A Study Of Mythological Elements And Their Connotations In The Opera Of The Ming Dynasty

The opera of the Ming Dynasty is another mature form of opera after the Zaju of the Yuan Dynasty.It has further developed in system and content than the Zaju of the Yuan Dynasty and occupies a high position in the history of Chinese opera.According to the definition of broad myth,myth should include folklore,fairy tale,Buddhist story and even animal story.Under this definition,although most of the legendary stories of the Ming Dynasty are based on real life,there are also a large number of plays involving mythological elements.According to the plot outline provided by the Summary of Ancient Chinese Opera Dramas,there are more than 40 works involving various mythological elements,most of which are intermingled with each other.This paper chooses 25 typical works as the research object,classifies and sorts out the mythological elements,and analyses the general tendency of the The opera of the Ming Dynasty with similar mythological elements,the reasons for this tendency and the role of the mythological elements in the legends.The mythological elements in the opera of the Ming Dynasty have profound connotations,which are embodied in the ideological and artistic aspects of the works.In terms of ideology,the use of mythological elements reflects two main ideological tendencies: enthusiasm for life and negative avoidance of the world.In artistry,mythological elements play an important role in shaping the characters and forming the plot of the story.The reasons for adding mythological elements to the opera of the Ming Dynasty as part of the plot are complex,involving political economy,religious and philosophical ideas and the influence of previous literature.Firstly,the political and economic situation of an era determines the rise of literary styles and the living environment of literary creators;secondly,religion and popular philosophical ideas at that time not only affect the ideas of the creators,but also have a certain impact on the themes and themes of the works.Finally,as a new literary style of the time,the opera of the Ming Dynasty inevitably inherited and developed the previous literary works in content and form.These factors together led to the emergence of mythological elements in the opera of the Ming Dynasty.The mythological elements in the opera of the Ming Dynasty have two functions.On the one hand,because of the moral nature of Chinese mythology,the mythological elements in literary works objectively have the role of moral education in regulating the contradiction between rulers and civilians and maintaining social order.On the other hand,the mythological elements in the opera of the Ming Dynasty have very high aesthetic value.Adding mythological elements to literary works is one of the common characteristics of Chinese literature,which embodies the characteristics of Chinese literary romanticism.The mythological elements in the opera of the Ming Dynasty not only enrich the content of the works,but also make the works have a special aesthetic feeling.