2023学年完整公开课版文档：WhyDoWeLearnEnglishLiterature

ChallengingyourselfⅡ

WhyDoWeLearnEnglishLiterature补充文档

(莎士比亚简介)

I.Introduction

AnydiscussionofShakespeare'slifeisboundtobeloadedwithsuperlatives.Inthecourseofaquartercentury,Shakespearewrotesomethirty-eightplays.Takenindividually,severalofthemareamongtheworld'sfinestwrittenworks;takencollectively,theyestablishShakespeareastheforemostliterarytalentofhisownElizabethanAgeand,evenmoreimpressively,asageniuswhosecreativeachievementhasneverbeensurpassedinanyage.

InlightofShakespeare'sstatureandthepassageofnearlyfourcenturiessincehisdeath,itisnotsurprisingthathundredsofShakespearebiographieshavebeenwritteninalloftheworld'smajorlanguages.Scanningthispanorama,mostaccountsoftheBard'slife(andcertainlythemajorityofmodernstudies)arecontextualinthesensethattheyplacethefigureofShakespeareagainsttherichtapestryofhis"Age"or"Times"or"Society."ThischaracteristicapproachtoShakespearebiographyisactuallyamatterofnecessity,forwithoutsuchfleshingoutintohistorical,social,andliterarysettings,theskeletalcharacterofwhatweknowaboutShakespearefromprimarysourceswouldmakeforslimand,ironically,boringbooks.Aspartofthisembellishmentprocess,seriousscholarscontinuetomineforhardfactsaboutthenatureofShakespeare'sworld.Theinterpretationoftheirmeaningnecessarilyvaries,oftenaccordingtotheparticularschoolorideologyoftheauthor.

Whateverthedifferencesofopinion,validoratleastplausibleviewsaboutShakespeare,hischaracterandhispersonalexperiencecontinuetobeadvanced.YetevenamongmodernShakespearebiographies,inadditiontooutlandishinterpretationsoftheavailablefacts,therepersists(andgrows)abodyoftraditionsaboutsuchmattersasShakespeare'smarriage,hismovetoLondon,thecircumstancesofhisdeathandthelike.Theresultofallthisisthatthereisnowahugetapestryofdescriptive,critical,andanalyticalworkaboutShakespeareinexistence,muchofitreasonable,someofitoutlandish,andsomeofithogwash.

II.ThreeimportantpointsaboutShakespeare

InexaminingShakespeare'slife,threebroadpointsshouldbekeptinmindfromthestart.First,despitethefrustrationofShakespearebiographerswiththeabsenceofaprimarysourceofinformationwrittenduring(orevenshortlyafter)hisdeathon23April1616(hisfifty-secondbirthday),Shakespeare'slifeisnotobscure.Infact,weknowmoreaboutShakespeare'slife,itsmaineventsandcontours,thanweknowaboutmostfamousElizabethansoutsideoftheroyalcourtitself.

Shakespeare'slifeisunusuallywell-documented:therearewellover100referencestoShakespeareandhisimmediatefamilyinlocalparish,municipal,andcommercialarchivesandwealsohaveatleastfiftyobservationsaboutShakespeare'splays(andthroughthem,hislife)fromhiscontemporaries.ThestructureofShakespeare'slifeisremarkablysound;itisthefleshofhispersonalexperience,hismotives,andthelikethathavenofirmbasisanditis,ofcourse,thisdescriptivecontentinwhichwearemostinterested.

Second,theappealofseeinganautobiographicalbasisinShakespeare'splaysandpoetrymustbetemperedbywhatthebulkoftheevidencehastosayabouthim.AlthoughtherearefancifulstoriesaboutShakespeare,manycenteringuponhisromanticaffairs,connectionsbetweenthemandtheeventsorcharactersofhisplaysareflimsy,andtheygenerallydisregardouroverallimpressionoftheBard.Inhispersonallife,Shakespearewas,infact,anexceedinglypracticalindividual,undoubtedlyajackofmanyusefultrades,andashrewdbusinessmanintheatrical,commercialandrealestatecircles.

Third,thenotionthatplaysascribedtoShakespearewereactuallywrittenbyothers(SirFrancisBacon,thepoetPhillipSidneyamongthecandidates)hasbecomeevenweakerovertime.ThecurrentstrongconsensusisthatwhileShakespearemayhavecollaboratedwithanotherElizabethanplaywrightinatleastoneinstance(probablywithJohnFletcheronTheTwoNobleKinsman),andthatoneortwoofhisplayswerecompletedbysomeoneelse(possiblyFletcheronanoriginalorrevisedversionofHenryVIII),theworksascribedtoShakespearearehis.

