Salome The Symbol of Oscar Wildes Aestheticism.docx

Salome The Symbol of Oscar Wildes Aestheticism.docx

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SalomeTheSymbolofOscarWildesAestheticism

Acknowledgements

Igratefulacknowledgeallthosepeoplewhohaveassistedmeintheprocessofcompletingmygraduationthesis.Withouttheirhelp,thisthesiswouldhavebeenimpossible.

Firstandforemost,Iwouldliketoexpressmygreatappreciationtomysupervisor,ProfessorMEIDeming,forhegavemeadviceinstructiveandconstructiveinadditiontovaluableencouragement.

Finally,thankstomyparentsandfriends,whoinonewayoranotherhavegivenmehelpandencouragementduringmyworkonthisthesis.

摘要

奥斯卡.王尔德是最知名的爱尔兰作家，也是唯美主义运动坚定的支持者。

作为当时知名的美学家，王尔德将美学理想渗透到他的作品中。

他最为人所熟知的作品有：

唯一的一部小说《道连.格雷的画像》（1891）、四大喜剧作品《温德米尔夫人的扇子》、《无足轻重的女人》（1893）、《理想的丈夫》（1893）和《不可儿戏》（1895）。

与上述喜剧作品相反，《莎乐美》（1893）是一部严肃的戏剧，讲述了一个对于爱疯狂迷恋的故事。

此剧情节源于圣经，莎乐美是希律王的继女，她表演了美轮美奂的七重纱之舞。

而作为回报，她要求希律王斩下施洗者约翰的头颅。

而本论文会就此作品探讨两个主题：

分析王尔德的美学主义观念“为艺术而艺术”，以及在此分析的基础上探讨《莎乐美》这部作品的美学意义。

综合两点分析后得出的结论是：

《莎乐美》这部作品可以说是美学主义的杰作，而主要人物莎乐美则是王尔德美学理想最好的诠释。

关键词：

奥斯卡.王尔德，莎乐美，唯美主义，象征主义手法

Abstract

OscarWildeisthemostcelebratedIrishwriter,whoisfamousforbeingastaunchsupporteroftheaestheticmovement.

Asoneofthemostvocalaesthetesofhistime,Wildeputhisidealsintopracticebyinfusinghisaesthetictheoryintohisownworks.Amonghismostwell-knownworksarehisonlynovel,ThePictureofDorianGray（1891）,andhisfourcomediesLadyWindermere'sFan（1892）,AWomanofNoImportance（1893）,AnIdealHusband（1893）,TheImportanceofBeingEarnest（1895）.

Incontrary,Wilde'sone-actplaySalome（1893）isaseriousdramaaboutobsessivepassion.Salome,tellsinoneacttheBiblicalstoryofSalome,stepdaughterofthetetrarchHerod,who,toherstepfather'sdismaybuttothedelightofhermotherHerodias,requeststheheadofIokanaan（JohntheBaptist）onasilverplatterasarewardforthedanceofthesevenveils.

（1）

Andthisthesiswilldiscusstwosubjects:

ananalysisofWilde’saestheticview“ArtforArt’sSake”,andananalysisofhiscreationofSalomeinthelightoffindingofprevioussubject.Iwillcombinethefindingsfrombothsubjectstoanswerthecentralquestion:

iftheplaySalomeadherestoWilde’saestheticideal.

Keywords:

OscarWilde,Salome,aestheticism,symbolism

ChapterOne

Introduction

The19thcenturyseesavarietyofliterarymovementsintheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritain.Asoneofthoseliterarymovements,aestheticism,theanti-utilitarianismmovement,risessuddenlyattheendofthe19thcenturyandwithersawaysoon.

OscarWilde（1854-1900）,iswell-knowninhistimeasthemilestoneofaestheticism.Heattractedtheattentionofthereadersoveracenturyafterhisdeath,forhisgreattalentandwitty.TodayweenjoyWilde'sworksfortheirenduringhumor,butwealsoadmirehiscommitmenttohisownidealsoftruthandbeauty.

AestheticismcanbeseeninmanyofWilde’sstoriesandplays,e.g.hisonlynovelThePictureofDorianGrayandtheone-actplaySalome.

SalomeisavitalandspecialworkofWilde，storingthelifeenergyofhisaestheticismandbeingarepresentativeworkofsuchaestheticism．

Wilde'sinterestinSalomé’s’imagehadbeenstimulatedbyJoris-KarlHuysmans’descriptionsofGustaveMoreau'spaintingsinÀrebours.

ItwasherethatshewasindeedWoman,forhereshegavereintoherardentandcrueltemperament.Shewasliving,morerefinedandsavage,moreexecrableandexquisite.Shemoreenergeticallyawakenedthedulledsensesofman,moresurelybewitchedandsubduedhispowerofwill…

（2）

HewroteoriginalversionSaloméentirelyinFrench,and,becauseofalawforbiddingthetheatricaldepictionofbiblicalfigures,theplayneversawproductionineitherEnglishorEnglandduringWilde'slifetime.AnEnglishtranslationoftheplaybyLordAlfredDouglasappearedinFebruary1894,withillustrationsbyAubreyBeardsley.

TheplayunfoldsontheterraceofHerod'spalaceabovethebanquethall.SalomewasthestepdaughterofHerodAntipas,anddancedbeforeHerodandhermotherHerodiasattheoccasionofHerod'sbirthday,andbydoingsocausedthedeathofJohntheBaptist.TheNewTestamentsuggeststhatSalomecausedJohntobeexecutedbecauseofhiscomplaintsthatHerod'smarriagetoHerodiaswasadulterous;andthatHerodiasputheruptothedemandthatJohnbeexecuted,somethingthekingwasinitiallyreluctanttodo.

