本文旨在探討約翰•韋伯斯特以改編歷史史實而寫出以兄妹為主題的『白魔』與『孟菲女公爵』兩悲劇之寫作動機及了解韋伯斯特寫作以兄妹間爭執之主題的意圖為何。
因大家對文藝復興時期的劇作家，除了莎士比亞外，並非十分熟稔，故在第一章開始，簡介一些評論家是如何以美學、道德及語言等觀點評論韋伯斯特的戲劇。並介紹韋伯斯特的時代背景以助於分析為何在『白魔』與『孟菲女公爵』兩悲劇有著不同於其他描述兄妹互助的手足之情的文藝復興的戲劇、民謠及童話故事。
在第二章，描述在十六世紀家庭宣導小冊如何地宣導家庭秩序以及韋伯斯特如何突顯兄妹間的衝突有別於史實及那些描繪歷史上兄妹互助或兄為妹復仇之戲劇、民謠及童話故事。在『孟菲女公爵』一劇中，韋伯斯特呈現出建立於婚姻、父權、財產以及階層系統下複雜的兄妹關係。而引發的種種的衝突，最終導致家族的毀滅。此外，此種兄妹關係亦是在『白魔』一劇又再度呈現，因此在第三章指出韋伯斯特又如何再次地描繪以自己為利的兄長是如何地利用其妹來獲得社會地位。簡言之，在當時動盪不安的且病態的社會中，兄妹關係是建築在私人利益上而非誠摯的關心。因而，韋伯斯特的『白魔』與『孟菲女公爵』兩悲劇不僅展現人性邪惡為己之一面，同時也反諷當時極力提倡的家庭宣導手冊。然而，我想韋伯斯特真正所要呈現的是當時動盪不安的且病態的社會是如何對兄妹彼此的情感及關係影響甚是，最後導致家庭的悲劇及破裂。此些影響兄妹關係及家庭的因素，或許可以做為大家的一個警惕。

Abstract

As members of a family, siblings act important roles for their family prosperity in both literary works as well as the real world. Conventionally, sibling cordial love and harmonious interactions are extremely respected and advocated by society. This kind of sibling motif was also frequently seen in plays, fairly tales and folk tales. Moreover, prohibited not only by society but also by the one in the literary works, the theme of the sibling incest becomes a caution for those having too intimate sibling interactions.
Similarly, adopting sibling motif as the structure of his two tragedies, The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil, John Webster applies different sibling interactions from those traditional ones. Both of The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil end with the tragic ends--their families become devastated and all brothers and sisters are dead. Applying completely different sibling interactions within his two tragedies, John Webster who abandons all the depictions of harmonious sibling interactions may have his own motivation of presenting this kind of sibling conflict and rivalry. For this reason, the main concern of this thesis is to investigate Webster's motivation of adapting the sibling motif in his two tragedies, The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil and to comprehend his intention of writing this kind of sibling motif.
The first chapter introduces a brief introduction of some critics' comments on Webster's plays, the social contexts of Webster's time and the Renaissance plays, fairy tales and folklore applying the sibling as its motif. The second chapter sketches how the family order was reinforced in the house manuals in the sixteenth century, how John Webster altered the historical events to present the sibling conflict and rivalry instead of the revenge plays. What John Webster presents is the complex sibling relationships, which are based on the marriage, the patriarchal figure and family members, property and the class system. The sibling relationship in The Duchess of Malfi obviously establishes the physical concern more than the psychological concern. The third chapter also points out how Webster elaborates the self-concerned brothers utilize his sister to confirm their social status without care as those in The Duchess of Malfi. After comprehending the sibling relationship based on the physical concern due to the social milieu, we may conclude that Webster’s motivation to arrange the sibling motif not only manifest the evilness of human nature but also satirize the reinforcement of the patriarchal family and family order of Webster’s time. On the whole, the morbid society Webster lived resulted in his depiction on the sibling conflict and rivalry in his two tragedies.

Table of Content

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………i
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………iv
Chapter One: Introduction………………………………………….………1
Chapter Two: Brother and Sister Relationship
in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi……………………29
Chatper Three: Brother and Sister Relationship
In John Webster's The White Devil………………..…….….65
Chapter Four: Conclusion…………………………………………………..93
Works Cited:…………………………………………………………………101

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