Selected Plays of Guan Hanqing

by Guan Hanqing, Gladys Yang, Yang Xianyi

Containing eight plays by the magnificent Guan Hanqing, the "Shakespeare of China." Hanqing lived in the 13th century, at the height of the Yuan Dynasty. An actor himself, he is said to have written more than 60 plays for the traveling theater groups which flourished on the mainland in those days. His works concerned history, deception, treachery, men, women, and the abuse of official power. Also of note are the powerful and resourceful women he gives in such comedies as "Rescued by a Coquette," the portrayals of middle-class life back then, and not a bit of bawdy humor.

Genres: Plays, China, Literature

332 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Guan Hanqing (simplified Chinese: 关汉卿; traditional Chinese: 關漢卿; pinyin: Guān Hànqīng; Wade–Giles: Kuan Han-ch'ing) (c. 1241-1320), sobriquet "the Oldman of the Studio" (齋叟 Zhāisǒu), was a notable Chinese playwright and poet in the Yuan Dynasty. He has been described as among the most prolific and highly regarded dramatists of the Yuan period.[1]

Guan spent much of his later life in Dadu and produced about 65 plays, mostly in the vernacular of the time. Fourteen of his plays are extant, including:

The Injustice to Dou E a.k.a. Snow in Midsummer (感天動地竇娥冤 Gǎn Tiān Dòng Dì Dòu É Yuān)
Saving the Dusty-windy a.k.a. Saving the Prostitute a.k.a. Rescued by a Coquette (趙盼兒風月救風塵 Zhào Pàn Ér Fēng Yuè Jiù Fēng Chén)
The Conference of a Single Dao a.k.a. Meeting the Enemies Alone a.k.a. Lord Guan Goes to the Feast (關大王獨赴單刀會 Guān Dà Wáng Dú Fù Dān Dāo Huì)
The Pavilion of Moon-Worship (閨怨佳人拜月亭 Guī Yuàn Jiā Rén Bài Yuè Tíng)
The Butterfly Dream (包待制三勘蝴蝶夢 Bāo Dài Zhì Sān Kān Hú Dié Mèng)
The Wife-Snatcher (包待制智斬魯齋郎 Bāo Dài Zhì Zhì Zhǎn Lǔ Zhāi Láng)
The Riverside Pavilion (望江亭中秋切膾旦 Wàng Jiāng Tíng Zhōng Qiū Qiē Kuài Dàn)
The Jade Mirror-Stand (溫太真玉鏡臺 Wēn Tài Zhēn Yù Jìng Tái)
Death of the Winged-Tiger General (鄧夫人苦痛哭存孝 Dèng Fū Rén Kǔ Tòng Kū Cún Xiào)

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guan Hanqing was a Chinese playwright of the 13-14th century who wrote movingly about the daily struggles of the peasantry. The Yuan plays, of which Hanqing was part, were the seeds of the Beijing Drama. It includes dialogue, but features songs using a limited set of melodies.

The plays feature a mix of complexity and simplicity. New characters typically introduce themselves, their occupations and what they are doing to the audience. But the situations and the morals are complex.

This translation seems rather bland. I assume (it isn’t explained) that the text in italics is to be sung. Rather than try to write these lines as verse, they are translated into very plain, undecorous English.

If you are a drama lover, or a lover of Chinese history/art, I strongly recommend it. For everyone else, you won’t miss much by skipping it.

Here are my thoughts on the plays as I read them:

Snow in Midsummer *** – This is the story of a woman wrongly accused of murder and executed. It highlights the heartbreaking lives of the poor, who must sell their children to stay alive.

Rescued by a Coquette *** – For centuries, in eastern and western cultures alike, women have had three options for economic survival: marriage (in which they are treated like property), prostitution (in which their bodies are property to be rented) or slavery (in which they are literally property). This story highlights the struggles of women, and in this story the women get the upper hand. This is a darkly humorous tale.

Lord Guan Goes to the Feast ** – This is a strange historical drama. The play starts with a plot to kill Lord Guan, but when the villain gets the chance, he backs down in fear. It is an interesting idolization of Lord Guan, but other than that there isn’t a here here.

[Neil Crowle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The collection of dramas and comedies in this book was very enjoyable. Guan Hanqing seemed to have a good understanding of human nature.