博客AY：莎士比亞四百年

我認，當年在香港大學一年級選科時選修莎士比亞是因為有型。跟這位英國最大偉的文豪的緣份，卻早始於中四，我第一本讀的莎劇是 Macbeth，當年 14 歲。 可能因為是 first love 吧，Macbeth 一直是我最愛的莎劇，好幾位著名導演，包括 D. W. Griffith及Orson Welles都改編過 Macbeth。黑澤明的《蜘蛛巢城》也以Macbeth 為藍本的。

今年 4 月是莎士比亞逝世 400 週年紀念，在英國這個重要性媲美英女皇壽辰。一直以來研究莎士比亞的文章很多，尤其是他對後世的英語詞彚、政治及舞台劇發展都有深遠的影響。但關於莎翁的趣事，尤其是他曾經是舞台劇演員，應該較少人知道。莎劇的現代性很強，幾百年後的今天看了，也不感過時，而且還金句處處，發人深省，尤其是關於愛情。莎翁寫「愛」寫得精闢，就因為他曾經當過演員，深知最能吸引觀眾的角色，尤其是女性觀眾，莫過於精於作詩、愛飲酒、才華揚溢的男主角，那不就是風流才子嗎？

在莎士比亞的世界內，關於「愛」這個普天下也逃不過的事，有很多的精警描寫。除了經常被引用的The course of true love never did run smooth 外，還有：

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,

And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment taste;

－ A Midsummer Night's Dream

Forty thousand brothers

Could not, with all their quantity of love,

Make up my sum.

－ Hamlet

Love is a smoke rais'd with the fume of sighs;

Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in a lover's eyes;

Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears:

What is it else? a madness most discreet,

A choking gall and a preserving sweet."

－ Romeo and Juliet

真實生活當中，我相信莎士比亞也是風流才子一名，他不到 20 歲已經結婚，早婚是因為「奉子」，想像在 16 世紀的英國奉子成婚，應該都是件非常前衛的事。還有莎士比亞的 Sonnets （十四行詩）更是大文豪對愛非常「肉緊」的描寫，而其實 sonnet 是沿自意大利的 sonnettoo ，意思就是 little sound，像耳邊輕絲細語。試想像有人在你耳邊輕聲地朗讀這首 －

How for, when thou, my music, music play'st

Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds

With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st

The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,

Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap

To kiss the tender inward to thy hand,

Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap,

At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand.

To be so tickled, they would change their state

And situation with those dancing chips

O'er whom they fingers walk with gently gait,

Making dead wood more blest than living lips.

Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,

Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.

－ Sonnet 128

冧豬到呢！