莎士比亚悲剧与古希腊悲剧的比较研究的英语论文

Spiritual Enlightenment from Shakespeare's Tragedies

----By Comparison with Greek Tragedy

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Abstract

This paper firstly intended to introduce the characteristics of Greek Tragedy, including the definition, composition and function of Greek Tragedy. On this basis, then, the paper tried to study Shakespeare's tragedies compared with Greek Tragedy. Finally, it abstracts the spiritual enlightenment from Shakespeare's tragedies.

Key Words: Greek Tragedy, Shakespeare, Spiritual enlightenment

内容摘要

这篇论文首先提出了古希腊悲剧的一些特征，包括古希腊悲剧的定义，组成部分以及作用。然后，在此基础上，论文将莎士比亚悲剧同古希腊悲剧进行了比较。最后，论文从莎士比亚悲剧中概括出对当代人的启示。

关键词：古希腊悲剧，莎士比亚，精神启示

Content

I. Introduction (1)

II . A General Introduction of Greek Tragedy (1)

2.1 Definition of Greek Tragedy (1)

2.2 Features of Greek Tragedy (1)

2.2.1 Composition of Greek Tragedy (1)

2.2.2 Function of Greek Tragedy (1)

III. A Study of Shakespeare's Tragedies Compared with Greek Tragedy (2)

3.1 Traits Inherited from Greek Tragedy (2)

3.2 Traits Different from Greek Tragedy (3)

IV. Spiritual Enlightenment from Shakespeare's Tragedies (3)

4.1 Discovery of Natural Beauty (3)

4.2 Explorations of the Human Nature (4)

Ⅴ. Conclusion (4)

References (4)

I. Introduction

William Shakespeare (1564--1616) is the best-known literary figure in the world, he was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language. And are performed more often than those of any other playwright. And people are fond of his tragedies though it has been several centuries since 16th century.

This paper is firstly intended to introduce the characteristics of Greek Tragedy. It then studies the relation between Shakespeare's tragedies and Greek Tragedy. Then it abstracts the spiritual enlightenment from Shakespeare's tragedies.

II . A General Introduction of Greek Tragedy

People are not unfamiliar with tragedy. When they come across the word "tragedy", it's natural for them to associate with the death of life, the separation of people in love, and the wreckage of ideal. Chinese writer Lu Xun once said "Tragedy is the ruin of niceness in front of people ". Tragedy has a long history as one of Thespian forms. It was born early in ancient Greece.

2.1 Definition of Greek Tragedy

When people talk about Greek Tragedy, of course they know there are three great tragic dramatists of ancient Greece: Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. But one person has to be mentioned also, that is Aristotle, together with his work Poetics. Poetics is the first book discussed about literature and art theories in western history. It explores a series of tragic theories.

Aristotle interpreted tragedy as "Tragedy ,then is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude;in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being foud in separate parts of the play". This is the most famous definition of tragedy, "imitation" is the key word.

2.2 Features of Greek Tragedy

Aristotle also discussed the features of Greek Tragedy, it consists of the composition of Greek Tragedy and the function of Greek Tragedy.

2.2.1 Composition of Greek Tragedy

Aristotle wrote that "Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality——namely, Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, Song". It is clear that "Diction" and "Song" are the medium of imitation, "Spectacle" is the manner, "Plot", "Character" and "Thought" are the objects of imitation.

2.2.2 Function of Greek Tragedy

To Aristotle, the function of Greek Tragedy referred to "Through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions". In his opinion, "purgation" is one of the key points when people analysis a tragedy. Spectators' emotion will be affected when they are watching a tragedy, however, emotion won't go to extremes because the

stage itself will keep telling spectators "This is not true". William Hazlitt had a perfect annotation to the function of tragedy "Tragedy provides spectators with an emotional balance, which makes them be a observer and thinker in their life".

III. A Study of Shakespeare's Tragedies Compared with Greek Tragedy

William Shakespeare (1564--1616) is the best-known literary figure in the world, he lived in the time of "The Renaissance", and was one of the famous dramatists at that time. His tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. Compared with Greek Tragedy, his tragedies have not only inherited traits but also different ones.

3.1 Traits Inherited from Greek Tragedy

As is known to all, Greek Tragedy is the origin of western tragedies. Aristotle expressed that "Tragedy is the imitation of an action; and an action implies personal agents, who necessarily possess certain distinctive qualities both of character and thought; for it is by these that we qualify actions themselves, and these——thought and character——are the two natural causes from which actions again all success or failure depends". In Shakespeare's tragedies, character has a profound influence on action, and action leads to the final ending directly. Here Hamlet is an example, the protagonist, Hamlet, who is lacking the power of decision, giving up revenging on his uncle for the murder of his father over time and time. The kind of character could be referred in one of Hamlet's monologues:

Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;

And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;

And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:

A villain kills my father; and for that,

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

O, this is hire and salary, not revenge.

