相對於西方文化所有之「敘事傳統」（源於史詩悲劇），中國文化或偏向於「抒情傳統」（源於詩歌）。「抒情」，明顯是中國文化／文學的本質。就中國戲曲而言，演唱者也常代表劇作家抒發感情，表現自我，因而形成一種特殊的詩劇書寫格局。「莎戲曲」（指從莎士比亞戲劇改編〔由真人扮演〕的中國傳統戲曲）在跨文化劇場中，固然具有與原著「文本互涉」的關係（intertextual relationship），卻也無法迴避「抒情」本質（lyrical nature）的銘刻與影響。本文擬借用高友工教授的「抒情美典」（Lyrical aesthetics）理論，探究「抒情」從古典戲曲到當代戲曲的歷史意義，同時觀照「莎戲曲」「為什麼」（創作）和「怎麼樣」（創作）等課題。期能建構「莎戲曲」的「抒情美典」，並促使跨文化劇場作品思考「標的文化本質」（target cultural nature）的重要性。

Compared with Western narrative traditions originating from Greek epic and tragedy, lyricism is in the nature of Chinese literature, dating back to the classical poems and songs. In terms of Chinese opera (xiqu), due to the fact that stage performers express both visceral sentiments and the self of each auteur, an idiosyncratic poetic dramaturgy is consequently established. Seen from the perspective of cross-cultural theatre, while ”Shake-xiqu”-Chinese operas which are adapted from Shakespearean playscripts and acted by real performers-maintains an ”intertextual” relationship with original works, this theatre genre also inevitably inherits influences and inscriptions from the ”lyrical” nature of Chinese culture/literature. Employing Professor Gao Yougong's theory of ”lyrical aesthetics,” this article not only aims to investigate the historical meaning of the ”lyrical,” spanning from classical to contemporary periods, but also delves into issues regarding why and how ”Shake-xiqu” are created. I expect to construct the ”lyrical aesthetic” of ”Shake-xiqu,” and hopefully reconsider the significance of the ”target cultural nature” in the domain of cross-cultural theatre.