A Study of the Metaphoric Middle Stratum of the plays of Shakespeare

有许多批评是从意象的角度来研究莎士比亚戏剧的。但他们都没有考虑到意象和隐喻在莎士比亚戏剧的结构中所处的地位。在我的研究中，我认为它们形成了存在于油气藏表层和深层结构之间的中间层。这个中间阶层相当于人类的心智，它产生了梦、炼金术和民间传说等。如果莎士比亚戏剧中的隐喻可以被认为是与人类心智中层产生的这些东西相对应的，那么我们就可以利用科学研究的成果来研究它们。从这个角度出发，我们做了如下的研究。《仲夏夜之梦》隐喻的中间阶层是基于月亮的民间传说。弓和箭的意象被编织在这个隐喻结构中。弓箭本来就有一种神奇的元素。它与五月运动会，罗宾汉和地球上的傻瓜有关。《暴风雨》的中间部分由炼金术的隐喻构成。这出戏利用了一种叫做“底部的灵魂”的民间传说来形成阿里尔。有一个关于炼金术士巴拉塞尔苏斯的传说。这一事实表明，这部戏的隐喻性中间阶层是炼金术阶层。《麦克白》中比喻中产阶级的核心主题是“公平即肮脏”。剧中的各种意象和隐喻都与这个主题有关。

There are many criticisms which study Shakespeare's plays from the point of view of imagery. But none of them considers what position the imagery and metaphors occupy in the structure of the Shakespearean plays. In this study of mine I regard them as forming the middle stratum which exists between the surface and the deep structure of the play. This middle stratum corresponds to that of human mind which produces, for example, dreams, alchemy and folklore. If the metaphors of the plays of Shakespeare can be considered to be corresponding to these things which are produced at the middle stratum of human mind, we can utilize the achievements of the scientific studies which treat of them. From this point of view the following research has been done.1. The metaphoric middle stratum of A Midsummer Night's Dream is based on the folklore of the moon. The imagery of bow and arrow is woven into this metaphoric structure. Bow and arrow originally have a magical element. It is related to May Games, Robin Hood and Bottom as a fool of the earth.2. The middle stratum of The Tempest is composed of the metaphors of alchemy. This play makes use of a type of folklore called 'the spirit in the bottom' for the formation of Ariel. There is a legend of this type about an alchemist Paracelsus. This fact suggests that the metaphoric middle stratum of this play is an alchemical one.3. The core motif of the metaphoric middle stratum of Macbeth is 'fair is foul.' The various images and metaphors of the play are related to this motif.