極度浪漫的亂倫 – John Ford 的 《 ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore 》 (1633)
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    為免誤導讀者我先要為「浪漫」這詞畫下一實在的輪廓；理由是，在生活裡它的涵義是迷糊而抽象的。男士們或會因不送鮮花、名貴「人氣」手袋及欠缺制造「驚喜」的能力而被另一半抱怨不懂浪漫。諷刺的是，當他們問對方「浪漫」為何物時他們得到的是往往是，第一，一些「形而上學」式的答案；第二，一連串新的咒罵。如是者，「浪漫」跟女事們一樣，給人一遙不可及、撲朔迷離的感覺（這難以解釋的神秘亦正是女性美之所在）。究竟「浪漫」是否就是那物質或是情感上得到滿足時的甜蜜感覺？這是否意味著， 以愛情為題材或目的為滿足讀者這「浪漫口味」的作品便就是「浪漫」的藝術？

    鍳於文章主旨及「趣味」性的規限我不能為浪漫派的根源及浪漫主義者對imagination, irony 及fragment的見解作深入的探討。讓我套用黑格爾的說法，浪漫派藝術（特別是話劇）的特點是情感（pathos）的表現。Wordsworth 說 ‘Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’ 正可突顯浪漫主義的血肉。情感是神秘而非理性的 ，而我們的理智往往只能抑制而不能解釋它們。由此觀之，浪漫的人應是指那些以情感為主導的人，而浪漫正是情感超越理智的表現。我們或可看到抽象的應是情感而不是「浪漫」– 兩者不能混為一談。

    說到浪漫的戲劇，人們或會聯想到《羅蜜歐與朱麗葉》。在凝視著朱麗葉那一刻一股突如其來、澎湃而神秘的力量佔據了羅蜜歐的思緒。那一眼是他們愛情的萌芽，亦是開啟那死亡大門的門匙。為了愛情，這兩小情人不僅叛逆自己的家庭，他們更甘願付出寶貴的生命。不管從修辭、劇的結構或是感染力的角度看，莎士比亞的作品可算是完美的。可是，這顆永恆的星太耀眼，耀眼得令人們看不到整個群星滿佈的晚空、感受不到其他迷人的詩景。單說在文藝復興時期的英國，除了莎士比亞外還有不少天才橫溢的劇作家，如Christopher Marlowe 、 Francis Beaumont、 John Fletcher、 Cyril Tournour、Ben Jonson、 Philip Massenger 及 George Chapman。如果我們以「浪漫」為批判的準則，John Ford 的 《’Tis Pity She’s a Whore》 肯定不下於莎翁的任何一部悲劇，它更可被喻為浪漫的經典。

    以亂倫為題材的劇目比比皆是 ﹣如古希臘 Sophocles 的 《Oepidus》及我們曹禺的《雷雨》。可是，兩劇的主角都是在不知情下犯下滔天大罪 ﹣前者戀母弒父，後者與親妹發生關係。正因為他們的「不知情」我們憐憫他們的遭遇，慨嘆一句「厄運如此，世事難料」。相反，《’Tis Pity She’s a Whore》 的主角 – Giovanni 跟 Annabella – 十分清楚他們的血緣關係。在劇的開場 Giovanni 向修道士表白他對親妹Annabella 的愛：

Giovanni.
Must I not praise
That beauty which, if framed anew, the gods
Would make a god of, if they had it there,
And kneel to it, as I do kneel to them?

Friar.
Why, foolish madman,–

Giovanni.
Shall a peevish sound,
A customary form, from man to man,
Of brother and of sister, be a bar
’Twixt my perpetual happiness and me?
Say that we had one father; say one womb –
Curse to my joys! – gave both us life and birth;
Are we not therefore each to other bound
So much the more by nature? by the links
Of blood, of reason? nay, if you will have’t,
Even of religion, to be ever one,
One soul, one flesh, one love, one heart, one all?

Ford把這不尋常甚至不可能的愛變成可能。他們相戀，及後Annabella 懷了Giovanni 的骨肉。為了保存「榮譽」她嫁給了Soranzo。當Soranzo 發現她的不貞後 ﹣不難想象 ﹣他堅決要找出奸夫及殺死他。得知真相後（他的僕人Vasques （一位如 Iago的奸角）從Annabella 的女隨從口中套出），Soranzo 便預備一盛宴準備在眾賓客前 ﹣包括Giovanni 的父親 ﹣揭發他們的奸情及謀殺這對敢愛的情人。雖然深知那宴會是為自己的死而預備的，Giovanni 爽快地接受了Soranzo 的邀請。在宴會還未開始時作者安排Giovanni 走到Annabella 的寢室，為後者的死寫下了這經典的一幕：

[…]

Annabella.
Brother, dear brother, know what I have been,
And know that now there’s but a dinning-time
‘Twixt us and our confusion: let’s not waste
These precious hours in vain and useless speech.
Alas, these gay attires were not put on
But to some end; this sudden solemn feast
Was not ordained to riot in expense;
I, that have now been chambered here alone,
Barred of my guardian or of any else,
Am not for nothing at an instant freed
To fresh access. Be not deceived, my brother;
This banquet is an harbinger of death
To you and me; resolve yourself it is,
And be prepared to welcome it.

