随莎士比亚而去——试论英国戏剧的衰落

Gone with Shakespeare: On the Decline of British Drama

戏剧在英国文学史上占有极其重要的地位。英国戏剧在莎士比亚、肖伯纳和贝克特的时代分别达到了三个巅峰。整体来说,莎士比亚之后的英国戏剧成就大不如前。戏剧的本质是反映人生、人性,而人性是复杂多变的;复杂变动的生活和人性要求有新的戏剧思想和戏剧形式。追寻英国戏剧衰落的根源,可以发现,作品本身美的流失、接受者的变化以及世俗生活的多样化是最主要的原因。

British drama plays an important role in the British literature and it occupies three summits led by William Shakespeare,Bernard Shaw and Samuel Becket respectively.The drama after Shakespeare as a whole is less brilliant,and in those four hundred years,there are three ＂30 years＂ having almost no drama.The essence of a drama reflects life and human nature;however, life and nature of man are both characterized by complexity and dynamic.Therefore,only new themes and fresh form can accommodate the ever-changing audiences. The causes for the declination of British drama are the dwindling of the beauty,the dynamic nature of the audiences and the secularization of the social life.