󰡔끝이 좋으면 다 좋다󰡕와 󰡔자에는 자로󰡕에 나타난 잠자리 속임수의 전복적 가치와 성폭력

Abstract

In his two plays, All’s Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure, Shakespeare employs the bed-trick plot device, the substitution/change of sexual partner, which had simply been a popular narrative device in Folk tales, but he made it the major dramatic action in these two plays. Though the fact that they end with marriage, the very conventional happy ending of Shakespearean comedy, these two plays’ overall atmosphere is unpleasant, unkind and un-amiable, and often threatening and malicious mainly because of the bed trick. His use of the bed-trick brought about many debates on its dramatic effect. Though the concept of sexual harassment is a twentieth century term, it is important and necessary to look through the classics with new perspective, and these two works of Shakespeare especially invite us to explore them using the new term, that is, sexual offences, which are perceived in performing the bed-trick. In All’s Well That Ends Well, Helena purposefully plans bed-trick in order to be married to Bertram. She made a deal with the King to receive his protection covering her humble birth and dowry. When Bertram refused to sleep with her but wooed Diana, Helena tricked him by stealing his bed. With this bed-trick, Bertram forced to be with her, whom he never wanted, due to being a mistaken sexual partner. In this context, Helena as well as the King is likely to be guilty of sexual harassment/abuse. In Measure for Measure, the Duke delegates his power to Angelo, who was doubted as to whether he would be strict once in power. Angelo attempted sexual extortion of Isabella who were asking to save her brother’s life. The disguised Duke directed the bed-trick to substitute Isabella to Mariana. Angelo was then forced to marry Mariana whom he had forsaken and several marriages are officiated at the last moment. With the bed-trick and following forced marriage, Angelo shifts from a sexual offender to a victim of sexual abuse/violence. Bertram and Angelo are the victims of sexual offence, and the contrivers of the bed trick, Helena and Duke Vincentio are responsible for not only subverting the patriarchy but also violating the sexual autonomy.