Chinese Drama - To The Religious Perspective,

Taking the visual angel of Chinese early religion this thesis isaiming at seeking a reasonable answer for the occurrence of Chinesedrama from the confluence of history and logic. The thesis holds theview that acting should be the formal noumenon of drama and the kernelproblem of the occurrence of drama is the occurrence of its formalnoumenon. Ritual locus afforded a special condition for theoccurrence of acting. The primeval tribal ritual was in a muddledstage Since the "acting" behavior with its acting ingredientattached itself to the ritual. We could say that it is pregnant withthe acting. During Xia, Shang and the Xi zhoudynasty, the primevaltribal ritual gradually disintegrated and evolved to religious feteceremonies. The "acting" behavior which attached to the primevaltribal ritua1 also entered into these fete ceremonies. Yet the actingbehavior during these three dynast ies became symbolic ceremony whichreflected the regalia and theocracy will through their doubletrammels. Because of the destroy of Li and Yue inGuo Period trailed the religious attribute of the fete ceremoniesand made it evolve to a religious custom. Religious "acting"behavior became secular and secular "acting" behavior was alsoused to "amuse the God". People amused themselves with fete customso that "Za xi" and "Song_dance_drama" appeared in an embryonicform. "Nuo" ceremony presented a particular acting attribute."Zhe" showed more aesthetic amusing attribute since its ceremonial"acting" remained only in its outer form because of its carnivalnature. Necromancy became one of the "Bai Xi" sources and made "BaiXi" rise up to the Warring States. the acting has already laid theformal foundation from three aspects such as"Song dancd drama","Pai You Za Xi" and "Bai Xi" for laterdrama.