Central High School - EN EM Yearbook (North Manchester, IN)

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•• AS YOU LI KB IT. women who throb with human impulses and true life. None of his women are so perfect that they have no weaknesses; and not even lady Macbeth is without some redeeming' virtue. Just as innocence is the simplest of human traits, so Miranda of “The Tempest is the least complex of Shakespeare's characters. We see her as a type of innocence. She knew absolutely nothing of the world outside of her island home and had no friends except her father. Hand in hmd with this primary trait, arc tound the hand-maidens of innocence, tender solicitude for others, extreme sensitiveness, and childish frankness. When her father ch »se to te’l her of her past life, she was filled with great sorrow because she had caused him so much trouble and wondered that he should be willing to endure so many misfortunes for her sake. All her thoughts were expressed openly, because she thought no wrong. When she saw Ferdinand, she declared that she admired him. even if he was a traitor. Because her mind was pure, she could not realize what treason really meant. In talking to Ferdinand, she told him. with childish naivitc, that she care I as much for him as she expected t care for the man whom she would mirry an 1 t!i it she w ml 1 gla lly b:-come his wife. On account of her love for Ferdinand. she disobeyed her father's command by revealing her identity. As soon as she thought what she had done, she said that she was sorry but viewed it merely as a mistake, n t as a sin. Her innocence, instead of making her seem narrow, helped her to think pure thoughts, to brond-enher mind, aud gave her the pearl of all woman hood, perfect sincerity. Closely allied with the primal womanly trait of innocence, is that of filial devotion. Cordelia in •■King Lear'' shows us Shakespeare's conception of filial affection. She was the favorite of her aged father and said she knew she loved him more than her smooth-tongued sisters, but she would not exaggerate her love. She said that she loved her father as a daughter should and could not love him more in order to gain a third of his kingdom. Even when her father disowned her aud sent her dowerless from his door, she turned to her sisters and charged them to take good care of her father. “To your professed love. I leave him. she said. “But alas! stood I within his grace, 1 would prefer him a better place. At her departure, she retained a great love as ever for her father, alth her sisters had received the entire dominion. Then, after the elder daughters had won into their iian Is the rewards of flattering. insincere protestations ami hail heartlessly turned King Lear out into the storm. Cordelia, with the true tilial love which is not dependent on reward, came to his rescue. Faithful in her love, she did her best to restore him to happiness again. When Lear was recovering from his illness an 1 regretting his treatment of her. lie opened his eyes to find her standing by his bed. In answer to his pleas. s!ie declared, with genuine forgetfulness, that she had nothing to forgive, that she had in c iuve to do him wrong. From the d mghter to the wife is but a small step, and this step Shakespeare took, when he pictured Dc-demona. This gentle wife of Othello is the maker of the home. When not busy with her household duties, she loved to listen to the thrilling stories of Othello, even when a mere child. Tlu-'C sad stories of the M or won Desdc-mono's affection. At last she told him. that, if he knew of another man who had endured such great trials, she would gladly share his fortunes. Of course, this was her modest wav of telling Othello her love and he married her against her parents' will. Her loving disposition pleased Othello very much and he tried to make her nest as attractive as possible. She. in turn, tried to please her husband in every way. True to her function of making the home the haven of rest and quiet toward which the husband turns longingly, she did everything in her |K wcr to make peace between Othello and Cassio. merging her own interests in those of her husband. She plead with Othello and talked to Cassio privately that the two might be on good terms when they met. As Othello's awakening jealousy made him become surly, she tried harder than ever to please him. At last her efforts Ih gan to make her scheme and she kept displeasing things from him as was the case when she lost the handkerchief which he had given her. In a short time, Othello grew mad with rage and decided to kill her. Even when he told her lie intended to kill her. the wife, hoping to find her old influence with her husband, declared her innocence and begged time to prove it. She took the time, in which Othello told her to pray, to reawaken his affection. But when, at last, she found that he would not relent and tried to pray, it was too late. Othello murdered her lieforc her earnest prayer was finished. But Shakespeare has drawn in strong contrast with the wifely devotion of Desdemona. the woman of keen mind and deep reason. Portia of “The Merchant of Venice'' stands for the intellectual woman. Site was not closely attached to her home, but like a man. was anxious to go where-cver she saw opjiortunity. After urging Bassauio. in vain, to go to Antonio, she went herself to be at the trial of the merchant in whom she felt so Page Twenty-Eight

