Injustice Done To Dou E

(Snow in Midsummer)
By
Guan Han qing
 Guan Hanqing
(1241-1320)
• "the Oldman of the
Studio“
• “China's Shakespeare”
of the Yuan Dynasty
• Chinese playwright and
poet
• most prolific and highly
regarded dramatist of
the Yuan period
• produced about 65
plays
• The Injustice to Dou E
• Saving the Dusty-windy (Saving the
Prostitute or Rescued by a Coquette )
• The Conference of a Single Dao (Meeting
the Enemies Alone or Lord Guan Goes to
the Feast)
• The Pavilion of Moon-Worship
• The Butterfly Dream
• The Wife-Snatcher
• The Riverside Pavilion
• The Jade Mirror-Stand
• Death of the Winged-Tiger General
 Guan Hanqing (1241-1320)
• greatest playwright of the Chinese classical
theatre
• scholar who used to be a part of writers’ guild
that specialized in writing plays for performing
groups
• created compelling characters, often women
of low social standing who act with
intelligence, integrity, and courage
• writing style is simple and straightforward
 Guan Hanqing (1241-1320)
• "the leader of all loafers in the country"
• "copper pea that cannot be crushed“
• Zaju – a drama form popular during the Yuan
Dynasty
• Zaju gave voice to the repressed and indignant
feelings
• Zaju reflected the reality of the society
 Guan Hanqing (1241-1320)
• Guan's plays did not aspire to entertain nobles
but articulate the bitterness of the common
people.

• His works encouraged common people to fight

against oppression
Source: http://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-performing-arts

CONVENTIONS OF CHINESE DRAMA

 General Perspective
• The early dance and theatre of China is linked to
religious beliefs and customs.
• Performing arts in China started around 1000 BCE
• Early drama in China varied from one place to
another, but all are related to religious beliefs. Early
form of Chinese drama include rituals like
impersonation of gods.
 General Perspective
• Thought he concept of drama has not yet
surfaced in the Chinese culture, performances
are held in Chinese courts as early as the Zhou
Dynasty.
• A famous anecdote relates a story about a
jester who flawlessly impersonated a
deceased prime minister that the emperor
himself believed that his prime minister was
resurrected.
 Drama in the Yuan Dynansty
• Written mostly by scholars who are relieved from
their positions in the government.
• The life of the common man is portrayed with
considerable reality in Yuan drama, though within
a highly formalized artistic frame.
• Focused more on artistic themes than in the plot.
• The lasting worth of Yuan plays is attested to by
their constant adaptation to new musical styles
over the years so that Yuan masterpieces make up
a large part of the traditional opera repertory.
 Drama in the Yuan Dynasty
• Yuan plays are called Yuan Zajus.
• Yuan plays are known for their romantic and
sentimental plots.
• Drama avoids tragedy, but is frequently
infused with pathos and death of women.
(infoplease.com)
 Yuan Dynasty
• Nationalism is part of their literature.
• Out of thousands of literary pieces, only about
700 titles survived, among these are 171
complete pieces. Most literary pieces are found in
temples.
• Often they are replete with Confucian ethical
precepts, propounded with rigid didacticism.
Many of the plays, however, embody a Taoist
mysticism that runs counter to Confucian
influence.
Injustice Done To Dou E
(Snow in Midsummer)
By
Guan Hanqing
 Characters
• Mistress Tsai
– A rich widow who was left with an eight-year
old child and riches when her husband died.
• Tou Tien-Chang
– A learned man who had studied the classics,
and has no money to travel to the capital for
the civil service examination.
• Tou Ngo
– The protagonist in the play. She was sentenced
to death following the poisoning of Old Chang.
 Characters
• Doctor Lu
– The doctor who attempted to murder
Mistress Tsai
• Old Chang
– Donkey’s father who dies from accidental
poisoning.
• Donkey
– Intended to poison Mistress Tsai, but
accidentally poisoned his father.
 Plot
• Exposition
The opening scene revolved around a rich
widow, Mistress Tsai, who loaned ten taels to
Tou Tien-Chang.
 Plot
• Rising Action
– Old Chang ate the poisoned and he died.
Immediately, Donkey accused Tou Ngo of the
crime, and brought her to the judge.
 Plot
• Climax
– Tou Ngo was sentenced to be executed.
 Plot
• Falling Action
– Snows begin to appear at midsummer (an allusion
to Chinese folklore), which means that an injustice
has been served to Tou Ngo.
 Plot
• Denouement
Tou Ngo showed herself to her father in
order for her to receive due justice. Donkey was
then sentenced to death
 Themes
• Justice will persist until it is attained.
• Desires make humans do extreme things.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Simile
Apostrophe
Allusion
Anaphora
Paradox
Hyperbole