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摘 要:大多戏剧都没有讲述故事背景的叙述者,观众通常了解剧中人物是通过人物自身的语言和行为,亦或剧中的舞台提示,以及演员对剧中人物的阐释。然而,英国戏剧家皮特·山夫的嫉妒复仇剧—《莫扎特传》通过两个看似配角或简单叙述者的温特塞里斯,将剧中皮特·山夫对于人性的探索发挥到了极至。本文将从剧中主要人物萨利埃雷和莫扎特及他们之间的冲突体现,戏剧情节的发展,以及本剧主题的展现这几方面,分析剧中两个温特塞里斯的戏剧效果。
关键词:两个温特塞里斯;萨利埃雷;莫扎特;冲突;戏剧效果
1、Introduction:
Peter Shaffer is best known for his popular dramas Equus(1973) and Amadeus(1979). Shaffer’s plays, which often involve such themes as love, death, and salvation, explore the moral values of his characters. He is by his own admission “fascinated by the endless ambiguity of human situation, of the conflict between two different kinds of right.” Shaffer describes Amadeus as “a fantasia on events in Mozart’s life.” To put a man like Mozart on the stage is, admittedly, the most daunting of all projects. How can genius be made manifest in the theatre? The writer of the play would have to be of equal genius to invent lines of convincing impact. Despite a firestorm of controversy about the liberties taken with the historical facts by both play and film---including complaints about the undue exaggerations of Mozart's penury and lack of recognition, the unflattering portrait of Salieri.(1) Amadeus won a Tony Award in 1981, and the film Amadeus also earned international praise. It's very natural for such a distinguished writer and his work to embrace large reviews from both abroad and home. In Kessler’s eyes, the greatest fraudulence of Amadeus lies in its principle theme….(2) For Blake, the film Amadeus is the most powerful film he has seen in a long time. Why? The characters, the Prague settings and the celesting music of Mozart, of course. But here sits Salieri, the reviewer and critic, recognizing excellence but incapable of producing it. Here rests the plight of the human condition, that furious tension between what might be and what really is.(3)In China, Shaffer and his Amadeus get as much attentions as that from abroad. One view on Mozart is like this: For Mozart, vulgarity is his tomb, and his tragedy is resulted by the age to which he does not belong.(4) In music, Salieri is second to Mozart, but in tragedy, Salieri comes first. While, Salieri is not therefore attacked by hatred, because jealousy is not Salieri’s unique weakness, but human’s common frailty.(5) So it is not exaggerating to contribute Amadeus’s success to Shaffer’s talent and excellent craftmanship in drama, among which, the two Venticelli contribute a lot and their function deserves this paper to have a close analysis. With the assistance of reader response criticism, like the famous reader-response critic, George Poulet, he believes “consciousness of consciousness”.(6) The readers are expected to become conscious of the consciousness of the author while interpreting the text and hence enjoy Shaffer’s dramatic gift and obtain a better understanding of Amadeus from a new angle.
2、Discussion
The two Venticelli go through the whole play, appear at the very beginning of the play, until the ending. Every time when something urgent or important happens, they are bound to tell the audience some relevant backgrounds in advance or give some more information and comments later. The two Venticelli, to large extent, are the purveyors of fact, rumor and gossip throughout the play. Sometimes they speak to each other, sometimes to us--- but always with the urgency of men who have ever been first with the news. Their great dramatic function in this play can get evidence from the following aspects.
2.3 The Characteristics of Two Venticelli’s Language and Their Function
In Amadeus, two venticelli’s characteristic language also plays a very important role in their dramatic function.
2.3.1 Style
A character’s speech can be simple and straightforward or complex and convoluted; it can be plain and unadorned, or it can be embellished with elaborate figures of speech.(11) In Amadeus, two Venticelli’s direct and clear language tells the audience relevant background and information on time, especially, their repetitions at the beginning and at the end closely arrest the audience and what’s more, point out the play’s center as well as the theme.
2.3.2 Tone
Tone reveals a character’s mood or attitude. Tone can be flat or hysterical, bitter or accepting, affectionate or aloof, anxious or calm.(12) In Amadeus, at the beginning, two Venticelli’s “I don’t believe, I don’t believe!” give the whole play mysterious and sympathetic tone, which has a great function on the indication of the main characters and the theme. Occasionally, Venticelli’s tone changes. See what Venticelli 2 says when Venticelli 1 says Mozart looks appalling on hearing Salieri is appointed to fill the place of Kapellmeister: “It must be galling, of course.” This somewhat contempuous tone implies the theme of envy, which in turn arouses the audience’s reflection on the character, Salieri.
