Queen Katherine and Contradictions in Shakespeare's "King Henry VIII"

莎翁歷史劇《亨利八世》中之凱瑟琳皇后與矛盾

10.6258/bcla.2003.59.14

鄭惠芳(Wai-Fong Cheang)

莎士比亞 ； 亨利八世 ； 女性 ； 凱瑟琳皇后 ； 矛盾 ； Shakespeare ； Henry VIII ； women ； Queen Katherine ； contradictions

臺大文史哲學報

59期（2003 / 11 / 01）

401 - 422

英文

本文藉由探討莎翁歷史劇《亨利八世》（King Henry VIII）中之凱瑟琳皇后一角，企圖凸顯劇中內之矛盾，並以與女性相關之問題為出發點，強調《亨利八世》並非如一些批評家所言，其劇義是榮耀國王；而莎翁歷史劇亦非本質上就是男性中心。本文將重新檢視劇中許多的精彩戲劇呈現手法，例如『休后』的整個審判過程，及精靈拜訪皇后的奇觀，以分析其中內含之矛盾點。此外亦會著重於劇中人物所作出的諷刺言論。及莎翁篡改歷史時序等面向加以討論，以探索女性角色及劇中內含之矛盾。本文意在編撰出一種另類讀法，並藉此另類讀法闡述應突破正統的禁錮，以多種閱讀角度切入，方能另創閱讀古典之奇趣。

By foregrounding Queen Katherine, this paper presents the contradictions in Shakespeare's ”King Henry VIII”. It asks questions which relate Shakespeare to us-women. It argues against the commonplace ideas that ”Henry VIII” is meant as a glorification of the king, and that Shakespeare's history plays are naturally man-centered. Various elaborate dramatic representations, such as the ”unqueening” process, and the spectacle involving fairies paying homage to the queen, comprise significant contradictory signals. Other aspects, such as Suffolk's sarcastic comments and the playwright's tempering with the chronological order of events, also contribute to the contradictions. By probing into women's part and the play's inherent contractions, this alternative reading self-reflexively (and self-consciously) argues for the right and the fun to do pluralistic readings.

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