He took my father grossly, full of bread;

With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;

And how his audit stands who knows save heaven?

But in our circumstance and course of thought,

'Tis heavy with him: and am I then revenged,

To take him in the purging of his soul,

When he is fit and season'd for his passage?

No!

Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;

At gaming, swearing, or about some act

That has no relish of salvation in't;

Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,

And that his soul may be as damn'd and black

As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays:

This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

"Hamlet appears to be both familiar and remote, friendly and hostile, welcoming and dismissive, gregarious and solitary, humble and imperious. The paradoxes in his character correspond to the paradoxes that pervade tragedy"(Hunter, 2000).

3.2 Traits Different from Greek Tragedy

"The irregular combinations of fanciful invention may delight a-while, by that novelty of which the common satiety of life sends us all in quest; but the pleasures of sudden wonder are soon exhausted, and the mind can only repose on the stability of truth"(Johnson, 1765). Shakespeare's tragedies are old, but the truth is always new because the adherence to human nature. However, when we come to Greek Tragedy, we may find character is second to plot. Just like Aristotle hold that "Dramatic action, therefore, is not with a view to the representation of character: character comes in as subsidiary to the actions. Hence the incidents and the plot are the end of a tragedy; and the end is the chief thing of all. Again, without action there cannot be a tragedy; there may be without character", which is on the base of his famous theory "Tragedy is the imitation of an action". In Othello Shakespeare presented us with the struggle between two emotions: trust and envy. Othello is honorable, tender, generous but irascible, once he is enraged by rumor, he will wreak vengeance and disappointment in regardless of regret. "Othello is an underling not because he fails to be a 'a master of his fate', but because is human"(Hunter, 2000). This tragedy is caused by Othello himself, and the weakness of human is what Shakespeare wants to tell us.

IV. Spiritual Enlightenment from Shakespeare's Tragedies

4.1 Discovery of Natural Beauty

People have been way too far from nature since Industrial Revolution. Urbanization puts us in the shadow of tall buildings all day. However, Shakespeare has a unique viewpoint on natural beauty and his description of nature always touches us. Here is an example to show how he describes the rainstorm in King Lear

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!

You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout

Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks!

You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,

Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,

Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder,

Smite flat the thick rotundity o' the world!

Crack nature's moulds, an germens spill at once,

That make ingrateful man!

From these monologues, we could feel the strength of rainstorm and shocked by the rang of nature. Besides, there are many beautiful natural details: the peaceful countryside, the dense forest, a singing nightingale, a bunch of fresh flowers. Shakespeare gives a vivid account of his life as a person from nature. He uses his outstanding imagination to transform the abstract feeling into language and

image,which furnishes us with the chance to discover the natural beauty again.

4.2 Explorations of the Human Nature

"Shakespeare's tragedies exhibits the real state of sublunary nature, which partakes of good and evil, joy and sorrow, mingled with endless variety of proportion and innumerable modes of combination" ( Johnson, 1765). We could conclude that there are two aspects about human nature from Shakespeare's tragedies:

First, Shakespeare points out the weakness of human nature when people are faced with temptation. Here Macbeth is an good example,he is burdened with the desire of power, and finally he is in a situation where he has no choice but death. "But we cannot see the death as a disaster for one who is already marked (like his wife) as the victim of a far more terrible system of power from which death offers the only possible escape" (Booth, 1983).

Second, Shakespeare extols the power of love. "Love, as an emotion uniquely variable in the judgments it evokes, seems particularly appropriate to the art of variation that Shakespeare practices". When we refer to Romeo and Juliet, we find Shakespeare never thinks that the lovers are rash and fool, desperate and careless. As for the old folk, Capulet and Montague, even they know the world, they don't know the hearts of the young lovers. Even we are not told that the love is worthwhile in this play obviously, the power of love touches us deeply.

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Tragedy has a long history history. And it plays an important part in literature. People are fond of watching tragedies because it gives audience a chance to purify their emotions.

Shakespeare is one of the greatest dramatists in history. Compared with Greek Tragedy, his tragedies have not only inherited traits but also different ones. From his tragedies people could not only understand the plot, but also discover the natural beauty and human nature. What's more, for people who are living in urban area, Shakespeare's tragedies could provide them with a chance of self-reflection .

References

[1] Booth, Stephen. 'King Lear', 'Macbeth', Indefinition and Tragedy[M]. New Haven: University of New Haven Press, 1983.

[2] https://www.360docs.net/doc/b612639508.html,.au/j/johnson/samuel/preface/preface.html

[3] Hunter. Shakespeare and the Traditions of Tragedy[A]. In Wells, The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies[C]. Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.

[4] Moulton. Shakespeare as a Dramatic Artist[M]. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.

[5] 李平. 西方古典文论要著研读[M]. 上海: 上海教育出版社, 2009.

[6] 威廉·哈兹里特. 顾均译. 莎士比亚戏剧中的人物[M]. 上海: 华东师范大学出版社, 2009.