身份转换的悲剧:《奥赛罗》中越界的幻想与焦虑

Tragedy of Identity Switches:Fantasies and Anxieties of Boundary Crossing in Othello

莎士比亚的《奥赛罗》深深触及了现代早期社会转型时期涉及身份界限的一些敏感话题,引人思考西方在种族、性别、宗教等方面几百年来的文化困境,但这些重要方面在历来的文学批评中却被有意无意地忽视甚至误读。本文探讨《奥赛罗》中身份转换的文化困境,具体分析莎士比亚如何以戏剧形式呈现各类跨越身份界限的行为,剖析越界者和界限维护者的心路历程,即他们的焦虑以及此类焦虑在现代早期的特征、性质和原因,考察剧作家如何把人物放置于复杂社会关系中,进而分析剧本如何引导观众和读者深刻认识身份跨界焦虑的意识形态属性,并揭示这部界限跨越悲剧的文化心理内涵。莎士比亚通过《奥赛罗》让我们看到,邪恶势力利用操控身份界限给人物带来焦虑,制造了骇人的悲剧。他通过具体的人物刻画,特别是对伊阿古形象的艺术处理,象喻地揭示了嫉妒情感的社会关系性以及种族仇视、厌女症等恶毒意识形态遗存的危害。

Shakespeare’s Othello poignantly touches on some sensitive issues concerning identity boundary in the transforming phase of early modern society,thus reminding us of the cultural dilemma related to race,gender,religion and other aspects of Western society in the last several centuries.However,in the past critical history,some of those important facets in the play have been inadvertently or purposely neglected or even misread.This paper explores such a predicament that identity switches entail,and in particular,investigates how Shakespeare dramatizes behaviors of boundary crossing by analyzing psychological trajectories of the transgressors and maintainers of identity boundaries,i.e.,their anxieties along with features,natures and reasons of these anxieties.We further examine how the playwright positions the characters in complex social relations,through which the play leads the audience into an understanding of the ideological nature of anxieties over identity boundary crossing,and thus disclosing the cultural psychology that such a boundary-crossing tragedy involves.In Othello,Shakespeare lets us see how malignant forces manipulate people with anxieties triggered with boundary crossing and create the devastating tragedy.Through specified characterization,especially artistic treatments of Iago,the Bard allegorically reveals the sociological nature of jealousy and dangers of racial hatred,misogyny,and other residues of certain malevolent ideology.