2.3.3 Irony
Irony, a contradiction or discrepancy between two different levels of meaning, can reveal a great deal about character. Especially, dramatic irony, which depends on the audience’s knowing something that a character has not yet realized, or on one character’s knowing something that other characters do not know.(13) In Amadeus, two Venticelli’s ironic language adds some power to their dramatic function. In Act2, Scene10, Salieri, for jealous, gets the place of Kapellmeister by attacking Mozart in front of Joseph II. Mozart at this time is so appalling and is dosing himself constantly with medicine. When Salieri asked for what? Venticelli 2 says: “Envy, I imagine.” Everyone knows except Salieri why Mozart behaves like this. The dramatic irony sharply points out the theme——envy.
Based on the above discussion, it is extremely obvious that Peter Shaffer is really an ingenious playwright, as what have been reasonable to observe in his Amadeus.
3.Conclusion
Two Venticelli’s important role and dramatic function in Amadeus present the audience two tragic music talents, especially show the destroying power of human’s original sin---envy. The design of two venticelli is indeed an impressively solid piece of theatrical craftsmanship from drama genius, Peter Shaffer. One hundred audience, one hundred Mozarts. Similarly, one hunderd critics, one hundred kinds of opinions on the dramatic function of two venticelli. This author tries to add some new criticisms in the blank page of the topic--- the dramatic function of two Venticelli despite this paper’s unavoidable frailties because of this author’s limited knowledge and abilities. On the dramatic function of two Venticelli, this paper just offers its own perspective for analysis, the future research can focus on the comparision and contrast between two Venticelli and stage interpretation as well as aside, which can also add some bright lines to the blank page of this field.
References:
[1]:Dana&Gioia.The Art of the Short Story.New York:Longman.2005.p.897.
[2]:Kael,Pauline. Mozart and Bizet, in her State of the Art,E.P.Dutton,1985,pp.249-57.
[3]:杜乡.影片《莫扎特传》中人物形象与音乐分析.CNKI
.p.152-153.
[4]候燕俐莫扎特传—庸才与天才的距离.生活.2005,第17期.p.112.
[5]:张斌荣.天才来自哪里.创造力开发.p.11-12.
关键词:两个温特塞里斯;萨利埃雷;莫扎特;冲突;戏剧效果
1、Introduction:
Peter Shaffer is best known for his popular dramas Equus(1973) and Amadeus(1979). Shaffer’s plays, which often involve such themes as love, death, and salvation, explore the moral values of his characters. He is by his own admission “fascinated by the endless ambiguity of human situation, of the conflict between two different kinds of right.” Shaffer describes Amadeus as “a fantasia on events in Mozart’s life.” To put a man like Mozart on the stage is, admittedly, the most daunting of all projects. How can genius be made manifest in the theatre? The writer of the play would have to be of equal genius to invent lines of convincing impact. Despite a firestorm of controversy about the liberties taken with the historical facts by both play and film---including complaints about the undue exaggerations of Mozart's penury and lack of recognition, the unflattering portrait of Salieri.(1) Amadeus won a Tony Award in 1981, and the film Amadeus also earned international praise. It's very natural for such a distinguished writer and his work to embrace large reviews from both abroad and home. In Kessler’s eyes, the greatest fraudulence of Amadeus lies in its principle theme….(2) For Blake, the film Amadeus is the most powerful film he has seen in a long time. Why? The characters, the Prague settings and the celesting music of Mozart, of course. But here sits Salieri, the reviewer and critic, recognizing excellence but incapable of producing it. Here rests the plight of the human condition, that furious tension between what might be and what really is.(3)In China, Shaffer and his Amadeus get as much attentions as that from abroad. One view on Mozart is like this: For Mozart, vulgarity is his tomb, and his tragedy is resulted by the age to which he does not belong.(4) In music, Salieri is second to Mozart, but in tragedy, Salieri comes first. While, Salieri is not therefore attacked by hatred, because jealousy is not Salieri’s unique weakness, but human’s common frailty.(5) So it is not exaggerating to contribute Amadeus’s success to Shaffer’s talent and excellent craftmanship in drama, among which, the two Venticelli contribute a lot and their function deserves this paper to have a close analysis. With the assistance of reader response criticism, like the famous reader-response critic, George Poulet, he believes “consciousness of consciousness”.(6) The readers are expected to become conscious of the consciousness of the author while interpreting the text and hence enjoy Shaffer’s dramatic gift and obtain a better understanding of Amadeus from a new angle.
