The disposition of defiance: Zhang Fei as a comic hero of Yuan zaju

This dissertation examines depictions of the Three Kingdoms figure Zhang Fei in zaju, a dramatic genre which flourished in the Yuan dynasty. I argue that these zaju portray Zhang Fei as a comic hero by pairing his characteristic rude defiance with humor and festivity. This representation of Zhang Fei complements a zaju tendency toward festive comedy. In these plays Zhang Fei regularly helps initiate a period of festive misrule which is ultimately contained, in part by the rigid requirements of the genre form itself.; Chapter 1 summarizes the development of the Three Kingdoms story cycle and the image of rude Zhang Fei in historical and fictional narrative, and provides a general description of the zaju form focusing on plays which present incidents from the Three Kingdom story cycle. In chapter 2 I compare two plays in which Zhang Fei articulates the common ideals of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. In both plays Zhang Fei's characteristic defiance symbolizes the heroic brotherhood as a whole. Chapter 3 examines five plays in which rude Zhang Fei is the central figure. In these five plays there exists a tension between delight in Zhang Fei's brash defiance and concern over the subversive implications of this behavior; comparisons of these plays to analogous narratives demonstrate that the zaju structure provides a framework in which this tension can be played out. Chapter 4 analyzes Zhang Fei's role in plays featuring Guan Yu or Zhuge Liang. Zhang Fei's comic antics ennoble the central figures in these plays while simultaneously allowing expression of human concerns incompatible with their exalted nature. Chapter 5 begins by tracing the origins of comedy in traditional Chinese drama. Parallels are drawn between Zhang Fei, and Li Kui of the Shuihu cycle and Sun Wukong of the Xiyouji cycle. I conclude with a discussion of the particular prominence of these figures in the zaju genre in light of western debates over the meaning of festivity in dramatic comedy.