The Orphan of Zhao
The Orphan of Zhao | |
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Written by | Ji Junxiang |
Characters |
|
Date premiered | 13th century |
Original language | Chinese |
Genre | Zaju |
Setting | State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period |
The Orphan of Zhao | |
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Hanyu Pinyin | Zhàoshì gū'ér dà bàochóu |
The Orphan of Zhao is a
The story of The Orphan of Zhao takes place during the
Background
Until Ji Junxiang's play in the 13th century, the story appeared in prose form as historical narrative. After Ji's play, stage drama was the main form, with numerous regional operas, some completely independent of his play.[7]
The Records of the Grand Historian, written by the historian Sima Qian from the Han dynasty, contains a chapter surrounding the events of the Zhao family.[8] These records were adapted by Ji Junxiang in The Orphan of Zhao.[9] The play depicts the theme of familial revenge, which is placed in the context of Confucian morality and social hierarchical structure.[10] Though the story highlights social values and norms, Shi (2009) says the many violent scenes serve mostly as theatrical entertainment,[11] only secondarily inciting moral feelings in the audience.[12] Shi (2009) remarked that Cheng Ying's suffering and endurance, as he was forced to live in his enemy's household so he could protect the orphan, could be interpreted as an ironic reflection by the author about the ethno-political circumstances of the Yuan era.[12] The author therefore tried to incorporate Han institutions of Confucian values through his work.[12]
Plot summary
Prologue
First act
Zhao Shuo and his wife were expecting a
Second act
After these events, Tu'an Gu threatens to kill every infant in Jin if the Zhao orphan is not produced.[13][16] Cheng Ying, who was fearful, consults the retired Minister Gongsun Chujiu.[13] To prevent this massacre, Cheng Ying decides to sacrifice his own child in desperation so that the safety of the Zhao orphan and every infant in the state was ensured.[10]
Third act
Gongsun Chujiu departs with Cheng's child, whom he presented as the Zhao orphan.[10][18] In the self-sacrifice, both Gongsun and the child were found and murdered.[12] Cheng Ying silently suffers and weeps for his own child before he parts with him.[12]
Fourth act
Twenty years had passed since the third act.[19] Cheng Ying has taken care of the orphan during his early life.[16] The Zhao orphan, now known as Cheng Bo, has reached maturity.[12][19] General Tu'an Gu has no child of his own, thus he had adopted the Zhao orphan, unknowingly of his true identity, and named him Tu Cheng.[12] On a fateful day, the orphan is in Cheng Ying's study, where he discovers a scroll depicting all the people involved in the tragic events relating to his early life.[12] Cheng Ying decides the time has come to show the tragedy of the Zhao family and reveal to the orphan the truth of his origins.[12][16][19] Various tragic events featuring many loyal friends and retainers, who gave their lives, were depicted on the scroll.[12][19]
Fifth act
After discovering the truth, the Zhao orphan kills Tu'an Gu in the streets and avenges his family.[12][16] The orphan, now known as Zhao Wu, is reinstated with his family titles and properties.[19]
Translations and adaptations
The Orphan of Zhao was the first Chinese play to be translated into any European language.[20] The Jesuit father Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare translated the play, which he titled L'Orphelin de la Maison de Tchao, into French in 1731.[21] In Premaré's work, the dialogue was translated, but not the songs.[22] The story caught the imagination of European minds at a time when chinoiserie was in vogue and this translation was the basis for adaptations over the next few decades.[23]
Premaré sent the translation to be delivered to
In 1741, William Hatchett wrote and published the earliest adaptation of the play, which was in English; it was titled The Chinese Orphan: An Historical Tragedy.[26] However, in essence, it was written as a political attack on Sir Robert Walpole,[26] who was likened to Tu'an Gu, renamed as Saiko in Hattchett's play.[30] Thus, Hatchett's work was never produced and—in the words of John Genest—"totally unfit for representation."[26] In his work, Hatchett made a dedication to the Duke of Argyll in the context of the play, where the characters could be recognized as the people whom he satirized:[31]
- "As the Chinese are a wise discerning People, and much fam'd for their Art in Government, it is not to be wonder'd at, that the Fable is political: Indeed, it exhibits an amazing Series of Male-administration, which the Chinese Author has wrought up to the highest Pitch of Abhorrence, as if he had been acquainted with the Inflexibility of your Grace's Character in that respect. It's certain, he has exaggerated Nature, and introduced rather a Monster than a Man; but perhaps it is a Maxim with the Chinese Poets to represent Prime Ministers as so many Devils, to deter honest People from being deluded by them."[32]
In Vienna, the Italian playwright
In 1753,
In 1756, the Irish playwright Arthur Murphy wrote his The Orphan of China.[43] He stated that he had been attracted by Premare's play, but his play even more resembles Voltaire's L'Orphelin de la Chine.[43] Murphy's Orphan of China was first performed in April 1759 and became highly successful in England.[44] In his 1759 edition, Murphy criticized Voltaire for adding a theme of love—which he thought was unsuitable in this play—and for having a "scantiness of interesting business".[44] He also reasserted the story of revenge, which was omitted in Voltaire's play.[45] In Murphy's adaptation, the virtuous people killed the leader of the Tartars.[40] Although different, his play approached the original Chinese play closer than any other European adaption of the time.[45] The Orphan of China was well received in the literary circles of London.[45] In 1767, Murphy's play was brought to the United States, where it was first performed at the Southwark Theater in Philadelphia.[45]
In 1834, Stanislas Julien made the first complete translation of The Orphan of Zhao, which was from the Chinese original into French, including both the dialogue and the songs.[46][47]
The 2010 film Sacrifice directed by Chen Kaige is based on the historical Chinese play.[48]
In 2012 James Fenton adapted The Orphan of Zhao for the Royal Shakespeare Company production, directed by Gregory Doran in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Fenton wrote four additional songs for the play.[49]
See also
- The Chalk Circle
- Showtunes (Stephin Merritt and Chen Shi-zheng album), which includes music from an adaptation of Orphan of Zhao
References
- ^ Liu 1953, 193–194.
