本論文將疼痛放置於社會關係的脈絡之中來解讀莎士比亞的Titus Andronicus以及Coriolanus兩部劇本。本文的主要論點之一為：對於疼痛的認知與看法來自於他者或觀察者與痛的承受者之間的社會關係。個人或團體的痛能否被承認仰賴於旁人如何看待與其之間的社會關係，或是旁人想藉由對其疼痛的承認與否來創造或否認關係。本文也論述疼痛如何被呈現為一種資產或交易籌碼來改變他者對痛的呈現者之間社會關係的認知。因此，能夠或不能夠去向他人表達自己的疼痛影響了自身建構周遭社會關係的方式。基於痛與社會關係的連結，本文進一步論述疼痛的表現與呈現是影響社群建構持續過程中的重要部分。
本論文的第二章分析Titus Andronicus。此章節論述Andronici家族在羅馬的興起與沒落取決於其成員的痛能否受社群大眾所承認為榮譽。此家族於劇末對羅馬大眾訴說及呈現其痛的價值甚至影響到已經分崩離析的社群或國家能否再次統合。本文的第三章分析Coriolanus。此章節首先提出與上一部劇本的差異：角色不情願向社群呈現自己的痛，儘管這樣做能夠使自己獲得最大的利益。此章節以不同社會關係之間的衝突來解釋為何角色拒絕呈現自己的痛，並據此論述社群的建構是一個持續且變動的過程。本論文的結論聚焦於Titus Andronicus中一位女性角色的痛。此章節藉由討論痛的不可表達性(inexpressibility)與可表達性(expressibility)來再次強調將疼痛放置於社會關係脈絡的重要性。

This thesis places pain in the context of social relations in interpreting Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus and Coriolanus. It argues that the perception of pain depends on the social relation between the perceiver and the victim. Whether the pain of another person or group is recognized as such depends on the way the perceiver sees his or her relation to the victim and on the kind of relation he or she wants to create or deny. Another part of the argument is that pain is presented as one kind of asset or currency in order to change how the other’s perception of relation. The ability or inability to express pain hence influences the way one manages the world of social relations. Based on the link between pain and social relations, this thesis argues that the presentation of pain is part of the continuing process of making a community.
The second chapter analyzes Titus Andronicus. It argues that the rise and fall of the Andronici depend on the question of whether the family’s pain can be recognized by the community as honor or not. The presentation of pain staged at the end of the play is concerned with the reintegration of the Roman community. The third chapter reads Coriolanus. It focuses on the situation where the presenter refuses to present his pain even when it serves his best interests to do so. This chapter explicates the refusal by analyzing the conflicts of social relations and argues that the making of community is a continuing and changing process. The conclusion discusses one female character’s pain in Titus Andronicus. It restates the importance of placing pain in the context of social relations by referring to the inexpressibility or expressibility of pain.

English Abstract………………………………………………………………………..i
Chinese Abstract………………………………………………………………………ii
Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………iii
Chapter I. Introduction………………………………………………………………...1
Chapter II. Staging of Pain and Community-Making in Titus Andronicus…………..11
Chapter III. Self-Conception and Group Acceptance in Coriolanus…………………27
Chapter IV. Pain, Gender, and Social Relation in Titus Andronicus…………………46
Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………..57
Appendix……………………………………………………………………………..59

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