Title

Wulun Quanbei伍倫全備: A New Appreciation

Author

Si Tou Sau Leng

Genre

Article  

Pages

297-327

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Language

Chinese

Key words

didactic drama, Ming Zhuanqi (傳奇), sangang-wuchang (三綱五常), cheng (誠)

Abstract

    Qiu Jun’s (邱濬) Wulun Quanbei伍倫全備was the first Zhuanqi傳奇 dramaever written by a high-raking Ming scholar-official. Due to its heavy didacticism, it has never received any favorable critical attention. The play’s thematic structure has a great deal to do with the philosophical under-pinnings of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, which places a high premium on moral perfection and the realization of cheng誠 as a moral imperative. Wulun Quanbei deserves our attention precisely because it has made effective use of the form of lyrical drama and the properties of the stage as an evangelic vehicle to promote these ethical absolutes. The present essay will discuss the moralistic aspects of Wulun Quanbei along with its formal features.