HAMLET
A mirror of emotions. The mouthpiece of protesting souls. A creature of sensitiveness absolute. His face must express almost the entire range of the passions. Very pale, studious, of great mental strength and refinement.
Groundwork 2-1/2, a little yellow and a very small quantity of brown.
Flesh colour that should vaguely suggest ivory. A little white rubbed on to the most prominent parts of the forehead adds intellectuality to the head.
The shadows which should be of the groundwork deepened with brown are so arranged that they intensify the sensitiveness of the face. They are used under the brows to give soulfulness to the eyes and to make the forehead seem more prominent. A line is drawn round the upper part of the nostrils to give delicacy to the drawing of the nose. The darkening of the division of the upper lip and of the cleft chin makes the face seem thinner. The shadows on the temples and on the cheeks also help this illusion.
Cream-coloured powder is applied to the face and neck.
The eyebrows are carefully drawn with brown in a wide clear arch and are afterward lightly combed.
The eyelashes are strengthened by drawing a black line along the edges and this line is carried a little way out at the outer corner of the eyes. A tiny spot of carmine at the inner corner by the tear-bag lends lustre to the eye.
The lips nobly drawn in carmine give passion to the mouth.
The hair is of crisp clean curls which suggests vigour and alertness.
Hamlet when impersonated by fair men has usually been played in a fair make-up, and this example is worth following. The subtle natural peculiarities of a fair face make a dark make-up unsuitable to it and vice versâ.
For a fair make-up the same advice should be followed, leaving all the brown and nearly all the yellow out of the groundwork, and finishing with rouge. The make-up should be much brighter and the wig of flaxen.
HAMLET
The time is out of joint; O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!
HAMLET (Second Print)
Polonius. * * *. What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet. Words, words, words!
Polonius. What is the matter, my lord?
Hamlet. Between who?
Polonius. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
Hamlet. Slanders sir; for the satirical rogue says here that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams: all of which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, sir, shall be as old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward.