本文立意從同志的觀點來重估中國古典男色材料的當代意義,初步處理現存相關文獻中蔚爲大宗且備受爭議的男色關係模式:「君臣」。鑑於這些材料所隱含既定觀點之不易挑戰,所以先繞道遠路,援引英國文藝復興時期劇作家馬婁頗可類比參照的《愛德華二世》一劇,以及當代英美學界對於該劇所引發問題的相關討論,尤其是對於新興專制王權與古典友誼理想在君王身上難以並行的公私衝突,以從多方面增加思考縱深,其間並短暫討論英國當代導演賈曼改編電影版《愛德華二世》的相關得失。由此論文的最後一部分再回到「君臣篇」的重估工作,具體著手解讀/構班固《漢書•佞倖傳》中有關哀帝與董賢的記載,以質疑「男寵亂政」這個傳統觀點的立論脈絡與正當性。
Intended as part of a larger project that re-inscribes pre-modern Chinese same-sex culture from a contemporary queer perspective, this article tackles one of the most disreputable aspects in that culture, namely court favoritism, which dominates relevant historical documents available today. As these documents are so informed with conventional wisdom that there can hardly be any space for transvaluation if they are read simply the way they are supposed to, this article undertakes an unusual comparative detour. That is, Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II is discussed first, in order to be enlighten d by the Renaissance problematics that are foregrounded by its contemporary critical studies; the most significant of which lies in the deemed incompatibility between absolutist monarchy and private friendship. (Contemporary British queer director Derek Jarman's film version of Edward Ⅱ is also briefly mentioned.) Thus equipped, the investigation finally turns its critical attention to the concrete textuality of the ”notorious” story of West Han Emperor Ai and his favorite Dong Xian as recorded in Ban Gu's Han Shu, seeking to deconstruct the text as well as dc-legitimatize its embedded conventional wisdom.