National Characteristics Of Chinese Classical Tragedies Under The Comparative Perspectives

Ever since 1980s, it's been unanimously agreed that critics shouldn't deny the existence of Chinese classical tragedies by using the yardstick of their western counterpart, and that it's out of question whether there are tragedies or not in ancient Chinese dramas. And a series of questions should be posed concerning Chinese classical tragedies:what notions and emotions do they manifest? What unique forms do they take? How do they enrich the art of tragedies in the world with their national characteristics? The dissertation examines these questions by means of comparisons with western classical tragedies and with the help of academic findings of the pioneers in this field.The dissertation has six parts. "Introduction" consists of the review of researches on this issue and the global structure of the dissertation. Chapter One studies the cultural differences in the rural life, social systems, value pursuits and the conception of human nature between China and the west, and analyzes their effects on the artistic development of classical tragedies respectively. Chapter Two discusses five unique motifs in Chinese classical tragedies and their manifestations of life's experiences, emotions and values of the nation in contrast with those in western classical tragedies. Chapter Three illustrates the different ways of conveying tragic messages determined by different cultural awareness of natural sceneries. The music and lines in Chinese classical tragedies often lead to the artistic ambience characterized by combining the scenes with the relevant sceneries with the purpose to fully reveal the tragic mood, whereas in some of western classical tragedies natural sceneries are the symbol of evil, or the visible extension of the personalities of tragic characters. Chapter Four studies the ideas of the researchers on the typical structure of Chinese classical tragedies like "intertwining of sadness and happiness" and "happy ending", and looks for the reasons from the audience's point of view. The part "Conclusion" seeks a point where two kinds of tragedies can meet, the point where tragedies aim at laying bare miseries and the noble human nature brought forth by those miseries.