2、Discussion
The two Venticelli go through the whole play, appear at the very beginning of the play, until the ending. Every time when something urgent or important happens, they are bound to tell the audience some relevant backgrounds in advance or give some more information and comments later. The two Venticelli, to large extent, are the purveyors of fact, rumor and gossip throughout the play. Sometimes they speak to each other, sometimes to us--- but always with the urgency of men who have ever been first with the news. Their great dramatic function in this play can get evidence from the following aspects.
2.3 The Characteristics of Two Venticelli’s Language and Their Function
In Amadeus, two venticelli’s characteristic language also plays a very important role in their dramatic function.
2.3.1 Style
A character’s speech can be simple and straightforward or complex and convoluted; it can be plain and unadorned, or it can be embellished with elaborate figures of speech.(11) In Amadeus, two Venticelli’s direct and clear language tells the audience relevant background and information on time, especially, their repetitions at the beginning and at the end closely arrest the audience and what’s more, point out the play’s center as well as the theme.
2.3.2 Tone
Tone reveals a character’s mood or attitude. Tone can be flat or hysterical, bitter or accepting, affectionate or aloof, anxious or calm.(12) In Amadeus, at the beginning, two Venticelli’s “I don’t believe, I don’t believe!” give the whole play mysterious and sympathetic tone, which has a great function on the indication of the main characters and the theme. Occasionally, Venticelli’s tone changes. See what Venticelli 2 says when Venticelli 1 says Mozart looks appalling on hearing Salieri is appointed to fill the place of Kapellmeister: “It must be galling, of course.” This somewhat contempuous tone implies the theme of envy, which in turn arouses the audience’s reflection on the character, Salieri.
2.3.3 Irony
Irony, a contradiction or discrepancy between two different levels of meaning, can reveal a great deal about character. Especially, dramatic irony, which depends on the audience’s knowing something that a character has not yet realized, or on one character’s knowing something that other characters do not know.(13) In Amadeus, two Venticelli’s ironic language adds some power to their dramatic function. In Act2, Scene10, Salieri, for jealous, gets the place of Kapellmeister by attacking Mozart in front of Joseph II. Mozart at this time is so appalling and is dosing himself constantly with medicine. When Salieri asked for what? Venticelli 2 says: “Envy, I imagine.” Everyone knows except Salieri why Mozart behaves like this. The dramatic irony sharply points out the theme——envy.
Based on the above discussion, it is extremely obvious that Peter Shaffer is really an ingenious playwright, as what have been reasonable to observe in his Amadeus.
3.Conclusion
Two Venticelli’s important role and dramatic function in Amadeus present the audience two tragic music talents, especially show the destroying power of human’s original sin---envy. The design of two venticelli is indeed an impressively solid piece of theatrical craftsmanship from drama genius, Peter Shaffer. One hundred audience, one hundred Mozarts. Similarly, one hunderd critics, one hundred kinds of opinions on the dramatic function of two venticelli. This author tries to add some new criticisms in the blank page of the topic--- the dramatic function of two Venticelli despite this paper’s unavoidable frailties because of this author’s limited knowledge and abilities. On the dramatic function of two Venticelli, this paper just offers its own perspective for analysis, the future research can focus on the comparision and contrast between two Venticelli and stage interpretation as well as aside, which can also add some bright lines to the blank page of this field.
References:
[1]:Dana&Gioia.The Art of the Short Story.New York:Longman.2005.p.897.
[2]:Kael,Pauline. Mozart and Bizet, in her State of the Art,E.P.Dutton,1985,pp.249-57.
[3]:杜乡.影片《莫扎特传》中人物形象与音乐分析.CNKI
.p.152-153.
[4]候燕俐莫扎特传—庸才与天才的距离.生活.2005,第17期.p.112.
[5]:张斌荣.天才来自哪里.创造力开发.p.11-12.