Myth-Criticism-神话批评

MythCriticisminPracticeByShangGuangyiGeneralIntroduction•Unlikethetraditionalcritic,whoreliesheavilyonhistoryandthebiographyofthewriter,themythcriticisinterestedmoreinprehistoryandthebiographiesofthegods.•Unliketheformalisticcritic,whoconcentratesontheshapeandsymmetryoftheworkitself,themythcriticprobesfortheinnerspiritwhichgivesthatformitsvalidityanditsenduringappeal.(P167)•UnliketheFreudiancritic,whoispronetolookontheartifactastheproductofsomesexualneurosis,themythcriticseestheworkhistorically,asthemanifestationofvitalizing,integrativeforcesarisingformthedepthsofhumankind’scollectivepsyche.(P167)•Itisonlyduringthe20thcenturythattheproperinterpretivetoolsbecameavailablethroughthedevelopmentofsuchdisciplineasanthropology,psychology,andculturalhistory.•Therehasbeenadiscouragingconfusionoverconceptsanddefinitionsamongthemythinitiatesthemselves.•Therefore,itispoorlyunderstoodandmanyscholarsareskepticalaboutit.(P167)A.AnthropologyandItsUse•Itisthemostimportantsingleinfluenceonthegrowthofmythcriticism.•ThemostsignificantmemberoftheCambridgeHellenistswasSirJamesG.Frazer.HismonumentalTheGoldenBoughhasexertedanenormousinfluenceonthe20th-centuryliterature.•Hedemonstratesthe“essentialsimilarityofman’schiefwantseverywhereandatalltimes”.(P168)•Itscentralmotifisthearchetypeofcrucifixionandresurrection,speciallythemythdescribingthe“killingofthedivineking.”(P168)•Manyprimitivepeoplesbelievedthattherulerwasidentifiedwithlifecycleinnatureandinhumanexistence.(P168)Soavigorousandhealthyrulerwouldensurenaturalandhumanproductivity,whileasickormaimedkingwouldbringblightanddiseasetothelandanditspeople.•Inordertoensurethewelfareofthetribe,thekingsorcertainsubstitutefiguresshouldbekilled.Andsuchriteofsacrificewasthescapegoatarchetype.Wecanrecognizethevestigesofsuchcustomsinourowncivilizedworld,thepersecutionofblacksandJewsasscapegoatsandthehomelytraditionofspring-cleaning.AndShirleyJackson’sTheLotteryevidentlyemployedsuchmotif.•Sophocles’sOedipusisanexcellentexampleofthefusionofliteratureandmyth,anditsplotisnothisinventionbutawell-knownmythicnarrativewhichexistedlongbeforethisplay.•Boththemythandtheplaycontainanumberoffamiliararchetypalmotifs:(1)Thequestmotif,disabledandabandonedinthewildness,answertheriddleofSphinx,deliverthekingdomandmarrythequeen.(2)Thescapegoatmotif.Thewelfareofthestateisboundupwiththefateofruler.OnlyafterOedipushasofferedhimselfupasascapegoatisthelandredeemed.1.TheSacrificialHero:HamletHamletisoneofthehaunted,sacrificialandgoldenboughkings.Besides,weshouldmentionthemythofappointmentthatrelatescloselytothemeaningofHamlet.DivineappointmentabeliefstronglyfosteredbytheTudorMonarchs.•InsuchTudorMyth,interferencewiththeorderofdivinesuccessionorappointmentresultsinbothpoliticalandnaturalchaos,andadeformed,corruptorweakmonarchepitomizesadiseasedpoliticalstate.AndthisnationalmythiscentralinHamlet.(P171)•Theplay’sthematicheartistheancient,archetypalmysteryofthelifecycleitself.(P173)•Hamlet’sroleistodeliverthecountryfromtheblight,avengehisfather’smurderandofferhimselfupasaroyalscapegoat.Thisisthearchetypalpatternofsacrifice-atonement-catharsis.•Hamlet’sinitiation,hislongandspiritualjourney,frominnocent,carefreeyouththroughaseriesofpainfulordealstosadderbutwisermaturity.(P174)•Thearchetypalimagery.Hamletisanautumnalnighttimeplaydominatedbyimagesofdarknessandblood,andtheheroappropriatelywearsblack,thearchetypalcolorofmelancholy.•Tosumup,Hamletisfullofsucharchetypesasquest,initiation,scapegoatandmanyothers,suchasthecolorimages..(P175)2.Archetypesoftimeandimmortality:“ToHisCoyMistress”Inadeepersense,ToHisCoyMistressisapoemabouttime.Anditisalsoconcernedwithimmortality,afundamentalmotifinmyth.Forexample,thereisthegardenarchetypeinstanza1(vegetablelove),sunarchetypeinstanza2(time’swingedchariot),andagainthesunarchetypeintheconcludingstanza(fusedwiththesphere,“roll…intoaball”,whichsymbolizesthewholeness,unityandfulfillment).B.JungianPsychologyandItsArchetypalInsights•Jung’sprimarycontributiontomythcriticismishistheoryofracialmemoryandarchetype.•Hebelievedtherewasaprimeval,collectiveunconscioussharedinthepsychicinheritanceofallmembersofthehumanfamily.•WhatJungcalled“myth-forming”structuralelementsareeverpresentintheunconsciouspsyche,whichhereferstoas“motifs”,“primordialimages”,or“archetypes”.(P178)•Inhisopinion,mythsarethemeansbywhicharchetypes,essentiallyunconsciousforms,becomemanifestandarticulatetotheconsciousmind.Andthegreatestartistisapersonwhopossessestheprimordialvision,aspecialsensitivitytoarchetypalpatternsandagiftforspeakinginprimordialimagesthatenablehimorhertotransmitexperiencesofthe“innerworld”throughart.(P179)1.SomeSpecialArchetypes:Shadow,PersonaandAnima•OnemajorcontributionisJung’stheoryofindividuation,whichisapsychologicalgrowingup,theprocessofdiscoveringthoseaspectsofone’sselfthatmakeoneanindividualdifferentfromothermembersofspecies.Anditisessentiallyaprocessofself-recognition.•Individuationisrelatedtothosearchetypesdesignatedastheshadow,theanimaandthepersona.(P180)•Theshadowisthedarkersideofourunconsciousself,th