| Summary: | 碩士 === 淡江大學 === 中國文學系 === 90 === Abstract:
A binding relationship often exists between religion and drama. This is particularly true to traditional Chinese plays and dramas due to the complex socio-cultural environment of the Chinese society and to the fact that religion is indispensable to the Chinese people. This thesis is to provide an in-depth analysis on Za-ju, through an investigation of the socio-cultural environment and the playwrights’ personal experiences which manifested the work. The goal is not only to affirm the influential position of religious Za-ju of the Ming dynasty in the Chinese culture but also to confirm its contribution and positive impact on the Chinese society as a whole. An outline and a short summary of each chapter in this thesis are presented below.
The first chapter, “Overview of Religion in the Ming Dynasty,” is an introduction to the religious, political, and social background of the Ming Dynasty.
The second chapter, “The Origin of the Ming Religious Drama,” is concerned with the fact that Ming’s religious plays were not an imitation of those presented in its predecessor, Yun Za-ju. In fact, playwrights often injected tremendous amount of their unique emotions, sentiments, and religious insights. creating a harmonious consistency among the play, the playwright, and the socio-cultural environment from which the play was originated.
Chapter three, “The Motivation and Purpose behind Ming Drama Creation,” reports that playwrights often expressed their bitterness toward life in plays. Some revealed without constraints their displeasure with the contemporary social and religious disturbance, while others took the opportunity to preach and to share their religious insights with readers. Finally, the fundamental purpose of Za-Ju was entertainment, since religious plays were often performed as an important part of the ceremony at the local temple honoring gods or goddesses.
Chapter four and five, “Themes of Ming Za-Ju,” reports an analysis on the content of original Za-Ju scripts. The wide variety of themes can be put into six themes, including (1) releasing from earthly boundaries (2) encouraging ethical living (3) the supernatural (4) celebrations (5) sarcasm and analogies, and (6) miscellaneous themes. The result from this analysis indicates not only that Za-Ju has a rich variety of themes but also that there are real values for its existence.
Chapter six is “Ming Za-Jus Contribution to the Chinese Literature and Fine Arts.” From the perspective of Chinese folklore, this chapter investigates the design of characters, songs, dialogues, and scripts in religious plays. Of the focus here is Za-Jus’ contributions to Chinese literature and fine arts.
Chapter seven, “Conclusions,” ends the discussion by pointing out the functions that Ming Za-Ju played in the society at the time. In short, Za-Jus were often used for the following purposes: (1) fantasying leaving the earthly living and being promoted to a godly position, (2) playing a part in religious celebrations and ceremonies, (3) repelling evils and misfortunes in the real life. These functions clearly reflect the disturbance and unsettledness in the minds of the general Chinese people under the extreme feudal system at the time. Thus, the popularity of Ming Za-Jus indirectly confirms the importance of religion in stabilizing the mind of the general public and the socio-political situation in the society as a whole.
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