A Study Of Transmutation Of Idler In Ming And Qing’s Opera

From Yuan dynasty to Ming and Qing dynasties drama, there is no shortage of idlerdescribed. And it has a significant changes in the development process. This paper is idler’schanges in the Ming and Qing drama, combined with the social background, this paperanalyzes the cause of these changes.The introduction includes five aspects. First, according to the various dictionariesto"idler" interpretation, combined with the characteristics of the object, summarized thedefinition and scope. In second, according to idler dependent objects, we can classify idlersinto four categories: hacking on to officials, hacking on to wealthy landlords, hacking on tointellectuals, and hacking on to prostitutes. These idlers are often good at setting a trap, andthen cheating other people’s money. Third, the value of this study is, through Yuan Ming andQing Dynasty opera, as a whole of research. Fourth, the academic research on the idler statusquo, showing the lack of specialized system research on idler from Yuan Ming and Qingdrama. Fifth, the definition, categories, for comparison, drawing a diagram method, analysisby image change.There was an obviously change of idlers image from Yuan dynasty to Ming and Qingdynasties drama. First of all, life style of idlers changed from a parasitic to half a parasitic way.And many multitasked idlers emerged. Except hacking on rich, they earn money from beingan intermediary, a matchmaker, or a tour guide. Second, idler employees changed from maledominated to men and women coexist. For gender advantages, female idler could come in andget out of the female house, and thus cheat lady’s money. Third, idler profit objective was alsochanged, which embodied in the enlargement of profit objects. Different from idler in Yuandynasty drama, idler in Ming and Qing dynasty drama aimed at money and woman. Fourth,the outcome of the idler was evolutional. In Yuan dynasty drama, the ending of idler wasusually punished, but in Ming and Qing dynasties drama, the ending of idler is morediversified. Some were punished, some were immune from punishment, and some were ofprofit. Fifth, there was an attitude change of dramatis personae, which reflected the change ofidler image from one side. In Yuan dynasty, people in drama usually hated idler. Except hateattitude, there were forgiveness, sympathy and understanding in the same time in Ming and Qing dynasties opera.The reason of evolvement of idler in the Ming and Qing dynasties opera were mainlyattributed to economy, thought and society. On the economic, with rapid economicdevelopment of Ming and Qing dynasties, the number of people who lost farmland increased,and thus a large number of rural people poured into the city, which affected the refining ofindustries. To a certain extent, it was convenient for idler to gain money, which changed theirway of life and idler purpose. In the thought, the corruption of Confucianism made itconvenient for idler to put on a “scholar” coat. And the emergence and development of theXinXue made people gradually enhance greed for money and extravagant life. Under thisuniversal value, attitude of dramatis personae to idler was also changed. In the society,because of the influence of economy and thinking, the impact of social atmosphere changedfrom plain to luxurious, which affected the emergence of female idler, changing of idlerpurpose and idler means and so on.