罪恶与救赎——论莎士比亚戏剧与基督教对人的本质理解之异同

Crime and Redemption:Different Understandings of the Nature of Human in Shakespearean Drama and Christianity

莎士比亚戏剧对人的本质的理解与基督教有一致之处:都视人为有罪的存在,都认为罪恶源于人的自由意志。但它又与基督教有本质的差异:基督教认为救赎要依赖神恩,而莎士比亚戏剧体现的是人的自由意志的力量。救赎观的不同,其根源在于它们对人的本质理解的差异。基督教从神学本体论出发,认为原罪是人的自由意志背离上帝的结果。而莎士比亚戏剧将罪恶看作是自由意志中的破坏力,尽管破坏力使人无法彻底自救,但自由意志中的内驱力可以使人在对自我有限性的触摸中,生发出对宇宙的敬畏感,获得人性的提升与精神超越。

Shakespearean drama display Christian elements in that its understanding of human nature has much in common with Christianity. They both believe human beings as a sinful existence and the sin originate from the free will. But there is essential discrepancy between them：Christianity believes that human redemption depends on God＇ s favor, while Shakespeare＇ s plays exhibit the power of the free will. The different ideas about redemption stem from their different understandings of human nature. According to its theological ontology, Christianity holds that the original sin is a consequence of man＇ s betrayal from God, while Shakespeare deems human sin as the destructive force of the free will. Though this force makes human beings unable to achieve thorough self-redemption, the driving force of the free will is able to elicit man＇ s awe to the universe out of his finite self,thus enhancing his humanity and spiritual transcendence.