由「形殘之迷」悟「神全之境」——論析當代戲劇《徐九經升官記》《美女涅槃記》
Resource
中國文哲研究集刊 17: 139-184
Journal
中國文哲研究集刊
Pages
139-184
Date Issued
2000-09
Date
2000-09
Author(s)
Abstract
The Promotion of Hsu Chiu-ching by Guo Da-yu and Xi Zhigan and A Beauty's Attaininent of Nirvana by Xi Zhigan are two new modern Chinese plays that have won high acc1aim on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. They were staged in Taiwan respectively by the Hupei Han Operetta Troupe in 1993 and by the National Fu-hsing Chinese Operetta Troupe in 1992 and 1995. The Promotion of Hsu Chiu-ching depicts the official career of an ugly man, depicting how he experiences demotion, is later happily promoted, and eventually decides to abandon his post. A Beauty's Attainment of Nirvana relates how an ugly girl is transformed into a beauty and finally attains the state of nirvana. Each play emphasizes the contrasts between beauty and ugliness, the human tendency to judge people by their appearance, and the creative theme that ugliness is beauty. This paper explores the processes by which ugliness is transformed into beauty in these two plays.”Physical deformity” and ”spiritual perfection,” the two key notions in the title of the paper, derive from the Chuang-tzu. Hsu Chiu-ching and Hu Ts'ui-hua can both be considered ”deformed” in the Chuang-tzu's sense, since deformity there covers ugliness in addition to physical handicaps. This paper explores the thematic implications of the two plays by way of the Lao-tzu's dialectic of the beautiful and the ugly and the Chuang-tzu's aesthetic thoughts on physical deformity and spiritual perfection.This paper is divided into two sections. The first deals with the ugliness of Hsu Chiu--ching and Hu Ts'ui-hua. Diametrically different in sex, identity, status, experiences, predicament, and psychological awareness, both experience a process of spiritual growth in three stages. First they live in self-awareness; next, they momentarily go astray; and then eventually they reach spiritual perfection through their strong will power and regain their true selves. Their ugly appearance turns out to be mere physical deformity, while their inner beauty and goodness eventually bring them to spiritual perfection. This process of transformation is the formation of personality based on the notion of the beauty of the non beautiful.The second section discusses the aesthetics of this sort of personality formation by way of role acting, clownish attributes, and philosophical reflection. In emphasizing its characters' spiritual life, psychological structure, and awareness of their own existence, modern Chinese drama has attempted to transcend the traditional role types of sheng, tan, ching, mo, and ch'ou. This trend is manifest in the two plays under discussion, especially The Promotion of Hsu Chiu-ching. Here the role types sheng and ch'ou are aptly combined, and c10wnish humor, as described by Ssu-ma Ch'ien, reaches its epitome.
SDGs
Type
journal article
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
17139(abstract).mht
Size
246.19 KB
Format
Unknown
Checksum
(MD5):ca5e413bfd198f8ddb92d997dc6d3c23