Full Description
This is an English translation of three plays by Yang Zi—a Yuan dynasty playwright, court official, and ocean-shipping tycoon—with extensive annotations of the Chinese originals. The author conveys the way a Yuan zaju play was composed, especially in the use of its extrametrical characters. To help readers understand the unique position Yang Zi was in during the Yuan dynasty under the Mongol rule, the author also includes a detailed description of Yang Zi's life and his family as an appendix. With a general introduction about the plays and their theatrical features, together with an individual introduction to each play to provide its background, artistic features and also controversies, this anthology is not only a useful collection of Chinese dramas for Western readers interested in learning about the unique way Yuan zaju plays are presented, but also a window through which readers can perceive indirectly the complicated mental activities of a Han intellectual serving the Mongol court.
Contents
General Introduction
Loyal and Righteous Yu Rang Swallows Charcoal
a.Introduction
b.English translation
c.Chinese original with annotation
The Ghost of Huo Guang Remonstrates
a.Introduction
b.English translation
c.Chinese original with annotation
Jingde Does Not Give In to Old Age
a.Introduction
b.English translation
c.Chinese original with annotation
Appendix