Giovanni.
Well then;
The schoolmen teach that all this globe of earth
Shall be consumed to ashes in a minute.

Annabella.
So I have read too.

Giovanni.
But ’twere somewhat strange
To see the waters burn: could I believe
This might be true, I could believe as well
There might be hell or Heaven.

Annabella.
That’s most certain.

Giovanni.
A dream, a dream! else in this other world
We should know one another.

Annabella.
So we shall.
 
Giovanni.
Have you heard so?

Annabella.
For certain.

Giovanni.
But d’ye think
That I shall see you there? – you look on me.–
May we kiss one another, prate or laugh,
Or do as we do here?

Annabella.
I know not that.
But brother, for the present, what d’ye mean
To free yourself from danger? some way think
How to escape: I’m sure the guests are come.

Giovanni.
Look up, look here; what see you in my face?

Annabella.
Distraction and a troubled conscience.

Giovanni.
Death, and a swift repining wrath: - yet look;
What see you in mine eyes?

Annabella.
Methinks you weep.

Giovanni.
I do indeed: these are the funeral tears
Shed on your grave; these furrowed-up my cheeks
When first I loved and knew not how to woo.
Fair Annabella, should I here repeat
The story of my life, we might lose time.
Be record all the spirits of the air,
And all things else that are, that day and night,
Early and late, the tribute which my heart
Hath paid to Annabella’s sacred love
Hath been these tears, which are her mourners now!
Never till now did Nature do her best
To show a matchless beauty to the world,
Which in an instant, ere it scarce was seen,
The jealous Destinies required again.
Pray, Annabella, pray! Since we must part,
Go thou, white in thy soul, to fill a throne
Of innocence and sanctity in Heaven.
Pray, pray, my sister!

Annabella.
Then I see your drift.–
Ye blessèd angels, guard me!

Giovanni.
So say I.
Kiss me. If ever after-times should hear
Of our fast-knit affections, though perhaps
The laws of conscience and of civil use
May justly blame us, yet when they but know
Our loves, that love will wipe away that rigour
Which would in other incests be abhorred.
Give me your hand: how sweetly life doth run
In these well-coloured veins! how constantly
These palms do promise health! but I could chide
With Nature for this cunning flattery.
Kiss me again: – forgive me.

Annabella.
With my heart.

Giovanni.
Farewell!
 
Annabella.
Will you be gone?

Giovanni.
Be dark, bright sun,
And make this mid-day night, that thy gilt rays
May not behold a deed will turn their splendour
More sooty than the poets feign their Styx! -
One other kiss, my sister.

Annabella.
What means this?

Giovanni.
To save thy fame, and kill thee in a kiss.     [Stabs her
Thus die, and die by me, and by my hand!
Revenge is mine; honour doth love command.

Annabella.
O, brother, by your hand!

Giovanni.
When thou art dead
I’ll give my reasons for’t; for to dispute
With thy - even in thy death - most lovely beauty,
Would make me stagger to perform this act,
Which I most glory in.

Annabella.
Forgive him, Heaven – and me my sins! Fare-
well,
Brother unkind, unkind – Mercy, great Heaven!
O, O!                                                     [Dies.

Ford的劇往往充滿如此驚駭的情節及優美的詩律。更令讀者們震驚的是，Giovanni 拿著刺上了Annabella 心臟的匕首出現於眾人（包括觀眾）眼前。劇的結局是，Giovanni 的父親當場被「激死」，在殺死Soranzo後Giovanni 亦死於 Vasques 的劍下：

O, I bleed fast!
Death, thou’rt a guest long looked for; I embrace
Thee and thy wounds: O, my last minute comes!
Where’er I go, let me enjoy this grace,
Freely to view my Annabella’s face.            [Dies.

    Giovanni 及Annabella 的情感不但不受任何理性的抑制，他們的激情更超越道德倫理這「純理智」(康德或會說）的規限；John Ford 把這絕對不道德的題材變成了美麗的藝術。這位生於1586年的詩人如 Giovanni 一樣的勇敢：為追求藝術的美他敢於嘗試（不要忘記此劇發表於十七世紀的前期）。也許從他身上我們可看到唯美主義者的特質；遺憾的是，John Ford 是經常被世人遺忘的作家，包括唯美派的作家們 （A. C. Swinburne 稱不上是唯美派罷）。 據記載，他共寫下 11 部個人作品，而其中3部被一位「聲名狼藉」的女廚子消毁了。相傳這被稱為Warburton’s servant的女廚把她主顧 Warburton 先生 (一位收藏了大量劇作家原稿的紳士)的珍物用作為生火燃料及餡餅的底紙。 《The Broken Heart》、《 The Lover’s Melancholy 》、《 Love’s Sacrifice 》及 《 Perkin Warbeck 》 是 John Ford 較為出名的作品，而 《 The Broken Heart 》更是一部可比美甚至勝於《’Tis Pity She’s a Whore 》的悲劇 。

    不知道當那些不懂「浪漫」的人把《’Tis Pity She’s a Whore》送給對方時將會得到甚麼「回報」呢？

All Quotations from John Ford, ed. Havelock Ellis, The Mermaid Series, London, 1888