HAMLET IN GERMANY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20290, 24 December 1927, Page 11

HAMLET IN GERMANY

ALTERATIONS BY POET. NEW VERSION CRITICISED. LONDON, December 13. The attempt of Germany’s most famous playwright and poet, Hauptmann. to reconstruct “Hamlet” is indignantly criticised by the German oress, which declares for “ Hands off Shakespeare.” , One critic (says the Berlin correspoii dent of the Dmlv Mail) caustically describes as “ made in Germany ’ Hauptmann’s version, which has been produced at Dresden. No great man of letters has ever had such a drubbing. Hauptmann, contending that the fourth act of the play contains only the muti lated remains of what Shakespeare wrote, puts Hamlet, not Laertes, at the head of the rebellion against Claudius, and backs un his theory by writing six new scenes even audaciously moves Hamlet s solioquy, “To be, or i.ot to be, fro.o the third to the fifth act. Herr Kohn, the clever critics of the paper Der Tag. asks, “ Shakespeare or Hauptmann, that is the question?” And he wittingly adds, “ has given the answer. “ Shakespeare.