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•• AS YOU UKK IT. to 1889. With the exception of Cleveland' nil-ministration, the Panama project went through a steady change of policy. Until that time the United States had thot of the canal as being used by all nations on the most liberal terms. Now it wan clear that the policy had come to be “a canal under American control. Congress introduced resolutions declaring that the United States must exercise such control over the canal as their safety and prosperity demanded. In 1882 correspondence between the United States and the Central American governments with regard to the treaty was dropped and has not since been resumed. The Nicaragua treaty was withdrawn Commissioners were appointed to go to Central America and also to South America to learn the best methods of securing intimate international and commercial relations. This commission recommended that the United States extend ail invitation to the several other governments of America to join at Washington in conference to promote the commercial intercourse and prepare some plan of arbitration. The Maritime Canal company, which secured a concession for a canal by the Nicaragua route in 1885, and had carried on the work of excavation from 1829 to 1903. did not accomplish very much in those four years when the panic of 1903 came on, the company became absolutely insolvent and has never been a hie to resume work. It has lost its concession. Whin this private effort was seen to be a failure the American government decided to investigate the Nicaragua mute with the idea of constructing a canal by that route as a government enterprise. Congress, turned to this route mainly because it was the one in which an Amenc-m company had been interested and because scandalous failure of the Old Panama Company had brought its route into disrepute- In the last few years the thot of this route has been abandoned and that between Panama and Colon has received the consideration. In 1888 surveyors secured the contract for the Panama route for a canal, and a congress was held at Paris to consider the matter. United States commissioners were present and the congress adopted a scheme for a sea-level canal, which we know now was totally impracticable. The Panama route was again considered in 1892 and seemed the favorable location. This route between Panama and Colon was both shorter and could be made cheaper than the Nicaragua route. . It is also of lower elevation. On June 28. 1902, the President was authorized to proceed with the construction of a canal by wa v of Panama as soon as possession could be obtained. There were many diplomatic difficulties to be considered before making the canal. The United States must make treaties with all tile foreign nations. As was said before, there can be no tide level canal on account of the many obstacles, such as the swamps and volcanic ledges on the Panama side: while the marshes and quicksands on the Atlantic coast arc apparently unsunnonntable. The periodical overflow of the Chagres tills the valley of the isthmus, as in tlie flood of 1879, which swept all before it. and covered the railway with twelve feet of water. The wet season of nearly eight months, causes delays and damages to the cuttings. Earthquakes, too. occur as in September 1882 when much damage was done to the cities and to the Panama Railway. To this must be added the great cost of labor and living. January 22. 1903. Congress agreed upon a treaty which they thot would be favorable to Colombia. Hut in a special session of congress. Colombia failed to acknowledge the treaty. Not until November 1903 did the United States succeed in getting control of the proposed route. Colombia was forced to ratify the treaty and her independence was acknowledged in return. At the first session of Congress in 1904, the states instructed their representatives to vote f».r ratification of the treaty. Many democrats had already stated their intention of voting in the affirmative. January 18. three new amendments. relating to sanitation and the control of the harbors, were introduced. President Roosevelt asked that there be no more amendments added and that the bill be presented for ratification. At this meeting $14,009,000 were appropriated to be paid Panama for annexation: $15,000.-ooo to Colombia for loss of territory: $40,000.tNK» for the purchase of canal's rights. Congress decided to take final action on the treaty on or before February 23. On the 20th. Morgan made the last speech oil the subject, and on the 23rd. the treaty was ratified by a majority of seventy-one to seventeen, fifteen democrats joining the republicans in the affirmative. Work will l»egiii at the nearest possible time and preparations are already being made. Some ofShak ?speare’s Women Fern Hornaday. In reading the dramas of Shakespeare, one cannot help but notice the many types of women that he pictures. Hut they are not merely wooden puppets, tricked out to impersonate some virtue or vice needed in his plohscheme. but are real Page Twenty-Seven

