Analysis on the Remains of Zaju Drama in SONG and JIN Dynasty

• Main Authors: Chen I-ting, 陳伊婷
• Other Authors: Luo li-Rong
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17393350711585052690

博士 === 臺北市立大學 === 中國語文學系博士班 === 102 === The Chinese variety plays in SONG and JIN dynasty (hereinafter referred to as ‘Zaju’) is a genre of dramas across the North and the South, a cultural integration that is diversified in contents and rich in formats. Zaju also has a great influence on the Chinese drama afterwards: both the poetic dramas in YUAN dynasty and the legends in MING and CH’ING dynasty reveal characteristics that can be traced back to Zaju. There are two inevitable challenges one has to face, however, when conducting research on Zaju. Firstly, the related information is so limited that it is very hard to collect. And secondly, it is almost impossible to find any hard evidence for logical analysis. The reason for this is quite simple: The 279 Zaju recorded officially in ‘Wulin News’ and the 708 Zaju mentioned in ‘Chuogenglu’ are registered only with titles while their contents are not available. In spite of the fact, Tao Zongyi’s “Titles of JIN Yuan-Ben” collected in ‘Nancun Chuogenglu’ has provided an index to Zaju’s performance types. Tao classifies Zaju into 11 categories. The former five are entitled as the ‘Yuan-Ben (screenplay)’ and are classified by themes. The rest are more complicated since they are more like ‘interludes’ in mature dramas. This study attempts to elaborate, correct, and give some complements to former studies by analyzing the received legacy shown in the dramas of later generations. This dissertation is arranged as follows: i) In the first chapter of this dissertation, we review the Zaju that are classified with performing situation, goals of performance, and ways of performing. ii) The second chapter examines the Zaju that are classified with the plots or the stories. iii) The third chapter looks into those “interludes” that can be flexibly used in scriptwriting. With the reviewing efforts in the three chapters, plus with a conclusion chapter, this dissertation aims to provide an insight into how Zaju influences the development of Chinese drama in later generations.