Collection of the Top Ten Classical Comedies in China

Author: Wang Jisi, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1991-07-01
Features: Ancient Chinese opera has a long history and a rich heritage, providing a wide range of themes and diverse artistic experiences for the development of modern and contemporary opera. Scholars have long studied this outstanding heritage from various perspectives, achieving considerable results. However, the work of organizing and studying these works based on the aesthetics of tragedy and comedy is still in its early stages. The characteristic of comedy is to provoke laughter. However, people with different life experiences, ideological understandings, and cultural backgrounds laugh differently. In ancient China, there were celebratory plays that praised the ruling class, as well as farces that amused the common people. But comedies created by outstanding writers and folk artists always evoke healthy laughter. This laughter both denies and criticizes outdated things while affirming and praises new things. These two tendencies manifest as two different types of comedy: satirical comedy, which focuses on denial and criticism, and celebratory comedy, which focuses on affirmation and praise. Both of these major categories of modern and contemporary comedy can be seen in ancient Chinese comedy, and they are clearly marked by the historical characteristics of our nation in the content and form of the plays. This book collects ten classical Chinese comedies, including Rescuing the Windblown Dust, Below the Wall, The West Chamber, and The Mistaken Kite. The plays in this book are comprehensive, with a brief plot summary and detailed annotations before each play. The content is thorough, making it not only suitable for professional reading and research but also helpful for ordinary readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of classical Chinese theater.