莎士比亞女角的再現 - 以『前拉菲爾派』為例

Abstract

自從威廉‧莎士比亞的劇作（以下稱為莎劇）問世，它影響、激勵與啟發了許多它的讀者。尤其在維多莉亞時期，研究莎士比亞及莎劇成為了當代評論家、文學家、學者及藝術家之間的流行。也因此，在文藝繁榮的十九世紀時，許多關於莎劇的文章、書籍和藝術作品的再現被創造出來。但從另一個角度來看，與當時代社會的繁榮對比，女性在社會上的權利是相對受限的。她們受限於父權體制下的刻板印象、限制及束縛。與這個背景相連，莎劇中女性角色的人格、情緒、遭遇和象徵性強力底啟發了維多莉亞時代的讀著，尤其是藝文人士。在許多藝術家中，前拉菲爾派（Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood）尤其受到莎士比亞的女角吸引並繪畫出許多以她們為主題才的再現作品。由於前拉斐爾派專注於繪畫主題的強烈情感、珠寶般的色彩和近乎真實的自然風景，莎劇中的女角成為前拉菲爾派描繪景物複雜性的主題，並從中表達出他們的哲學、意識形態、視覺意涵。

本文著重在分析及探討維多莉亞時期的藝文人士如何重新構思和重現莎劇中的女性。從眾多莎劇女角中，本文將著重分析奧菲莉亞（Ophelia）、米蘭達（Miranda）及瑪莉安娜（Mariana）在維多利亞人眼中的象徵性和影響。在維多莉亞時期，這三位女角所代表的意識如下：奧菲莉亞與女性的瘋狂（female malady）、米蘭達與她那完美女兒的形象和瑪莉安娜所代表的孤獨。受到莎劇中女角啟發的繪畫及再現作品將會作為主要的研究案例及探討範圍。除此之外，本文中也會根據討論添加筆者的個人解釋及現代的觀點，助於探討維多莉亞時代中的這些女角是如何改變之後讀者對於這些女角的觀感及印象。Shakespeare’s plays have inspired their readers ever since they were written. The study of Shakespeare became particularly popular during the Victorian era. Representations of the plays came to be much present in paintings, poems, and theatrical performances. From a different angle, women’s rights, unlike the prosperity of the era, were limited. They were framed under many patriarchal stereotypes. In this connection, Shakespeare’s women interested the critics, poets and painters. The topic of the women in Shakespearean plays is one of the most inspiring subjects for the Victorian artists, especially for the members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. As the Pre-Raphaelites focused on their intention of painting subjects with jewel-like colors and detailed rendering of nature, Shakespeare’s plays became ideal subjects for artists to paint out the complexity of the scenery and symbolically illustrate their philosophies and ideologies.

This paper focuses on an analysis of how the women in Shakespeare’s plays are reimagined and rediscovered through the eyes of Victorian artists. Out of the many heroines in his works, Ophelia, Mariana and, Miranda are characters that present symbolic meanings and influences to the Victorian eyes. These three heroinesrepresent the women’s status during the Victorian era as follows: Ophelia is connected with female malady (madness), Miranda with her image as the dutiful daughter, and Mariana with her isolation. Paintings and poems inspired by these women during the Victorian era will be discussed and used as prompts to strengthen the points. In each case, I will add interpretations building on current critical consensus in order to show how visions have changed from Victorian times to ours in relation to Shakespeare’s female characters selected in this thesis for discussion.