Reading Hamlet in the Aftermath of COVID Pandemic: Repressing the Purgatory and the Return of the Ghost

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<p>隨著煉獄概念的廢止與為亡靈祈福彌撒小教堂的消失，人們與死者溝通的管道也隨之斷裂。死者被生者所遺忘、被社會所背棄、更被宗教所壓抑，形成了一個無以名喻的黑洞，死亡的意義在宗教改革後有著截然不同的意義。然而，英國伊莉莎白時期悲劇卻展現對死亡議題的著迷，戲劇舞台的死亡之舞乃是對當時社會與死者疏離的文化回應。</p> <p>本文聚焦《哈姆雷》的鬼魂與死者，檢視本劇如何再現死亡的意涵。鬼魂的出現讓受壓抑的慾望、無法言喻的情感、或隱匿的罪行浮現，以上種種正是溢出符號系統的剩餘物。從精神分析理論的角度來看，鬼魂重返人間象徵真實層的回訪。劇場不斷且頻繁的在舞台上展演死亡之舞，或可視為對缺席的死者一種文化回應，更是用以填補上述空缺的表徵。哈姆雷國王的鬼魂在與王子道別時，叮囑兒子要記得父親。以英國早期現代的宗教觀點而言，「記得死者」意味「為死者的亡靈得以安息而禱告」，鬼魂的要求緊繫於煉獄的神話，同樣的，新冠肺炎期間對死亡的壓抑，種種隔離措施讓生者與死者無法道別、臨終儀式一切就簡，生者或創傷、或罪咎，生與死皆無從獲得安慰，尋求某種版本的「煉獄」或可讓人們從禱告或自我寬恕中得到慰藉，從而得以超脫自責與愧疚的深谷。</p> <p> </p>Since the abolition of Purgatory and the dissolution of the chantries in England, the significance of death has changed significantly due to the disruption of communication with the dead: they are forgotten, repressed, or betrayed. However, Elizabethan revenge tragedy, particularly Hamlet, displays a morbid obsession with death. These dances of death on the early modern stage respond to the absence caused by the era’s alienation from the deceased. Considering the sweeping impact of COVID pandemic, I draw parallel and reassess the religious and cultural importance and impact of death. Psychoanalytically, the Ghost’s visit symbolizes the return of the real. Upon departing, the Ghost commands Prince Hamlet to "remember" him, aligning with the early modern English religious view that remembering the dead means praying for their soul’s repose. Similarly, the repression of death during the COVID pandemic demands attention. Restrictions have hindered proper farewells and rituals, causing trauma and guilt. Finding a personal "purgatory" to reconnect with the deceased through prayers or self-forgiveness might alleviate guilt and loss.