所谓经典，往往是当时的流行文学，我觉得莎士比亚的剧作就是如此。四大悲剧中，《奥赛罗》的故事离王室最远，其实就是个凤凰男与孔雀女的悲剧。近日重读一遍，对其中人情世故的揭示更感兴趣。

 

从小看电影就有个印象，坏人说的话往往更有道理，至少更能让人记住。这次从看《奥赛罗》，仍是如此。头号也是唯一反派Iage说

When devils will the blackest sins put on

They do suggest at first with heavenly shows, (Act II, Scene III, 348-349)

这话真是太有道理，魔鬼们干大坏事时总要扮成天使。用鲁迅先生的话说，就是“假借大义,窃取美名”。或者用纪晓岚的话说，“外有余必中不足”。甚至更抽象意义上也是如此，The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

 

Iage还有关于名声的说法也很耐人寻味。Reputation is an idle and most fales imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. (Act II, Scene III, 265--268) 似乎有些过于虚无，但也能让人避免过于热衷。Iage类似的话还有对女主角的评论，

Her honour is an essence that’s not seen;

They have it very oft that have it not (Act III, Scene IV, 16-17)

 

女二号Emilia的话，给剧本主题很好的解释，就是剖析嫉妒。

But jealous souls will not be answer’d so;

They are not ever jealous for cause,

But jealous for they are jealous; ‘tis a monster

Begot upon itself, born on itself. (Act III, Scene IV, 157-160)

 

再给女一号Desdemona个发言机会，她也发现一个人性的弱点。

Men’s natures wrangle with inferior things,

Though great ones are their object. (Act III, Scene IV, 142-143)

难怪孔子要把“不迁怒”作为与“好学”和“不贰过”并列的美德。

 

至于男主角Othello，没有什么特别的话。不过，他的台词中有chaos一词。

But I do love thee! And when I love thee not,

Chaos is come again. (Act III, Scene III, 91-92)

 

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