Abstract

    Shylock is one of the greatest classic tragic characters created by William Shakespeare. What Shylock has demonstrated mostly was originated from the Greek myth archetypes. This thesis intends to analyze Shylock in The Merchant of Venice from the perspective based on the theory of myth and archetypal criticism so as to appreciate this character better. With the purpose of probing into the characteristics of Shylock revealing his tragic ending, and applying theory to the work, the essay gives a detailed interpretation on Shylock according to the theory of Myth and archetypal criticism from character archetype, theme archetype and plot archetype these. In addition, the paper makes a general introduction to writing background, including the Renaissance Period, the author and several explanations of myth and archetypal criticism. Through combining the myth and archetypal criticism with the words and behaviors of Shylock, readers will comprehend Shylock as a tragic figure better, and at the same time get a deeper understanding of mythological archetypes.

Key Words: myth and archetypal criticism  Shylock  tragic

摘 要

    夏洛克是莎士比亚笔下其中一位最为经典的悲剧人物，夏洛克所表现的形象大都源自希腊神话原型。该论文从神话原型批判理论角度分析《威尼斯商人》中夏洛克，从而更好的赏析夏洛克这个人物。为了探究夏洛克的人物性格，揭示其悲惨的命运，理论联系作品，论文采用神话原型批评理论对夏洛克从人物原型、主题原型和情节原型三个方面进行详细的解读。另外，论文对写作背景，包括文艺复兴时期，作者及一些相关的神话原型批评理论的诠释做了介绍。通过将神话原型与夏洛克的言行相结合分析，读者们将会更加理解夏洛克的悲剧命运。同时，对于神话原型也有更深层次的理解。

关键词：神话原型批判  夏洛克  悲剧

1 Introduction
    Shylock, in The Merchant of Venice, is one of the most controversial figures in literary works. Frequently, Shylock was solely regarded as a comic villain or a tragic hero from the superficial behaviors and conversations in the drama. This thesis intends to analyze Shylock from another perspective, which is based on the theory of myth and archetypal criticism so as to appreciate this character better.
    The purpose of the study is to analyze and trace the myth archetypal from   Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, through whom readers can gain a brand-new understanding of Shakespeare’s literary works and feel more sympathetic with Shylock.