蒂利亚德的莎士比亚历史剧批评述略

An outline of Tillyard's criticism of Shakespeare's history plays

历史主义莎评家蒂利亚德认为文艺复兴时期的英国在宗教和政治思想上继承了中世纪传统,而且这个思想传统在当时的社会影响非常大,莎士比亚历史剧正是当时流行的、以基督教为框架的"都铎神话"思想的反映。在这种基本认识的指导下,蒂利亚德将莎士比亚历史剧分为两个四部曲,并详细分析了每部作品的人物、主题、情节等要素。这些研究使蒂利亚德成为20世纪历史主义莎评的代表人物,也使他成为莎士比亚历史剧的重要代言人之一。

Historical critic E.M.W.Tillyard insisted that Renaissance England inherited the Medieval religious and political thoughts,and this ideological tradition dominated the society,Shakespeare’s history plays were reflections of such popular Christianity-based thoughts of the Tudor Myth.Thus,Tillyard divided Shakespeare’s history plays into two tetralogies,and then analyzed the character,theme,plot of each tetralogy.These analyses were the highlights of 20 th century historical criticism of Shakespeare,and also made Tillyard the spokesman of Shakespeare’s history plays.