STUDY AND DISCUSSION SOCIETY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16773, 4 July 1925, Page 12

STUDY AND DISCUSSION SOCIETY

All interesting lecture was given in Liberty Hull on Thursday evening by Mr Ball, his subject being “Sluilcespbare.” Mr Mount presided. The speaker introduced the lecture by referring to the Elizabethan Age as illi age of great literary men—Shakespeare, Spenser, Bacon, Marlowe, etc., | and he pointed out that in the world to-day there are great men working for reforms, and there are also wonderful inventions, the work of great minds. It is an interesting fact, lie said, that we ertn see, by reading Shakespeare’s plays, how the minds of men operated in practically the same way as they do to-day. The lecturer 'illustrated this by quoting “Hbnfy V’s. address before Hnifleur”— a speech which could almost be made to any army at the present time. In this speech, peace andl war are contrasted and we Can see t-lie honor and glory of tho latter luring men on then as they do now. The speaker also illustrated, by a quotation from “Hamlet,” how tho fickle natufe of the general multitudo is influenced by the manlier of a. speaker, aiid the more exaggerated the manner, the more 1 they are swayed. A reference was also made to the “melancholy Jaques’’ in “As You Like It,” who, in his moralising, came to the conclusion that the man who has lost his all, soon loses the support of his fellows, a sentiment which, according to cynics, holds good at tho present day. The lecturer then quoted passages from “Macbeth” and “Hamlet,” to show that while Hamlet feared punishment in the riexf. world, Macbeth feared it in this. Shakespeare’s '• knowledge of music, botany, science and law, was next discussed, and the speaker dwelt on the point that Shakespeare white mainly of courts, but had little to say concerning the middle classes, and' the Puritan character. A vet'y interesting discussion followed, tiio points dealt with being the Shakes-pcare-Bacon controversy, Shakepeare’s occultism, and his extensive knowledge of so great a variety of subjects. On the motion of Mr Mbuat, a hearty vote 6f thanks was accorded the speaker.