- ^ Chen 2002, 99.
- ^ Kuritz 1988, 89.
- ^ a b c d Liu 1953, 195.
- ^ Fu 2012, 33.
- ^ Liu 1953, 193 & 202.
- ^ Mou 2009, 24
- ^ Liu 1953, 198.
- ^ Liu 1953, 200–201.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Shi 2009, 175.
- ^ Shi 2009, 175–176.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Shi 2009, 176.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liu 1953, 196.
- ^ Du 2001, 224.
- ^ a b Hawkes 1985, 110.
- ^ a b c d e f Du 2001, 225.
- ^ a b c d Hawkes 1985, 109.
- ^ Liu 1953, 196–197.
- ^ a b c d e Liu 1953, 197.
- ^ Liu 1953, 193.
- ^ Liu 1953, 201.
- ^ Sieber 2003, 9.
- ^ Mou 2009, 25
- ^ a b c d Liu 1953, 202.
- ^ Hawkes 1985, 108.
- ^ a b c d e Fan 1949, 148.
- ^ Liu 1953, 202–203.
- ^ a b c Liu 1953, 203.
- ^ Halde 1739, 196.
- ^ Liu 1953, 204.
- ^ Fan 1949, 149–150.
- ^ Fan 1949, 149.
- ^ Liu 1953, 205.
- ^ a b c Liu 1953, 206.
- ^ Liu 1953, 205–206.
- ^ Shi 2009, 177.
- ^ a b c d Tian 2008, 20.
- ^ a b c d e Liu 1953, 207.
- ^ Tian 2008, 21.
- ^ a b Ou 2007, 66.
- ^ a b c Liu 1953, 208.
- ^ Liu 1953, 208–209.
- ^ a b Liu 1953, 209.
- ^ a b Liu 1953, 210.
- ^ a b c d Liu 1953, 211.
- ^ Liu 1953, 212.
- ^ Sieber 2003, 13–14.
- ^ Lee 2011, online.
- ^ Royal Shakespeare Company, online.
Bibliography
- Chen, Xiaomei (2002). Occidentalism: A theory of counter-discourse in post-Mao China (2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8476-9875-2.
- Du, Wenwei (2001). "Historicity and Contemporaneity: Adaptations of Yuan Plays in the 1990s". Asian Theatre Journal. 18 (2): 222–237. S2CID 162334706.
- Fan, T.C. (April 1949). "Fables and Anti-Walpole Journalism". The Review of English Studies. 25 (98). JSTOR 511670.
- Fu, Jin (2012). Chinese theater (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-18666-7.
- Halde, Jean Baptiste Du (1739). The General History of China (2nd ed.). London: John Watts.
- Hawkes, David (1985). Classical, Modern and Humane: Essays in Chinese Literature. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press. ISBN 978-962-201-354-4.
- Kuritz, Paul (1988). The making of theatre history. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-547861-5.
- Lee, Maggie (11 January 2011). "Sacrifice -- Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Liu, Wu-Chi (1953). "The Original Orphan of China". Comparative Literature. 5 (3): 193–212. JSTOR 1768912.
- Ou, Hsin-yun (2007). "Four Epistles Concerning The Orphan of China". Notes and Queries. 54 (1): 65–68. .
- Mou, Sherry J. (2009). "A Child for All Ages: The Orphan of Zhao". Education About Asia. 14 (1): 23–28.
- Royal Shakespeare Company. "The Orphan of Zhao". Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- Shi, Fei (2009). "Tragic Ways of Killing a Child: Staging Violence and Revenge in Classical Greek and Chinese Drama". In Constantinidis, Stratos E. (ed.). Text & presentation, 2008. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-4366-6.
- Sieber, Patricia (2003). Theaters of desire. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4039-6194-5.
- Tian, Min (2008). The poetics of difference and displacement: Twentieth-century Chinese-Western intercultural theatre. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 978-962-209-907-4.
Further reading
- W. L. Idema, "The Orphan of Zhao: Self-Sacrifice, Tragic Choice and Revenge and the Confucianization of Mongol Drama at the Ming Court," Cina.21 (1988): 159–190. [1] JSTOR
Translations
- L'orphelin De La Maison De Tchao, Tragédie Chinoise, Traduite En François Par Le R. P. De Prémare, De La Compagnie De Jésus, En 1731. Manuscript Online
- Tchao chi cou ell: Or, the little Orphan of the Family of Tchao, A Chinese Tragedy in J. B. Du Halde, The General History of China (London: John Watts, 2nd ed. 1739).
- Fenzo Modesto Bianchi Francesco, tr. L'orfano Cinese : Dramma Per Musica Da Rappresentarsi Nel Nobilissimo Teatro De S. Benedetto, Il Carnovale Dell'anno Mdcclxxxvii. (Venezia: appresso Modesto Fenzo, 1787).
- Liu Jung-en, tr., in Six Yüan Plays (Penguin Books, 1972 ISBN 978-0-14-044262-5)
- Wang Pi-twan H., tr,. "The Revenge of the Orphan of Chao, by Chi Chun-hsiang," Renditions 9 (1978): 103–131.
- Zhao You, tr., in Snow in Midsummer: Tragic Stories from Ancient China. (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2001). ISBN 978-7-119-02351-9. Includes "The Orphan of the Zhao Family."