解读《皆大欢喜》中的浪漫主义

Abstract

Romanticism, as a historical phase of the 19th century in literature, stresses the close relationship between man and nature, and continues a change of direction from the attention paid to the outer world of social civilization to the inner world of the human spirit. Romantics feel that the present society denies people’s essential human need, and their expectation to live in countryside, which is beautiful, quiet and could prevent human from sadness, terror, and fear. As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s four famous comedies. The whole story happens in Arden forest. The duke senior and his old followers take residence in the forest, and when they arrive there and lปive for some days, they are fully attracted by the beautiful scenery and forget the court’s sadness. Country life makes people get refreshed. Romanticism critics give a high praise to As You Like it.

This paper tries to analyze the close relationship between As You like It and Romanticism. In the play, the author demonstrates a living world which has close relationship with웃 men and is the source of their life. Based on the analysis of the close relationship between the play and Romanticism, and four scenes extracted from the play, the paper aims at the exploration and interpretation of Romanticism in the play.

Key Words

Romanticism; As You Like It; nature; emotion; comedy

摘 要

发生在19世纪的浪漫主义文学铸造了文学史上的一段神话，对后世产生了深远的影响。浪漫主义文学注重描写人的内心感受，并认为现实社会忽略了人的本质追求，并主张回归原始的田园生活，在宁静幽雅的自然乡村生活能让人身心得以放松，远离尘世生活的压力，喧嚣。《皆大欢喜》作为莎士比亚的四大喜剧之一，整个剧情在宁静、秀美的亚登森林中展开，讲述了被其弟篡夺了爵位后的老公爵和他的忠实的随从们来到森林里，忘却宫廷的虚伪与争夺，享受着自然的洗礼，心灵也得以净化和升华，给人一种浪漫的情怀。19 世纪的浪漫主义学者对这部喜剧情有独钟。

在作品中作者展现了一个与人类有着密切联系，并赋予人类生活的自然世界。论文通过对作品与浪漫主义的密切关系以及四幕精彩剧情的分析，揭示与解读《皆大欢喜》中的浪漫主义。

关键词

浪漫主义；皆大欢喜；自然；情感；喜剧

Introduction

Romance has a close relationship with people. It does not only make life colorful, but also lets people understand how to live a better life. Facing the stresses from work, one can do some romantic things to relax. It is known to all, that Romanticism was popular in Europe in the 19th century. Romantics stressed the close relationship between man and nature. They expected to live in countryside, and they always viewed intuition and emotions more important than reason and common sense. There was much greater stress on emotions in the writing of the romantic period. Romantics held the notion that one could find truth through one’s feelings. They thought the world as a lively, breathing being, and admired those who could speak the words from their inner world, and expect every person to express their feeling freely. They believed everybody’s inner self was meaningful, and everybody should have an opportunity to be creative and to express his own thoughts. The 19th century romantic critics regarded As You Like It as the declaration of Romanticism. As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s four comedies which was seen as a perfect comedy. From the writing background and the contents of Act ii scene i, Act iii scene ii, Act iii scene ii, Act iii scene v, there is a conclusion that everyone looks forward to having a romantic life.

Through analysis of As You Like It, readers can understand the demonstration of Romanticism in the play and know more about Romanticism which makes people’s life more lively, interesting and harmonious.

I. A Brief Introduction to Romanticism

Romanticism , a literary movement, is profound shift in sensibility, which took place in Britain and throughout Europe during 1770-1848. Intellectually it marked a violent reaction to the Enlightenment. Politically it was inspired by the revolutions in America and France and popular wars of independence in Poland, Spain, Greece, and elsewhere. Emotionally it expressed an extreme assertion of the self and the value of individual experience , together with the sense of the infinite and transcendental. Socially it championed progressive causes, though when these were frustrated it often produced a bitter, gloomy, and despairing outlook. The romantics paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man. Personified nature plays an important role in the pages of their works.

