PRODUCTION King Lear [Lier zai ci]
Data Type：essay
Author：Lei, Bi-qi Beatrice
Title：Vision and Revision of Filial Piety: Analogues and Adaptations of King Lear in Chinese Opera
Source：Journal of Theater Studies [Xiju yanjiu]
Place：Taipei
Date：2008/1
Pages：253-282
Language：English
Abstract：King Qi's Dream by the Shanghai Beijing Opera Troupe and Lear Is Here by the Contemporary Legend Theatre are both adaptations of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear, but their treatment of unfiliality diverges. Filial piety is one of the core values of Confucianism. Traditional Chinese theatre has a strong moralizing tendency and many of its plays preach filial devotion. Transgression against filial piety is considered a fundamental sin in Confucian culture, and it demands sensitive handling when publically staged. Analyzing three plays from traditional theatre's repertoire—The Clear Breeze Pavilion (also called The Retaliation by Heavenly Thunder), The Story of the Wall, and Birthday Greeting by Five Daughters—I identify four techniques used to mitigate the shock of unfilial children: (A) providential retaliation (B) comedy and farce (C) scapegoating, and (D) the "grand reunion." While hewing to King Lear's storyline, King Qi's Dream uses comparable tactics to transmute Shakespeare's tragedy into a didactic play of Chinese opera. Conversely, Lear Is Here employs multiple perspectives to recast the notions of filial piety, loyalty, and justice. In doing so, it challenges ethical and aesthetic traditions alike.
