ThePerspectiveofTragedyintheBookofJob

河北美术学院

张立芳　宁贵霞

ThePerspectiveofTragedyintheBookofJob

河北美术学院

张立芳宁贵霞

TheBookofJobandGreektragedyhavetheprofoundhistoricalorigin.Althoughitisnotarealsenseoftragedy,ithas naturaltragicingredientsandinheritedtragicingredientsfromGreektragedy.TheBookofJobisnotonlyanepicorapoeticdrama,but alsocontainstragicperspective.

tragedy；BookofJob；Greektragedy

1.Tragedy

Althoughthereisnoformulafordecidingwhatconstitutes thetragic,mostpeoplehaveageneralideaofwhattragedyis about.AsGeorgeSteinerputsitsuccinctly,“Tragediesendbadly.”Thoughmattersareneversosimple,asindicatedbelow,itis commonlyacknowledgedthattragedyportraystheheroesriseand fall,whatFryereferstoastragedy’sbinaryform.

Tragedyinvolvescatastrophe,andthecatastrophicevents thatbringthetragictaletoclosureareirreparableandirreversible.Butthetragicismorefullyarticulatedinsomeworks thanothers.AsH.A.Masonpointsout,therearedegreesof tragedy.“Weare,”henotes,“alwaysreadytosay,‘thisismore tragicthanthat’…”

2.TheperspectiveoftragedyinTheBookofJob

TheBookofJobprobablycameintobeinginHellenisticPeriodbetween4thcenturyADand3rdcenturyAD.Thepoetic formmaydirectlyaffectedbyGreektragedy.Thecontentand languagealsohaveGreektragictrace.Theideologicaltrait,althoughstillhasitsownHebrewreligiousfeeling,italsopresent someobviousGreektragedybreath.

NeitherinformnorincontentdidtheancientHebrewproduceanyliteratureresemblingGreektragedy.Greektragedywas basedonmythologicaltalesinwhichgodsappearlikemen.A constantthemeinworkssuchasPrometheusBoundandOedipus Rexisthematerializationofthesphereofthegodsanditseffects amongmortals.TheBible,ontheotherhand,thoughitcontains instancesofthedialogicrelationshipbetweenmanandhiscreator, typicallyplacesthegodheadatalevelofintensityandabstraction farbeyondhumancomprehension.Therepresentationbeforean audienceofadivinityorsemidivinityisquiteinconceivableina societywhichtakesthecommandment,“youshallnotmakefor yourselfagravenimage,oranylikenessofanythingthatisin heavenabove”initsmostabsolutesense.

TheBookofJobdealswiththeuniversalconcernforandinterestinthesubjectofhumansuffering.Ithasabeginning,dramaticchange,andanend.JobbeginswithaGod-fearingrighteousman,livingahappylife.Outofexpectation,hewastested, afflictedbyGod,stuckbyonedisasterafteranother,butJobconsistentlyrefusestocompromisethehonestyofhisownlife.Eventually,theLordanswershimoutofawhirlwind.Jobconcedesand wasrewardedwithhealth,wealthandprestige.Theauthorprobes themysteryofundeservedsufferingandexistenceofevilina worldsupposedlycreatedbyagoodandall-powerfulGod.The authordoesnotintendtomakeJobatragicfigure,butrathera triumphantone.Heisalsoagloriousnon-conformist.Jobisalwaysverymuchalive,aliveeveningreatphysicalandspiritual affliction.Itisthisawarenessthatmakesahumanbeingahuman being,notarobot.ThismessagerendersJobasatimelessdiscourse,speakingtomenandwomenofourageaswellastothose ofpastmillennia.

TheBookofJobendswithJobconcedesandwasrewarded withhealth,wealthandprestige.Thisseeminglyhappyendingalmostletsthetragicforcevanish.Actuallythisisahiddennegativeending.Job’ssilenceandcompromisejustadmitthegreatnessofGodandthehelplessnessofhumanbeing.Asfortheintegrityheneveryields.Hesays,“Ihaveheardoftheebythe hearingoftheear.Butnowmineeyeseethethee.WhereforeI abhormyself.”Hehateshimselfnotbecauseheadmitsheis wrongbutbecauseheseeshowtinyandhelplesshumanbeingis beforeGod.WhiletheforgivenessofJob’soffenceisjustlikethe punishmenttoJob’sinnocenceatthebeginning,allofwhichjust showGod’sintangibility.Itdeniesmen’swishtoplayuptoGod throughgoodness.AlthoughJobregainshappiness,helosessafety forever.Theendingquietlydestroyshuman’srighteousnessprincipleofgoodisrewarded.TheBookofJobshowshuman’sirresistibleexistencedilemmaandthebraveactiontoquestionwhen theyfacethechangeablefate.Themoreitdeniesthepossibilityto getridofthedilemmathroughjustice,themoreitcaninspire theirpositivedefensetojusticeandtheexplorationofrescuefrom theirheart.Inthisway,theaestheticfeelingoftragedycomesinto beinginhuman’sstrongwishtoanswerthelivingperplexities.

3.Conclusion

Tosumup，TheBookofJobisnotonlyanepicorapoetic drama,butalsocontainstragicperspective.

Bibliography

王蓓，《圣经》的悲剧美[J]，外国文学评论，2010.4.13.

一、在自读中感知课文的魅力

赵铮，从百叶窗射进的悲剧性—《约伯记》中的悲剧成分与古希腊悲剧的几点异同[J]，湖州师范学院学报，2003年第4期张缨，上帝的权能与智慧—《约伯记》中神意主题的展开[J]，圣经文学研究，2008年。