南戱 《張協狀元》: 愛情과 科擧權力의 變奏

“Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan” is a work of literature written in the late Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty. By comparing with short stories of the early Ming dynasty, we can discover the unique characteristics of “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan”. The 5 representative short stories of early Ming dynasty are based on the simple structure such as meeting-parting-reunion. On the other hand, “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan” has more complex structure than former. It has meeting-parting-reunion-parting-reunion process containing the variations of affection and imperial examinations. “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan” does not merely contain literary element in the meeting to final reunion between Zhang xie and Pin nǚ, it shows the marriage custom reflecting the general desire and sentiment of ordinary people in those days. “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan” was a ‘unfaithful type’ in the stage of drama text in the early Song dynasty which can be regarded as pure literary fiction, and it was gradually adaped as a ‘reeunion type’ in the version of Yongle Ming dynasty which contains social and cultural factors. In other words, the version of Yongle Ming dynasty has much more realistic factor than the drama text version. “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan” contains the concept of Men Dang Hu Dui (a marriage between families of equal social status) and the concept of conjugal knot, therefore it probably aroused sympathy from the people in those days and even it can evoke sympathy of people today. In addition, we admit that the “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan” made a true depiction of realistic human character. All along we have easily regarded the endings of ‘reunion type’ shown in the Ming and Qing dynasties novels and operas as trite stereotyped endings and belittled their importance. But if we look at these “reunion” endings from a broader cultural perspective, there may be more extrapolated values awaiting us to discover just as we found in “Zhang Xie Zhuang Yuan”.