Study On Evolution Of Guan Yu's Image From Operas On The Three Kingdoms To Ding Zhi Chun Qiu

This article analyses and compares the scripts of the operas about Guan Yu in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to understand the evolution of Guan Yu's image, at the same time analyses its inheritance relation during the three dynasties and then discusses the social factors about why Ding Zhi Chun Qiu, such a great palace opera, is created in the Qing Dynasty. The article includes three parts of preface, body and further discussion and the body includes three chapters.The preface briefly discusses about the three existence types of Guan Yu's image, simply analyses its connotation and features, reviews the current researches in the academic circles and then displays the research significance and the points of innovation of this paper.The body has three chapters. Chapter I summarizes the existing operas about Guan Yu in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties and analyses the Guan Yu's image in combination with the related scripts. The image of Guan Yu in the Yuan Dynasty has some characteristics of alien rule: he is not only a national hero but also an honest and upright official ridding the people of the evils or the God protecting the masses. However, Guan Yu in the Ming Dynasty goes closer to the people as an image of loyal general. Additionally, this chapter compares the operas about Guan Yu in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, makes the self-development of Guan Yu's image clearer and describes the inheritance, development, and even innovation of Guan Yu's image in Ding Zhi Chun Qiu from those in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Also, this article makes an analysis of selected works of the operas'scripts in the Ming Dynasty during the discussion of operas about Guan Yu at the same time.Chapter II analyses the connections between them by comparison with The Romance of Three Kingdoms and Ding Zhi Chun Qiu. At first, the relational plots in the works of The Romance of Three Kingdoms created in the later Yuan Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty are summarized and elaborated about the two great things of Leaving Cao Cao for Liu Bei and Losing Jingzhou with negligence as well as the deeds of Guan Yu in other chapters in The Romance of Three Kingdoms. Secondly, intensive analysis is made about Guan Yu's image in the two works through some tables to get an understanding of accepting or rejecting some contents of The Romance of Three Kingdoms during the compiling of Ding Zhi Chun Qiu. At last, the discussion about Ding Zhi Chun Qiu inheriting from and rejecting The Romance of Three Kingdoms is taking place by comparison with concrete scripts. An obvious feature can be found in Ding Zhi Chun Qiu: the description of majestic-looking general about Guan Yu instead of his arrogance. And all the above will be analysed in this paper.Chapter III mainly analyses Guan Yu in Ding Zhi Chun Qiu to explore the factors of evolution of Guan Yu's image from the perspective of the political and cultural background in the Qing Dynasty. Guan Yu worship, from the folk society to the palace, from the period of Three Kingdoms to the Sui, Tang Dynasties and then to the Qing Dynasty, plays a very important role in portraying the Guan Yu's image in Ding Zhi Chun Qiu. Initially, this chapter analyses the propel of Guan Yu's worship in the folk society to the changes of Guan Yu's image. The article analyses the worship of Guan Yu in the thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism from the points of Chinese religious faith and discusses the contents such as loyalty, transmigration and so on in the Guan Yu's image in combination with related scripts in detail. Then the reasons of Guan Yu's image is analysed from two parts, war-God worship in the palace and social civilizing function embodied in Guan Yu's image, from the perspective of courage and loyalty of Guan Yu. And the section of war-God worship reviews the Manchu's national characteristics of preferring to kill and war, refers to the worship of the rulers in all ages to Guan Yu after they establish political power, and simultaneously this worship is contained in the scripts. The third section generally introduces the attention to the Guan Yu's royal figure by the rulers in all ages and posthumous titles conferred on him, pointing that the reason of doing so is that the dynasties in all times understand the values under Guan Yu's image: civilizing function and at last careful analysis on intention of compiling Ding Zhi Chun Qiu is made according to some related sections.Last part briefly introduces folk Guan Yu worship in the Qing Dynasty and its representations in current society and especially some troubles and shortcomings are mentioned during the analysis of the causes of Guan Yu's image in the last part of this article.