莎士比亚对古典戏剧的模仿、挪用与超越——以《错误的喜剧》为中心

Shakespeare's Imitation,Appropriation and Transcendence of Classical Drama-Focusing on The Comedy of Errors

莎士比亚早期剧作《错误的喜剧》,主要源于因认错身份引出的一连串搞笑滑稽戏,呈现了“错中错”的欢闹。该剧以其特有方式组接:莎士比亚改写了“伊秦的故事”;模仿、挪用了罗马喜剧作家普劳图斯的《孪生兄弟》和《安菲特鲁奥》中的剧情。由此,《错误的喜剧》摇身一变,成为“双倍喜剧”的《孪生兄弟》。莎士比亚在超越前人、步入成熟之前,模仿学步、挪用嫁接的痕迹在剧作中历历可见,但该剧并非学徒作品,而是通过融合不同素材,将多个原型故事加以改编,从而实现对原典的超越。

Shakespeare's early play,The Comedy of Errors,stems mainly from a string of comie confusions led by mistaken identities,presenting the hilarity of errors.This is how The Comedy of Errors combined:Shakespeare rewrites“the story of Egeon”.imitates and appropriates Roman dramatist Plautus's The Two Menaechmuses and Amphitryon.Based on that,The Comedy of Errors becomes"double comedy"of The Two Menaechmuses.Traces of Shakespeare's earlier imitation and appropriation are evident throughout the play before he stepped into maturity.The Comedy of Errors does not read or play like apprentice work.Shakespeare achieves transcendence of original by compounding different sources of material and adapting multiple archetypal stories.