英国中世纪连环剧的身体政治

Body Politics in the English Medieval Cycle Plays

英国中世纪连环剧是圣体节的重要组成部分,连环剧和圣体节一起,按照"基督的身体"概念进行组织、实施和管理,其身体象征学和身体政治学加强了教会和整个城市的社会秩序与政治统治,后者又以"基督的身体"为典范,通过对身体的惩罚和规训建构自己的权威话语。但是,基督身体本质上的模棱两可与中世纪连环剧具有的娱乐特性,又使得连环剧在身体的狂欢中力图颠覆身体之上的权力。连环剧成为神圣与世俗、官方与民间对决的身体场域,参与的每一方都以释放自我为根本目的,由此锻造了一个平衡、协调的身体统一体。

As an important part of the feast of Corpus Christi, the English medieval cycle plays were organized, operated and administrated, according to the concept of ＂the body of Christ＂. The body symbol and the body politics of the plays strengthen the social order and the political rule of the church and the whole city, which the latter puts ＂the body of Christ＂ as the model to construct their own discourse authority by the physical punishment and discipline. Because of the ambiguous nature of ＂the Body of Christ＂ and the entertaining characteristics of medieval cycle plays, cycle plays attempt to subvert the power that oppresses the body through body carnival and thus become the body field where the sacred and the secular, the official and the civil confront and compete for self-releasing. Consequently, a balanced and coordinated body unity is forged.