Zhen huan, yu yan yu you xi: wan Ming Qing chu wen ren xi qu jia zhi wen ti zi jiao ji qi "hou she" cheng xian = (Non) illusion, allegory, and play : literati playwrights’ genre consciousness and its meta-theatrical representations in late-Ming and early-Qing China

Ph.D.This dissertation mainly studies the “genre consciousness” of literati playwrights in late-Ming and early-Qing China and the “meta-theatrical representations” found in their works. Based on the concepts of (non)illusion, allegory and play, the dissertation consists of four case studies on the most representative and influential playwrights of this period: Tang Xianzu 湯顯祖, Kong Shangren 孔尚任, Li Yu 李玉, and Li Yu 李 漁, and explores the cultural implications of their artistic expressions.Through a close textual analysis of Nanke meng ji 南柯夢記 (The Nanke Dream) and Handan meng ji 邯鄲夢記 (The Handan Dream), Chapter Two discusses Tang Xianzu’s profound reflection on the visual, illusory and allegorical nature of drama as well as its connection with his concern for life and society. Chapter Three investigates the meta-theatrical scenes including the play-within-play frame, rituals, and roleplaying in Kong Shangren’s Taohua shan 桃花扇 (The Peach Blossom Fan). It deals with the metaphorical relationship established by Kong between drama and history, and further searches for implications of liyue 禮樂 (rites and music) culture in Kong’s recognition of chuanqi 傳奇drama. Chapter Four shifts the emphasis onto the representative figure of the Suzhou School, Li Yu, who wrote plays for a living. This chapter examines performing scenes in Li’s plays such as Yipeng xue 一捧雪and Qingzhong pu 清忠譜, exposing the entertaining and allegorical aspects of Li’s genre consciousness, which was closely related to the civilian-oriented characteristic of his playwriting and the literati spirit hidden in his perception of theatre and drama. Chapter Five focuses on Li Yu, another famous playwright who attached great importance to the stage. It analyzes Li’s plays such as Bimu yu 比目魚 (Sole Mates) and Naihe tian 奈何天 (You Can’t Do Anything about Fate), and illustrates how uniquely he perceived drama as playing game and how such perception deeply connected to his self-identity.To conclude, (non)illusion, allegory and play are major aspects found in common in literati playwrights’ perceptions of the dramatic genre from the late Ming to the early Qing dynasty. Meanwhile, their meta-theatrical representations of these concepts differ subtly due to their times, lives, and personalities. These playwrights’ attitudes toward life, times, and society greatly influenced how they perceived drama and how they practiced in theatre. This then results in the richness and uniqueness of their artistic expressions.本文主要研究晚明清初文人戲曲家的文體自覺及其在戲曲作品中的「後設」呈現。文體自覺在戲曲中的「後設」呈現，意指劇作家對戲曲文體的認知與思考通過創作中對「戲曲」本身的指涉呈現出來。文章選取此時期最具代表性和影響力的四位劇作家湯顯祖（1550-1616）、孔尚任（1648-1718）、李玉（約1611-1677）和李漁（1611-1680）為研究對象，從「真幻」、「寓言」和「遊戲」這三個與此時期戲曲最為相關的概念出發，逐一進行個案研究，並挖掘各人藝術表現背後更深層的文化意涵。論文主體部分共計四章。第二章圍繞湯顯祖的《南柯夢記》與《邯鄲夢記》，探討湯顯祖對戲曲之視覺性、虛幻性、寓言性等特質的深刻思考，以及他在其中寄寓的對生命和社會的關懷。第三章聚焦於孔尚任的《桃花扇》，對其中的「戲中戲」框架、表演、儀式等具有「後設」性質的場景進行細緻分析，探討孔尚任在戲曲真幻與歷史真幻之間所建構的隱喻關係，並進一步討論其於傳奇文體中所寄託的禮樂文化意涵。第四章將視線轉移至「蘇州派」代表、職業劇作家李玉，考察其《一捧雪》、《清忠譜》等劇作中的表演性場景，探討其文體自覺中「遊戲」與「寓言」的面向以及背後所關聯的民間性和文人性。第五章緊接前章，引出另一位注重場上藝術的劇作家李漁。本章主要對李漁的《比目魚》、《奈何天》等戲曲作品進行文本分析，著重挖掘戲曲之遊戲性對於李漁的特殊意義，並探討其文體自覺與其自我身分認同之間的深刻聯繫。本文認為，晚明清初文人戲曲家對「戲曲」文體的認知包含「真幻」、「寓言」與「遊戲」。他們對這些概念的「後設」呈現因人、因時、因生活而異，在共性的基礎上呈現出不同的面向，並於創作的細節中展現出微妙的差別。每一位劇作家對於生命、社會和時代的態度，都影響到他們對戲曲不同特徵的理解和運用，其藝術表現的豐富性和獨特性也就在其中顯現。章雪晴."2020年8月".Parallel title from added title page.Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2020.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-202).Abstract also in English.Title from PDF title page (viewed on March 2, 2022).Zhang Xueqing