III.BirthandEarlyLife

ParishrecordsestablishthatWilliamShakespearewasbaptizedon26April,1564.SimplycountingbackwardsthethreecustomarydaysbetweenbirthandbaptisminAnglicancustom,mostreckonthattheBardofAvonwasbornon23April,1564.Thisis,indeed,Shakespeare'sofficialbirthdayinEngland,and,itisalsothetraditionalbirthdateofSt.George,thepatronsaintofEngland.TheexactdateandtheprecisecauseofShakespeare'sdeathareunknown:onelocaltraditionassertsthattheBarddiedon23April,1616,ofachillcaughtafteranightofdrinkingwithfellowplaywrightsBenJonsonandMichaelDrayton.Shakespearewas,infact,buriedthreedayslater,exactly52yearsafterhisbaptism.

ShakespearewasbornandraisedinthepicturesqueTudormarkettownofStratford-on-Avon,alocalgovernmentandcommercialcenterwithinalargerruralsetting,anditislikelythatthesurroundingwoodlandsofhisboyhoodwerereflectedintheplayAsYouLikeIt,withitsForestofArden.Shakespeare'smotherMaryArdenwasadaughterofthelocalgentry,holdingextensivepropertiesaroundStratford-on-Avoninhisname.InmarryingShakespeare'sfather,thegloverandtenantfarmerJohnShakespeare,MaryArdentookastepdownthesocialladderoftheElizabethanAge,forherhusbandwasoftheyeomanclass,anotchortwobelowthegentry.Yetlongbeforehisson'sfameasaplaywrightfelltohisgoodfortune,JohnShakespeare'stalentsenabledhimtorisemodestlyonhisownaccordashebecameaburgessmemberofthetowncouncil.DespiteevidenceofafamilyfinancialsetbackwhenWilliamwasfifteen,Shakespeare'sfamilywascomfortable,ifnotprivileged.Shakespeare'seventualfameandsuccessspilledovertohisparentsintheformofbothmoneyandtitle,andontheeveofhisdeathin1601,QueenElizabethgrantedtheBard'sfathera"gentleman's"familycoat-of-arms.

WehavegoodcausetobelievethatShakespeareattendedStratfordGrammarSchoolwherehewouldhavereceivedatuition-freeeducationasthesonofaburgessfather.ThereyoungWilliamwasexposedtoastandardElizabethancurriculumstrongonGreekandLatinliterature(includingtheplaywrightsPlautusandSeneca,andtheamorouspoetOvid),rhetoric(includingthatoftheancientRomanoratorCicero),andChristianethics(includingaworkingknowledgeoftheHolyBible).TheseinfluencesarepervasiveinShakespeare'sworks,anditisalsoapparentthatShakespearecultivatedaknowledgeofEnglishhistorythroughchronicleswrittenshortlybeforeandduringhisadolescence.Shakespeareleftschoolin1579attheageoffifteen,possiblyastheresultofafamilyfinancialproblem.Shakespearedidnotpursueformaleducationanyfurther:heneverattendedauniversityandwasnotconsideredtobeatrulylearnedman.

ThereisaperiodinShakespeare'slifeofsomesevenyears(1585to1592)fromwhichwehaveabsolutelynoprimarysourcematerialsabouthim.WedoknowthatinNovemberof1582,attheageofeighteen,hemarriedAnneHathaway(awomaneightyearshissenior),andthatshegavebirthtoadaughter,Susanna,sixmonthslater.Twoyearsafterthat,theShakespeareshadtwins:HamnetandJudith.Hamnet,Shakespeare'sonlyson,woulddieattheageofeleven.SpeculationhasitthatShakespearewasnothappyinhismarriage,andthatthismayhaveplayedaroleinhisdecisiontomovetoLondon'stheaterscene.Infact,duringthelate1580sandearly1590s,ShakespearetraveledbackandforthbetweenLondonandStratford-on-Avon,butbythistime,themomentumofShakespeare'slifewastowardhiscareerandawayfromfamily,hearth,andhome.Althoughwelackhardfacts,wemaysurmisethatbeforehetookupacareerasaplaywright,Shakespeareengagedinavarietyofoccupations,probablyworkingwithhisfatherincommercialtrades(leathersandgrains),probablyworkingasalawclerk,andpossiblyservingasasoldierorsailorforanEnglandthreatenedbySpain.Shakespearedisplaysacommandoftheargotandthepracticesofmanysuchcrafts,asinhisportrayalofthelawprofessionintrialscenesofTheMerchantofVenice.

