亨利六世与理查三世的基督教信仰反差

On the Spiritual Disparity between HenryⅥ and RichardⅢas Christian Kings

亨利六世与理查三世是莎士比亚第一历史四联剧的两位主角。两位国王虽皆为言必称上帝的基督徒,却在信仰的实质上表现出鲜明反差:前者是“圣徒般的傻瓜”,后者则是“伪信徒”式的暴君。通过再现这一对基督徒国王的“属灵世界”,探讨他们信仰的诚笃或虚伪、幻灭或犹疑,由此推导处于职业生涯早期的剧作家个人的基督教倾向,特别是这一倾向对深受路德宗教义—加尔文主义影响的英国国教教义的可能背离。

As the heroes of Henry VI and Richard III of Shakespeare's first tetralogy,both kings are self-claimed Christians who are heard calling upon God frequently.However,there exists a striking contrast in essence between their Christian beliefs in that Henry VI often shows up as a saintly fool while Richard III is portrayed as a total tyrant with a fake faith.Based on an interpretation of the spiritual world of two characters,the paper carries out an in-depth analysis of the nature of their faith,namely,the firmness and hypocrisy,and disillusionment and hesitation revealed respectively.Therefore,the playwright's own Christian inclination,especially that which he adhered to at the beginning of his dramatic career,is summarized to suggest its possible disagreement with the doctrines of the Church of England under the influence of Lutheranism-Calvinism.