A. The Characteristics of Romanticism

Romanticism was a rebellion against the objectivity of rationalism. It was a movement of conscious rebellion against being too objective. The romantic spirit was one of subjectivity of inward feelings that one could trust one’s subjective responses. Romantics placed a high premium upon the creative function of imagination, and saw art as a formulation of intuitive and imaginative perceptions that tend to speak a nobler truth than that of fact.

For romantics, the feelings, intuitions and emotions were more important than reason and common sense. The controversy was one between head thinking and heart feeling. There was a much greater stress on emotions in the writing of the romantic period. Romantics held that one could find truth through one’s feelings. This is just the opposite of the rational theories that Benjamin Franklin followed. Rationalists would say that people could find truth through scientific investigation, but romantics were ready to trust their feelings as an avenue for finding truth and☼ finding what was essential in life They believed that the irrational was important in human experience and that not everything could be explained by reason.

Romantics did not think of the world as a ticking watch made by God. They thought of the world as a living, breathing being. They stressed the close relationship between man and nature. They viewed nature as an example and source of vivid physical beauty and as a manifestation of spirit in the universe. With deep love for nature, they saw nature as a revelation of truth, the living garment of God. Therefore, nature was a suitable subject for true art. They believed that God was immanent in creation. In other words, when they would look at the finite objects in this world, they would find the presence of an infinite God.

Romantics emphasized individualism, placing the individual against the group, against authority. They saw the individual at the very center of life and art. They emphasized personal freedom and freedom from formalism, tradition, and conformity. They delighted in self-analysis, intricate examination and full exposure of the soul. They cherished no hero-worship, yet believed in the perfectibility of humanity. Romantics believed in the natural goodness of human beings. They held that humanity close to nature would behave well, and would not be hindered by civilization.

Romantics affirmed the inner life of the self, and wanted each person to be free to develop and express his own inner thoughts. They believed everybody’s inner self was meaningful, and everybody should have an opportunity to be creative and to express his own thoughts.

Romantics cherished strong interest in the past, especially the medieval. They were attracted by the primitive because the primitive often was innocent and close to nature. There were many things written by the romantics about the American Indian. They romanticized the American Indian into a noble savage who was close to nature. Their attitudes were quite different from Puritans who emphasized that the Indians were wild, degenerate barbarians. They compared them to Satan. The romantics would look at the Indians as close to nature and therefore close in touch with God. The romanticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man. Personified nature plays an important role in the pages of their works.

. Romantics were attracted by the wild, irregular, indefinite, remote, mysterious, and the strange.

Romanticism has a deep influence on the contemporary time. Today, many people still have been researching on it. By reading As You Like It, one can have a feeling that the rebirth of romanticism. As you like it is a comedy written by Shakespeare, who was a popular playwright writing for the commercial theater in London in the 16th century. Shakespeare was not college-educated, and although his company had the sponsorship of King James, his work was not entirely "respectable.” He has written many plays, including comedies, tragedies and some sonnets. His work had great influence through ages over the world. To the Romantics, however, Shakespeare’s plays are the essence of folk poetry, the ultimate vindication of their faith in spontaneous creativity. Many European dramas in 19th century were influenced by him. Painters illustrated scenes from his plays, and composers based orchestral tone poems and operas on his narratives. As You Like It was one of the most famous comedies of Shakespeare’s. From the setting of the whole story one can find that the forest life is full of truth, kindness, beauty and love, which was the life that the 19th romantics were expecting to.

II. Shakespeare’s As You Like It

A. Background

In 1598，Shakespeare wrote As You Like It. And it becomes one of his four famous comedies. Theฏ play tells a tale happening in the Forest of Arden which is near the hometown Strafford –upon –Avon. When he was a child, he went to play in that place, and had a good memory about that period. He was attracted by the peace and beautiful views and expected to live there. In 16th there was a movement happening in Europe where humanist thinkers and scholars made attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas in Medieval Age, to introduce new ideas, and they also voiced that man did not only have ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders, Shakespeare was influenced by this sense, later these beliefs were expressed in the play As You Like It.

