因莎剧数量众多,在此只选取最著名的几部,对剧情作以简单的介绍。
包括《威尼斯商人》、《无事生非》、《皆大欢喜》、《第十二夜》,主要描写的是青年男女为追求爱情自由,与封建意识、封建顽固势力和各种自私欺骗行为所进行的斗争。《威尼斯商人》写青年商人安东尼奥为帮助朋友巴萨尼奥向名门闺秀鲍西娅求婚,向高利贷商人夏洛克借钱。因货船触礁无法如期还债。夏洛克嫉恨安东妮奥,坚持要按借约从安东尼奥身上割下一磅肉。鲍西娅化装成律师出庭辩护,粉碎了夏洛克企图以法律名义行凶报复的阴谋。《无事生非》写的是少年贵族克劳狄奥与总督之女希罗一见钟情,决定一周后举行婚礼,众人又极力撮合互相争强斗胜的贝特丽丝和培尼狄克相爱。唐·约翰设下诡计,让克劳狄奥误以为希罗是个荡妇,在婚礼上当众辱骂她。希罗气急晕倒,克劳狄奥以为希罗已死,十分痛悔,到坟堂追悼。最终真相大白,两人重逢。《皆大欢喜》讲述被放逐的公爵的女儿罗瑟琳与受到长兄奥列佛虐待的奥兰多相爱。不久罗瑟琳受到叔父、篡位者弗莱德里克的放逐,女扮男装逃亡到亚登森林,与奥兰多不期而遇。以此为主线,穿插了奥兰多以德报怨,拯救了兄长,使其天良发现,并与西莉娅产生爱情。弗莱德里克受隐士点拨,翻然悔悟,归还权位等故事。最终共有四对恋人喜结良缘,皆大欢喜。《第十二夜》写孪生兄妹西巴斯辛和薇奥拉遇海难失散。薇奥拉爱上了公爵奥西诺,女扮男装给他当侍童。但公爵却爱着伯爵小姐奥丽维娅。可奥丽维娅反而爱上了代替公爵向自己求爱的薇奥拉。经过一番有趣的波折之后,薇奥拉与奥西诺,奥丽维娅与西巴斯辛双双结成良缘。
鉴赏与评析
四大喜剧代表了莎士比亚喜剧艺术的最高成就。其基本主题是歌颂爱情和友谊,如在《威尼斯商人》中,作者通过安东尼奥的形象,赞美了友谊和仁爱精神,又通过巴萨尼奥和鲍西娅的爱情故事,说明真正爱情的纯洁与朴实。《皆大欢喜》、《第十二夜》中那些追求爱情自由的年轻人历经磨难,终成眷属。作者无情地批判了封建门阀观念、家长专制批判了中世纪以来的禁欲主义和蒙昧主义,并在对爱情自由和个性解放的赞美中,表现了人文主义的生活理想。
莎士比亚的四大戏剧《威尼斯商人》The Merchant of Venice,《仲夏夜之梦》A Midsummer Night's Dream《皆大欢喜》As You Like It, 和《第十二夜》Twelfth night。
以下是每个喜剧里最著名的几句话
莎士比亚的经典对白:
To be, or not to be, that is the Question:
Whether 'tis Nobler in the minde to suffer
The Slings and Arrowes of outragious Fortune;
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them: to dye, to sleepe
No more; and by a sleepe, to say we end
The Heart-ake, and the thousand Naturall shockes
That Flesh is heyre too? 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To dye to sleepe,
To sleepe, perchance to Dreame; I, there's the rub,
For in that sleepe of death, what dreames may come,
When we have shuffel'd off this mortall coile,
Must give us pawse. There's the respect
That makes Calamity of so long life:
For who would beare the Whips and Scornes of time,
The Oppressors wrong, the poore mans Contumely,
The pangs of dispriz'd Love, the Lawes delay,
The insolence of Office, and the Spurnes
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himselfe might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who would these fardles beare
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered Countrey, from whose Borne
No Traveller returnes, Puzels the will,
And makes us rather beare those illes we have,
Then flye to others that we know not of.
Thus Conscience does make Cowards of us all,
And thus the Native hew of resolution
Is sicklied o're, with the pale cast of Thought,
And enterprizes of great pith and moment,
With this regard their Currants turne away,
And loose the name of Action.