Inlatenineteenth-century,amongthesymbolistsinParis,thelegendoftheOrientalprincesswhodancesfortheheadofJohntheBaptisthadexperiencedamassiverevivalinboththevisualandliteraryarts.Wilde'splay,SalometakesaperversefancyforJohntheBaptist,andcauseshimtobeexecutedwhenJohnspurnsheraffections.Inthefinale,SalometakesupJohn'sseveredheadandkissesit.Herodturnsand,uponseeingSalomé,ordersthesoldierstokillher.Theyrushforwardandcrushherbeneaththeirshields.ThismodificationmakesSalometobetheleadingroleinthisstory,and“thekissingofhead”istheplay'sclimax。

Theplaywaseventuallypremieredon11February1896,whileWildewasinprison,inParis;aperformanceoftheplaywasarrangedbytheNewStageClubattheBijouTheatreinArcherStreet,London,on10and13May1905.Hisworksforthetheatrehavebeengivenaseriesofsuccess.TheplaywasmadeintoanoperabytheGermancomposerRichardStrauss.

Wilde’sSalomeisregardedasthemostrepresentativeworkwhichsymbolizesAestheticism.Basedonthismasterpiece,thefollowingpartseekstogiveanin-depthresearchintoWilde’saestheticism.

1.There-creationofthestory:

Theplaycamethroughtherichofimaginebasedonthebiblicalstory,whichfeaturedSalomewitheternalvitality.

2.Symbolism:

Wildeemploysalotofaestheticdeviceinthisplay.Hewroteitinaverymetaphoricalandsuggestivemanner,endowingcharactersorobjectswithsymbolicmeaning.

3.Beautyofthought:

SalomeisalsoamasterworkofWilde’sself-expression.ThemostbrilliantfigureisSalome,theJewishprincess,pursuingthepurenessofloveanddesire.ThecombinationoftheexpressivestyleanditsclashwithVictorianethicsmakesitaprimepiecetobeanalyzedinlightofWilde’stheories.

Wilde’sversionofstoryarehighlyacclaimedandhassincespawnedseveralotherartisticworks,e.g.film,musicalandballet.Andevenaftermorethan100years,itisstillbeingpopularthroughouttheworldtodayandcontinuestoinspiremillionsofpeople.

ChapterTwo

AestheticismandthemostrepresentativewriterOscarWilde

2.1Aestheticismandthemajorrepresentativewriters

Aestheticism（ortheAestheticMovement）isanartmovementsupportingtheemphasisofaestheticvaluesmorethansocio-politicalthemesforliterature,fineart,musicandotherarts.（3）Aestheticismcanbedefinedbroadlyastheelevationoftasteandthepursuitofbeautyaschiefprinciplesinartandinlife.

Themovementdrewupontheformulaof“l’artpourl’art”—artforart’ssake.（4）Inaestheticismthesubjectiveviewofbeautybecomestheprimarymeansofjudgingvalue:

whenconsideringwhetherapoemorapaintingisgood,aestheticismmerelyasksifitisbeautifulormeaningfulasaworkofartinitself.Thisformsastarkcontrasttothelong-standingcustomofjudgingartandliteratureeitheronthebasisofthemorallessonsitmightteachtoreadersorviewers（itssocialusefulness）orintermsofitscorrespondencetoreallife（itsrealism）.

Inthemiddleof19thCenturyinEngland,increasingindustrializationandcommercializationproducedaculturalatmospherethatdemandsforartamoralemphasis.However,towardsthelatterhalfofVictorianAge,thereappearedmovementstowardsaestheticism,inthereactiontotheIndustrialRevolution,againsttheemphasisonmoralteachinginartandliterature.

Andinthemiddleofthe19thcentury,“aesthetic”isunderstoodas“thebeautiful”,whichisgenerallyrelatedtoart.Theaesthetesbelievedthatartdidnothaveanydidacticpurpose;itneededonlybebeautiful.ThereweretwodistincthistoricalphasesofthedevelopmentofAestheticism:

thefirstofwhichincludesPre-Raphaelitismandtheaestheticmovement,c.1850–1880,andthesecondofwhichincludesaestheticismanddecadence,c.1870–1910.

OneoftheleadingmembersofagroupofartistsandpoetsknownasthePre-Raphaelites,DanteGabrielRossettiwasanexampleoftheartistdedicatedwhollytohisart.TheessenceofthePre-Raphaelitemovementwasoppositiontotechnicalskillwithoutinspiration.Thepoetsinthismovement,includingDateGabrielRossetti,ChristianRossettiandWilliamMorris,soughttheirinspirationinmedievalismandinGreekmythandlegend.ButthePre-Raphaelitemovementwasnotthemerelyanaestheticmovement.Agreatinfluenceuponitwastheworkofartcritic,JohnRuskin,whohadastrongsocialconsciousnessaboutthedutyofarttosociety,andespeciallyofthedutyofredeemingthesqualidlifeoftheurbanworkingclass.Foracertainperiodoftime,thepoetSwinburnewasalsowiththePre-Raphaelites.

ItisinWalterPater,awriterofgreatprose,thattheaestheticmovementfounditschiefinspiration.HewasthefirstEnglishwritertogiveformalexpressiontotheideasunderlyingthemovementknownasAestheticism.TheessenceofthemovementwasthebeliefthatArtisanexerciseintechniqueaimingatnomorethantherecordingofexperienceofbeauty,withoutanymoralordidacticaim.TherehavebeencriticsaswellasdefendersofthedoctrineofAestheticism.Putinitshistoricalcontext,itwasnotmerelyinspirationtotheyoungerartistsofPater’stime,butalsoavaluablecounterbalancetothemoralfervoranddidacticismoftheVictorianAge.HistextStudiesintheHistoryoftheRenaissance（1873）wasverywellregardedbyart-orientedyoungmen