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••AS YOi; LIKE IT. inucli interest. To disguise herself and appear as a judge, it was necessary that she understand the law and the ways of a court. The former she obtained from a learned doctor; but for the latter, she must depend wholly upon herself. Womanlike she tried to plead with Shylock ami thought it impossible that he should refuse theories of mercy. Her ready answer to all the Jew's remarks won the admiration of the people and she was encouraged by being called “most learned doctor! ••most wise judge! She was daring even to recklessness an I was not afraid to do whatever was necessary. In the trial, she bore licrcsclf in a dignified and brave manner, conduct which won respect from all in the court. But she had. for all her cool intellectuality, a strain of womanliness which redeemed her She could not refrain from a certain girlish playfulness. After she had explained the result of taking the pound of flesh—the penalty of death, she teasingly. urged Shyloch to take his forfeit and asked him why he did not proceed. The trait which appears as the redeeming virtue in Portia, is seen developed to its maximum in Rosalind. This heroine of “As You Like It. is the iiersonifled coquette. It is a pretty play of wit on Shakespeare's part that tricks out this least womanlike of all his women, in male attire. Our first glimpse of Rosalind is a bit misleading as she is mourning for her lost father but the next moment, she throws aside her gloomy spirit to jest about falling in love. As the natural attendant of the coquettishness, there is to be felt a strong dash of daring, boldness. we should call it. in any one less bewitching than Rosalind. She saw Orlando, became interested. tried to awaken his interest in her. and en- couraged him to an almost unmaidculy degree to obtain a response. Even she could sec that she was bold and tried to excuse herself by saying that her pride had fallen with her fortunes. When it became necessary for her to escape to the forest of Arden, she accepted it as a bit of stage play and seemed pleased, rather than otherwise, to disguise her pretty person in man's attire. Her appearance was well suited to her character. She was tall and graceful and possessed a contented air which went well with her disguise and made her attractive, as she boastingly said to Celia. She delighted to tease Phoebe, tho she was greatly flattered by the foolish shepherdess's infatuation, and gave her sound advice. She tormented Orlando in their mock marriage by being as she herself said, “effeminate, changeable, proud, shallow, full of tears, full of smiles; would now like him: now weep for him. now spit at him. But she was not merely a coquette. She was womanly in the best sense of the word. Even in her disguise, she did nothing immodest. As we see her reaching Arden, she was. according to her womanly nature, weary aiul felt as she said like “disgracing her man's attire and crying like a woman. And her woman's nature betrayed her at last. When Oliver brought her Orlando's token, dipped in his own blood, her sensitive nerves and tender solicitude over power her entirely and she reveals her identity to Oliver, at last, by falling in a dead faint. Shakespeare touches still another prominent side of the woman nature, real and to be reckoned with, if often maligned. In “The Taming of The Shrew. Katharine was hot tempered and disagreeable. She had cultivated that disposition and at last, rather enjoyed being known as ••Katharine, the Shrew. Her temper was ungovernable and she was disdainful to everyone. She even affected a more passionate disposition than she was afflicted with. She looked upon everyone whom she met with cross looks and spoke in angry words. As was natural, her father wished her to marry, but she met all suitors with such cross looks that they went away in despair. When Petruchio came, however, lie was not to be discouraged by her absurd actions. When he tried to flatter her. she flew into a passion of anger: but when he tried to whisper tenderly to her. she turned upon him like a raging lioness. But she soon learned that she must obey his orders and l egan to fear him. At last shegrew meek and tried to please him. to her own astonishment finding it pleasant to be commanded. Not content with giving us a glimpse at the coarser side of woman's n Bure in the shrew. Shakespeare presents, in his lady Macbeth, his nearest approach to the fiend incarnate. Her strong determined will made her seem almost manly. Almost from the first moment, her j er-sonality dominates the play. It is to her that Lord Maclietli must communicate the predictions of the witches at his first opportunity: it is she who plans the details of the murder: it is she who goads him on when he would have withdrawn. The awful night on which Duncan was murdered, altlio it made her husband waver, had no effect upon her. She would have murdered the king her herself, if he had not resembled her father as he slept. Spurred on by the thought that the deed was half done, she went boldv to the king’s room and smeared the grooms with blood, that it might seem their guilt. She had Page Twenty-Nine