A Study Of Legendary Drama

Xia Lun, a dramatist in the mid leaf of Qing Dynasty, was keen on imperial examinations all his life. But his dream was never realized. He began to write dramas after returning hometown. His master work is The Six New Dramas. Xia Lun had gone through the dynasty of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. At that time, the Neo-Confucianism, which had a strong influence on the society, was promoted energetically and established its official philosophy dominant status. In the field of dramas, the legends of literati had a tendency to return. The sense of morals and manners, which promoted by Gao Ming and Qiu Jun, was mentioned once again. In this context, Xia Lun began to create dramas. He became the typical character who maintained the morals and manners. His dramas center on ethical psychological characters, no matter the theme choice, the characterization, and the plot structure. The language of his dramas is clarity and beautiful, full of refinement and purification. Most of his dramas are based on historical biography, then added his own made-up stories. His works had important implications for the dramas of the middle period of Qing Dynasty.