B. Summary

As the play opens, Duck Fredrick has usurped the title and throne of his elder brother, Duck Senior. The elder Duke and his loyal followers have taken up residence in the Forest of Arden. The banish duke’s daughter named Rosalind, when Frederick drove out her father, still kept in his court as a companion for his own daughter Celia. A close friendship had grown up between these ladies, which the quarrels of their fathers did not break. Celia tried by every kindness in her power to repay Rosalind for the injustice. Orlando and Oliver are two brothers divided by enmity, Orlando has long been mistreated by his brother and when Orlando enters a wrestling match sponsored by Duke Frederick, he attracts the attention of Rosalind. Likewise, Duke Frederick’s daughter and Rosalind to Arden like her father; Celia, Frederick’s daughter and Rosalind’s best friend, travels with her. Rosalind disguises herself as a boy called Ganymede, and Celia will take the part of “his” sister, Aliens. They are accompanied by the clown Touchstone. They met Orland, Rosalind promises to cure Orlando’s heartache by letting him pour his feelings out to Ganymede as if he were Rosalind. Also as Ganymede, Rosalind attempts a match between Silvia’s and Phebe that goes awry; Phebe falls for Rosalind’s Ganymede alter ego. Touchstone also courts a country girl named Audrey.

The resolution begins when Oliver enters the camp. Orlando saved him from an attack by a lion, and the two brothers have reconciled, upon meeting Celia, now Oliver falls in love. A duck senior promise to join them in wedlock the next day, Rosalind makes Phebe to marry Silvius if she can’t have Ganymede, when all have gathered for the wedding. Rosalind reveals herself as the erstwhile Ganymede, She and Orlando are happily reunited. And Phebe agrees to marry Sivius. The duke gave his consent to the marriage; and Orlando and Rosalind ,Oliver and Celia, were married at the same time, and though their wedding could not be celebrated in this wild forest with any splendors, yet a happier wedding day was never passed, and while they were eating under the cool shade of pleasant trees, a message arrived to tell the duke the joyful news, that his dukedom was given bake to him, this joyful news came just in time to perfect the joy of all who were the wedding of princesses. The duke was now able to reward those friends who had stayed with him in the forest, and these worthy followers, though they had patiently shared his troubles, were very well pleased to return in peace and happiness to the palace of their lawful duke.

Frederic, angry at his the flight of his daughter Celia, and entered the wild forest, he was met by an old religious man, with whom he had much talk, and who in the end completely turned his heart from his wicked plan, he became truly sorry, and resolved to give up his dukedom to spend the rest of his days in a religious.

In this play we can touch the country life more truly from old Duck’s speech in Act ii Scene I; the dialogue between Touchtone and Corin Act iii Scene ii 2.from the Act iii Scene ii, Act iii Scene v we can know that each person expect to be free to develop and express his own inner thoughts. And everybody’s inner self is meaningful; man should have an opportunity to be creative and to express his own thoughts.

III. Analysis of Some Specific Acts of the Comedy

A. Affirmation of the Inner Life of the Self

Although the great Romantic works often center on terror or rage, the motive force behind these passions is most often a relationship between a pair of lovers. Rosalind is waiting for Orlando in the forest. She overhears a conversation between a young shepherd and Phebe a shepherdess he lovers, but Phebe refuses the shepherd’s love, chilling him cruelly and telling him to leave her along. Rosalind has seen enough and she jumps into the conversation, chiding Phebe for being too cruel to the poor shepherd. In Rosalind eyes, everyone has the right to love other people .and whatever love or be loved, all should perish this love and catch this love closely, because that is the best gifts. Of all the emotions celebrated by the Romantics, the most popular was love. Medieval troubadours had celebrated courtly adultery according to a highly artificial code that little reflected the lives of real men and women while agreeing with physicians that romantic passion was a potentially fatal disease. It was the romantics who first celebrated romantic love as the natural birthright of every human being, the most exalted of human sentiments, and the necessary foundation of a successful marriage. Whether or not one agrees that this change of attitude was a wise one, it must be admitted to have been one of the most influential in the history of the world. In this comedy, Rosaland says:

