t of capital
punishment. And legend has its fixed points no less than history. In the
theatre, indeed, there is little distinction between them: history is
legend, and legend history. A dramatist may, if he pleases (though it is
a difficult task), break wholly unfamiliar ground in the past; but where
a historic legend exists he must respect it at his peril.

From all this it is a simple deduction that where legend (historic or
otherwise) associates a particular character with a particular scene
that is by any means presentable on the stage, that scene becomes
obligatory in a drama of which he is the leading figure. The fact that
Shakespeare could write a play about King John, and say nothing about
Runnymede and Magna Charta, shows that that incident in constitutional
history had not yet passed into popular legend. When Sir Herbert Tree
revived the play, he repaired the poet's omission by means of an
inserted tableau. Even Shakespeare had not the hardihood to let Caesar
fall without saying, "The Ides of March are come" and "Et tu, Brute!"
Nero is bound to fiddle while Rome burns, or the audience will know the
reason why.[4] Historic criticism will not hear of the "Thou hast
conquered, Galilean!" which legend attributes to Julian the Apostate;
yet Ibsen not only makes him say it, but may almost be said to find in
the phrase the keynote of his world-historic drama. Tristram and Iseult
must drink a love-philtre or they are not Tristram and Iseult. It would
be the extreme of paradox to write a Paolo-and-Francesca play and omit
the scene of "Quel giorno piu non vi leggemmo avante."

The cases are not very frequent, however, in which an individual
incident is thus imposed by history or legend. The practical point to be
noted is rather that, when an author introduces a strongly-marked
historical character, he must be prepared to give him at least one good
opportunity of acting up to the character which legend--the best of
evidence in the theatre--assigns to him. When such a personage is
presented to us, it ought to be at his highest potency. We do not
want to see--

"From Marlborough's eyes the tears of dotage flow,
And Swift expire, a driveller and a show."

If you deal with Napoleon, for instance, it is perfectly clear that he
must dominate the stage. As soon as you bring in the name, the idea, of
Napoleon Bonaparte, men have eyes and ears for nothing else; and they
demand to see him, in a general way, acting up to th