File:The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson (1890) (14781471172).jpg

Identifier: autobiographyofj00injeff (find matches)
Title: The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905
Subjects: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905 Actors
Publisher: New York : Century Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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^ In the play of Romeo and Juliet it is supposed that Mercntiowas killed early in the drama lest his brilliancyshould dim the luster of the lovers. There areundoubtedly other splendid characters in thetragedies of Shakspere, but when brought in con-trast with the magnitude of his heroes they arecomparatively subordinate. In his comedies thecharacters are formed in groups, and are generallyso arranged that they may be in some measure of
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TYRONE POWER A3 CORPORAL OCONOR. OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 221 equal value. I^a/s^a^ would seem to be an excep-tion, yet even here the historical drama of HenryIV., in which the fat knight figures so conspicu-ously, is a play, not a comedy. Under these con-ditions the comedians of the olden time, thoughgreat favorites with the public, and in many in-stances superb actors, as individual attractionsnever drew large audiences. Possibly Sam Foote,who acted during Garricks time, and later theelder Mathews, were notable exceptions; but eventhese actors, the legitimate comedians, were forcedto abandon the old comedies and arrange specialentertainments of their own, in which they gaveimitations of popular and easily recognized publiccharacters. The first to command universal attention as asingle magnet was Tyrone Power. Possibly hewas no greater than the comedians that precededhim, but Irish comedy up to the time of his adventhad been confined to characters that were less im-portant. Fortunately fo

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