The Global Novel: a literature podcast
The Orphan of Zhao Part 2
The Orphan of Zhao (趙氏孤兒) was the first classical Chinese play to be translated into any European language dating from 1731. It was also the first Chinese play to be adapted and re-enacted by the Royal Shakespeare company in 2012.
Prof. Patricia Sieber and Prof. Shih-pe Wang(汪詩珮) in our last episode have jointly revealed how the classical narrative form called zaju(雜劇) effectively enacts the moral dilemma of the protagonist Cheng Ying(程嬰) who sacrifices his own son in order to save his lord’s son. In this episode, they will discuss how the theme of familial revenge is placed in the context of Confucian morality and social hierarchical structure as well as the afterlife and the cross-cultural adaptations of the play into the 21st century.
Recommended reading:
The Orphan of Zhao and Other Yuan Plays: The Earliest Known Versions
How To Read Chinese Drama: A Guided Anthology
Video clip of the Royal Shakespeare production’s The Orphan of Zhao
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