IV.ThePlaywright

Betweentheearly1590s(TheComedyofErrors)andtheseconddecadeoftheseventeenthcentury(TheTempestwrittenin1611),Shakespearecomposedthemostextraordinarybodyofworksinthehistoryofworlddrama.Hisworksareoftendividedintoperiods,movingroughlyfromcomediestohistoriestotragediesandthentohisfinalromancescappedbyafarewelltothestageinTheTempest.ThequestionofhowandwhethertheBard'scareershouldbedividedintoperiodsaside,wedoknowthatShakespearereceivedamajorboostin1592(theearliestreviewofhisworkthatwehave),whenplaywright-criticRobertGreenecondemnedthefutureBardasanimpudent"upstart"beneaththenoticeofestablishedliterarymenorUniversityWits.Greene'scriticaldiatribewassoonretractedbyhiseditorasanumberofleadingElizabethanliteraryfiguresexpressedtheiradmirationforhisearlyplays.RetreatingfromLondonintheplagueyearsof1592through1594,ShakespearebrieflyleftplaywritingasidetocomposelongpoemslikeVenusandAdonisandatleastsomeofhissonnets.Butduringthisperiod,Shakespearegarneredthesupportofhisfirstmajorsponsor,theEarlofSouthampton.Soon,asaleadingfigureintheChamberlain'sMencompanyhewouldgarnerevengreaterpatronagefromthecourtsofQueenElizabethandhersuccessor,KingJames.

JustastheriseofShakespeare'ssuccess,popularity,andfamebegantoaccelerate,heexperiencedapersonaltragedywhenhissonHamnetdiedin1596.ShakespeareundoubtedlyreturnedtoStratfordforHamnet'sfuneralandthiseventmayhavepromptedhimtospendmoretimewithhiswifeanddaughters.In1597,ShakespearepurchasedasplendidTudorMansioninhishometownknownastheNewPlace.Duringtheperiodbetween1597and1611,ShakespeareapparentlyspentmostofhistimeinLondonduringthetheatricalseason,butwasactiveinStratfordaswell,particularlyasaninvestoringraindealings.ShakespearealsopurchasedrealestateinthecountrysideandinLondonaswell,thelatterincludingBlackfriar'sGatehousewhichheboughtin1613.In1612,fouryearsbeforehisdeath,Shakespearewentintosemi-retirementattherelativelyyoungageofforty-eight.Hediedonorabout23Aprilof1616ofunknowncauses.

WilliamShakespeare'sfamilylineagecametoanendtwogenerationsafterhisdeath.Histwodaughtersfolloweddifferentpathsintheirfather'seyes.Hisolderdaughter,Susanna,marriedaprominentlocaldoctor,JohnHall,in1607andthereareindicationsthataclosefriendshipdevelopedbetweenHallandhisrenownedfather-in-law.SusannagaveShakespearehisonlygrandchild,ElizabethHallin1608.Althoughsheinheritedthefamilyestateandwasmarriedtwice(herfirsthusbanddying)Elizabethhadnochildrenofherown.Shakespeare'sotherdaughter,JudithmarriedThomasQuiney,atavernownerandreputedrakegiventopre-maritalandextramaritalaffairsandthefatheringofillegitimatechildren.Theyhadthreelegitimatesons,allofwhomdiedyoung.

V.Shakespeare'sWorld

MostofShakespeare'scareerunfoldedduringthemonarchyofElizabethI,theGreatVirginQueenfromwhomthehistoricalperiodoftheBard'slifetakesitsnameastheElizabethanAge.Elizabethcametothethroneunderturbulentcircumstancesin1558(beforeShakespearewasborn)andruleduntil1603.Underherreign,notonlydidEnglandprosperasarisingcommercialpowerattheexpenseofCatholicSpain,Shakespeare'shomelandundertookanenormousexpansionintotheNewWorldandlaidthefoundationsofwhatwouldbecometheBritishEmpire.ThisascendancecameinthewakeoftheRenaissanceandtheReformation,theformerregainingGreekandRomanclassicsandstimulatinganoutburstofcreativeendeavorthroughoutEurope,thelattertransformingEnglandintoaProtestant/Anglicanstate,andgeneratingcontinuingreligiousstr