麦克白中希腊神话原型研究

外国语学院

题目：

Analysis on the prototypes form Greek Mythology in

Macbeth

学号：

2

姓名：许笑晴

专业班级：英语

133

指导教师：方薇

2015

年

01

月

04

日

1

Abstract

:

Shakespeare

?

s

creation

of

drama

is

influenced

a

lot

by

Greek

Mythology.

One

of

his

greatest

tragedies,

Macbeth,

to

a

large

extent,

reflects

his

using

of

the

prototypes

of

Greek

mythology. This paper aims to find out what prototypes of Greek Mythology Shakespeare used in

Macbeth and analyze them one by one.

Key words

: Macbeth, Greek Mythology, prototype

1.

Introduction

Western

literature

derives

from

Greek

literature,

and

Greek

literature

stems

from

Geek

Mythology. Therefore, in most of western literature, we can see a lot of prototypes of the characters

in Greek Mythology. The creation of much literature is based on Greek Mythology, such as some

epics, dramas, novels and so on. All of these absorb plenty of nutrients, and then get processed and

decorated,

finally

becoming

masterpieces

popularized

by

a

great

amount

of

readers.

As

we

all

known, William Shakespeare is the greatest playwriter in English literature. Many traces of Greek

Mythology can be found in his dramas.

In his course of creation, two major ways of

referring to

Greek Mythology are used, one is using the stories directly, such as

Troilus and Cressida

, the other

is employing metaphor to combine the characters in Greek Mythology and the figures in his drama,

enriching the implied meaning of his drama.

Macbeth,

as one of the most famous tragedies created

by Shakespeare, draws a lot people

?

s attention all over the world. In Macbeth, Shakespeare rebuilds

the

characters

in

Greek

Mythology.

Some

figures

and

plots

in

Greek

Mythology

are

reflected

in

Macbeth,

but

we

can?t

the

exactly

same

figures

and

plots

in

Greek

Mythology

and

Macbeth.

Macbeth is a reflection of Shakespeare

?

s second way of using Greek Mythology.

2.

Plot

The

play

opens

amidst

thunder

and

lightning,

and

the

Three

Witches

decide

that

their

next

meeting shall be with Macbeth. In the following scene, a wounded sergeant reports to King Duncan

of

Scotland

that

his

generals

—

Macbeth,

who

is

the

Thane

of

Glamis,

and

Banquo

—

have

just

defeated the allied forces of Norway and Ireland, who are led by the traitorous Macdonald and the

Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, the King's kinsman, is praised for his bravery and fighting prowess.

The Three Witches greet them with propheciesand though Banquo challenges them first, they

address Macbeth, hailing him as

hereafter.

witches respond paradoxically, saying that he will be less than Macbeth, yet happier, less successful,

2

yet

more.

He

will

father

a

line

of

kings,

though

he

himself

will

not

be

one.

While

the

two

men

wonder at these pronouncements, the witches vanish, and another thane, Ross, arrives and informs

Macbeth of his newly bestowed title: Thane of Cawdor, as the previous Thane of Cawdor shall be

put

to

death

for

treason.

The

first

prophecy

is

thus

fulfilled,

and

Macbeth,

previously

skeptical,

immediately begins to harbour ambitions of becoming king.

After sending a message about the witches' prophecies ahead to his wife, with Lady Macbeth

?

s

wish and persuasion about murdering Duncan in order to obtain kingship, Macbeth finally decides

to kill the king that night when Duncan comes to their house.

They

succeed,

and

cheat

everyone

that

the

murderers

are

Duncan

?

s

two

chamberlains.

Duncan's

sons

Malcolm

and

Donalbain

flee

to

England

and

Ireland,

respectively,

fearing

that

whoever killed Duncan desires their demise as well. Macbeth becomes the king of Scotland while

Banquo is made suspicious of Macbeth because of the prophecies.

With fear that his power remains insecure,Macbeth kills Banquo,Macduff

?

s wife and children.

Macduff, the loyal Thane of Fife, flees to England, and meets Malcolm. Fear and suspicion make

Macbeth more cruel and cold-blood, even when Lady Macbeth dies of lunacy, he does not feel any

sadness.

Everyone betrays

and leaves him, and then finally,

facing

Malcolm and the troops from

England, he is killed by Macduff who was

3.

Analysis on prototypes

3.1

Macduff

In Macbeth, Macduff is a sufferer, as a prototype of Prometheus. Prometheus, best known as

the

deity

in

Greek

mythology,

was

the

creator

of

mankind

and

its

greatest

benefactor,

who

gave

mankind fire stolen from Mount Olympus.

And his theft of fire from Olympus for the benefit of

humanity against the will of Zeus causes his eternal punishment judged by suffers a lot,

while

Macduff

is

the

same.

After

becoming

the

king

of

Scotland,

Macbeth

exactly

believes

the

witches' prophecies that tell him to beware of Macduff. He is afraid that Macduff were the threat to

the

throne,

so

he

determines

to

kill

him,

thoroughlygetting

rid

of

insecurity.

As

the

same

as

Prometheus, Macduff is weak, without many people helping him and substantial power. Therefore,

his wife and children are murdered by Macbeth. He flees to England alone. The conflict between

Macduff and Macbeth is the fight between justice and evil. The power of justice is stronger than the

power of evil and evil is

always defeated by justice, so that at last, Prometheus is

released

from

3