes to give Londoners a thoughtful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth.”

One way James picks apart “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth” is through the use of repetition.  In the first few sentences of his review, James uses repetition to add style to his language.  He uses three phrases with the same structure: “interesting if not a triumphant attempt” (line 3), “numerous if not overflowing” (4), and “deferential if not enthusiastic” (5).  This obvious repetition makes his tone seem more stylistic and less harsh.  In the world of theater review, it is crucial to balance critique with applause.  Furthermore, his language allows him to pack as much punch as possible.  Repetition is a rhetorical device that James implements in his review to analyze “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth.”

Descriptive detail is one of the tools James uses to formulate his well-written critique of “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth” so that Londoners can have a clear picture of the play.  During his time, many Londoners did not have the means to watch theater.  They learned about them through reviewers such as James.  Acknowledging his role, James attempts to give his readers the best picture he can.  For example, he raves about Mr. Irving’s thoughtfulness when creating his character on stage.  That is normal for a review.  However, James goes on—in one sentence—from line 21 to line 25.  He goes on to compare his depiction of Macbeth to a thief: “so spiritless a plotter before his crime, and so arrant a coward afterward” (28-29).  Another way James explores “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth” is through descriptive detail.  

Theater—or theatre in James’ case—has many moving parts.  The playwrights must be creative enough, the directors must be tedious enough, the actors must be skilled enough, the crew must build well enough, and so on.  A skilled reviewer knows what to look for and how to formulate his language so he does not abase the thespians and their work.  In Henry James’ review of “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth,” he balances the play’s fortés and shortcomings with stylistic language.  Through repetition and descriptive detail, James criticizes–and applauds–the London performance of “Mr Henry Irving’s Macbeth."

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