Patty. (Rushing in as there is the sound of swift hoof beats.) She’s gone! (She falls sobbing hysterically by the left side of door.)
Bill. (As he holds himself up at right.) The damned brave lady!
Curtain.
First of all, the novelist permits himself an amount of detail which the dramatist must forego because of his more limited space. Interesting details which do not forward the purpose of the scene or act the wise dramatist denies himself—note in Ibsen’s revision of certain lines in A Doll’s House (p. 350) the cutting, between the first and final versions, of what concerns Dr. Rank. It was in part unnecessary detail which made the dialogue of the play on John Brown (pp. 309-313) so ineffective. In what follows immediately, a skilful hand seems in column one to have cut details of column two which, though interesting in themselves, delay the essential movement of the scene and help to swell the whole play to undue proportions.
| Horatio. Mary that can I, at least the whisper goes so, Our late King, who as you know was by Forten Brasse of Norway. Thereto prickt on by a most emulous cause, dared to The combate, in which our valiant Hamlet, For so this side of our knowne world esteemed him, Did slay this Fortenbrasse, Who by a scale compact well ratified, by law And heraldrie, did forfeit with his life all those His lands which he stoode seazed of by the conqueror, Against the which a moity competent, Was gaged by our King: Now sir, young Fortenbrasse, Of inapproved mettle hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there, Sharkt up a sight of lawlesse Resolutes For food and diet to some enterprise, That hath a stomacke in't: and this (I take it) is the Chief head and ground of our watch. | Horatio. That can I. At least the whisper goes so; our last King, Who[se image even but now appear'd to us,] Was as you knowe by Fortinbrasse of Norway, Thereto prickt on by a most emulate pride Dar'd to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet, (For so this side of our knowne world esteemd him) Did slay this Fortinbrasse, who by a seald compact Well ratified by lawe and heraldy Did forfait (with his life) all these his lands Which he stood seaz'd of, to the conquerour. Against the which a moitie competent Was gaged by our King, [which had returne To the inheritance of Fortinbrasse, Had he bin vanquisher; as by the same comart, And carriage of the article desseigne, His fell to Hamlet;] now Sir young Fortinbrasse Of unimprooved mettle, hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway heere and there Sharkt up a list of lawelesse resolutes For foode and diet to some enterprise That hath a stomacke in't [which is no other As it doth well appeare unto our state But to recover of us by strong hand And tearmes compulsatory, those foresaid lands So by his father lost;] and this I take it Is [the maine motive of our preparations The source of this our watch, and] the chiefe head Of this post hast and Romadge in the land. [Bar. I thinke it be no other, but enso; Well may it sort that this portentous figure Comes armed through our watch so like the King That was and is the question of these warres. Hora. A moth it is to trouble the mindes eye: In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell The graves stood tenantlesse, and the sheeted dead Did squeake and gibber in the Roman streets As starres, with traines of fier, and dewes of blood Disasters in the sunne; and the moist starre, Upon whose influence Neptunes Empier stands, Was sicke almost to doomesday with eclipse. And even the like precurse of feare events As harbindgers preceading still the fates And prologue to the Omen comming on Have heaven and earth together demonstrated Unto our Climatures and countrymen.] |
| Enter the Ghost. | Enter Ghost. |
| But loe, bemold, see where it comes againe. Ile crosse it, though it blast me: stay illusion, If there be any good thing to be done, That may doe ease to thee, and grace to mee, Speake to mee. | But softe, behold, loe where it comes againe It spreads his arms Ile crosse it though it blast mee: stay illusion, [If thou hast any sound or use of voyce Speake to me,] if there be any good thing to be done That may to thee doe ease, and grace to mee, Speake to me.[27] |
Unnecessary detail should, then, be cut from dialogue both because it is usually the chief offender in making the play unduly long, and because it weakens the dialogue of which it is a part. In argument it is a time-honored principle that it is far better not to pile up all the evidence you can on a given point, but by selecting your best argument, or two or three of the better type, to strike hard with the selected material. The same principle underlies writing good dramatic dialogue. Say what you have to say as well as you can, and except for emphasis or when repetition produces some desired effect, don’t repeat. In the speech quoted below it became clear in rehearsal that the bracketed part was not necessary because what preceded showed sufficiently the affection Miss Helen had roused in the faithful old servant, Alec. However characterizing or amusing the remainder might be, it clogged the movement of the scene. Consequently it went out.
Dick. Hello—what’s this Alec?
Alec. A grand pianner, sir.
Dick. Of course, but where did it come from?
Alec. Miss Helen, she gave it to ’em at Christmas.