An artistic, poetic work, particularly a drama,
must first of all excite in the reader or spectator
the illusion that whatever the person represented is living through, or experiencing, is
lived through or experienced by himself. For
this purpose it is as important for the dramatist to know precisely what he should make
his characters both do and say as what he should
not make them say and do, so as not to destroy
the illusion of the reader or spectator. Speeches,
however eloquent and profound they may be,
when put into the mouth of dramatic characters,
if they be superfluous or unnatural to the
position and character, destroy the chief condition of dramatic art—the illusion, owing to
which the reader or spectator lives in the
feelings of the persons represented. Without
putting an end to the illusion, one may leave
much unsaid—the reader or spectator will
himself fill this up, and sometimes, owing to
this, his illusion is even increased, but to say
what is superfluous is the same as to overthrow
a statue composed of separate pieces and thereby scatter them, or to take away the lamp
from a magic lantern: the attention of the
reader or spectator is distracted, the reader
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TOLSTOY ON SHAKESPEARE