You are a thousand times a proper man that she a woman. Is such fools as you that make the world full of ill-favored children.’ is Not her glass but you that flatter her, And out of you she sees herself more proper but, mistress, know yourself, down on your knees, and thank heaven, fasting, for a good man’s love; During the life we should not refuse the love of other people .when we come to the world ,we are crowed by the care of parents and giving out our love to the people around us .and love should not choose object everyone has the equal right to receive the care from others

B. Emphasis on Individualism

Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the personal, the spontaneous, and the emotional. Before the 18th Century, few Europeans concerned themselves with discovering their own individual identities. In the Arden forest, Touchtone meets Corin, a shepherd, and they engaged in a comic debate about the advantage and disadvantages of shepherds’ life in the country in contrast to the life of a courtier. This dialogue between a court and a shepherd in the Forest of Arden hits upon the central theme of the play, namely, idyllic country life purges the human mind of the dirt collect in the complicated power relation of the human society. From this talk, we can find that: people earn that they eat, get that they wear. They were not what they had been born: nobles, peasants, or merchants. The new industrialists naturally liked to credit themselves for having built their large fortunes and rejected the right of society to regulate. Just as Corin says:

Those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country as the behavior of the country is most mock able at the court. You told me you salute not at the court but you kiss your haฉnds; that courtesy would be uncleanly if courtiers were shepherds. Besides, our hands are hard. I am a true laborer: I earn that I at, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness, glad of other men’s good, content with my harm, and the greatest of my pride is to see my ewes graze and my lands suck..

C. The Close Relationship Between Man and Nature

Particular perspectives with regard to nature varied considerably--nature as a healing power, nature as a source of subject and image. Frederick has seized his brother’s power and banished him from his dukedom. The duke senior then has to live in the Forest of Arden with his loyal followers. In the forest, this life is so simple and common, there is no wear the luxurious clothes and jewelry, no big house, no warm close. This offered the old duke’s everyday life in the forest. But the old duke enjoys this life. To understand why this should have been so, we need to look more closely at the nature of the style and its origins. There has hardly been a time since the earliest antiquity that Europeans did not celebrate nature in some form or other, but the attitudes toward nature common in the Western world today emerged mostly during the Romantic period. The Enlightenment had talked of "natural law" as the source of truth, but such law was manifest in human society and related principally to civic behavior. Unlike the Chinese and Japanese, Europeans had traditionally had little interest in natural landscapes for their own sake. Romantics stress the close relationship between man and nature. The subject of the relationship of Romanticism to nature is a vast one which can be touched on here. The old duke attracted by the wild life, in winter he shrinks with cold. But in this shrinking, old duke find out a true self. Nature has great power which makes the old man lives so well, just as he said below:

Now, here feel we not the penalty of Adam, the season’s difference, as the icy fang and churlish chiding of the winter’s wind. Which when it bites and blows upon my body even till I shrink with cold, but this is no flattery: these are counselors that feeling persuade me what I am?” Sweet are the uses of adversity, which, like the toad, Ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in every thing. I would not change it.

D. Pursuit of Emotions

The Romanticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man. In the Forest of Arden, the youth man Orlando, something in the heart is haunting him, which makes him miss someone everyday. He hangs little love poems on trees and brushes to express his love to Rosalind. At the same time the girl he loved is also in love with him, but he does know that. Romantics generally called for greater attention to the emotions as a necessary supplement to purely logical reason. Personified nature plays an important role in the pages of their works. Remembered childhood, unrequited love, and the exiled hero were constant themes. They discussed dreams, dramatic illusion, and Romantic sensibility, the process of creativity, the limits of Classicism and Reason, and the dynamic nature of the Imagination. In As You Like It, Rosalind talks that:

Love is merely madness, and I tell you, deserves as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do; and the reason why they are not so punished and cured is, that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whispers are in love too. Yet I profess curing it by counsel. He was to imagine me his love, his mistress; and I set him every day to woo me. At which time I would being a monish youth, grieve, be effeminate, changeable ,longing and liking proud, fantastical, apish, shallow, inconstant, full of tears, full of smiles; for every passion something, and for no passion truly any thing ,as boys and women are for the most part cattle of this color.

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Conclusion

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