The Whores that Shall be Dead: The Fluid Images and Predicament of Female Characters in
Shakespeare’s Othell

CNU IR > Chna Nan Annual Bulletin > Vol.36 (2010) > Item 310902800/23810

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Title:	The Whores that Shall be Dead: The Fluid Images and Predicament of Female Characters in Shakespeare’s Othell 該死的婊子們:論奧賽羅中女性角色的流動性及其所面臨的困境
Authors:	Yi-Chi Chen
Contributors:	南台科技大學語言中心
Keywords:	Othello the desire for the Other female image misogyny Lacan 奧賽羅拉崗女性形象憎恨女性他者的欲望
Date:	2010
Issue Date:	2011-05-18 12:01:14 (UTC+8)
Abstract:	The paper aims to discuss the three female characters Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca and their predicament under the accusation of whoredom in Othello. Although similarly accused of whordom, the three female characters display different characteristics and causes of “whoredom”. On the other hand, the three female characters similarly reveal the fact that the female image can be easily molded and twisted by males. Through the relationship between the male characters and females, this paper discusses the ambiguous images that Shakespeare creates for the three female characters and their frail female beings. Moreover, the paper also focuses on the male misogynic attitudes toward the three female characters and the relation between the misogyny and their tragic endings. Also, the theory of the Mirror Stage, its relation to the Other and desire are applied in the discussion of the female sexuality and the multiple images of each female characters that are presented. Finally, I’d also like to discuss that death for the three female characters represents not only the inevitable result of misogynistic hatred but also the ambiguous “whorish” image that they display. 本文欲討論在莎士比亞的奧賽羅中，三名女性角色:黛絲苔夢娜、艾蜜麗亞、及畢昂卡所面臨的困境。同樣被指控為「婊子」，此三名女性角色所表現出的特質及其所被指控的源由其實各有不同。另一方面來說，此三名女性角色也同時揭露了一點: 在本劇中，以拉崗的鏡像理論及其對他者與欲望間的關係為輔，分析女性角色的形象可隨意的被男性所操縱或區解的特性。透過劇中男女角色們錯綜的關係分析，本文將探討莎士比亞所賦予在此三名女性角色身上的曖昧不明的形象，以及女性形象的脆弱與不穩定性。本文還著重於男性角色的憎恨女性心態及其所導致的悲慘結果。最後，則歸結於死亡所代表的不僅是憎恨女性的情境下所不可避免的結果，也同時呼應了女性角色裡曖昧不明的形象所引發的錯解與悲劇。
Relation:	嘉南學報(人文類) 36期：p.747-757
Appears in Collections:	[Chna Nan Annual Bulletin] Vol.36 (2010)

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