THE 3311 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Guan Hanqing, Zaju, Social Realism
27 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Chinese scholars banned from mongol court under khan. More freedom to write plays in theatre. Hanqing in physician household so except from required public service & taxation = greater freedom. Pro-gambling, drinking, & being with women (commoners instead of nobility) Sympathetic portrayals of lives & sufferings of everyday humans. The main character in snow in midsummer was a powerful female character. She confessed to something she didn"t do to protect her mother. 10 - 20 songs sung by protagonist. Spoken verse used to convey other characters" feelings & opinions. Kung an: 16th century chinese crime & detective fiction. Judgement-reversal zaju: kung an with two (2) judges, the first of whom makes incorrect ruling & the second of whom corrects it. The good are poor, and die before their time; The wicked are rich, and live to a great old age . Because the main character died way before her time and she was good.
