The ridicule of "the drama of talented people and beautiful women" originated from the separation of ancient society.

"Wits and beauties meet each other and set up a lifelong back garden. The narrative mode of one of the best dramas of talented people and beautiful women in Luozi was once ridiculed by Jia Mu in A Dream of Red Mansions, and also regarded as a simple, naive and naive word game by modern students. But if you are a little more serious, you will find that it is an expression of the emotional dilemma of the ancients. Guan Hanqing's Moon Pavilion, Wang Shifu's The West Chamber, Bai Pu's On the Wall, and Zheng Guangzu's Away from the Soul are all typical "talented people and beautiful women" dramas, which are called the "four great love dramas" in Yuan Dynasty.

There are several reasons for the formation of the narrative mode of the drama of talented people and beautiful women:

First, playwrights belong to literati who have read many poems and books. Scholars' marriage and love naturally become the object of their concern, and the ideal marriage object of scholars is naturally beauty.

Secondly, in the ethical society of "Three cardinal guides and five permanents are greater than the sky", the parents of the official class keep the "beauty" in the "wall" and "door", and the world outside the wall and the "back garden" at home are regarded as places where great temptation and prohibition are imposed.

Third, "private meeting", "private life" and "elopement" were small probability events in the ancient society where men and women were not close. In reality, the final outcome may be a tragedy or a comedy, but for writers and readers with feelings in their hearts, of course, they hope that "all shall be well, jack shall have Jill".

Fourth, for the parents of the official class, "the parents' life is the words of the matchmaker" and "the door is right" is to make the family "fame and fortune", so the scholar must pass the exam to gain fame, and the private marriage can be recognized by his parents. The "top scholar" is the highest fame in the imperial examination era.

As far as The Last Scholar is concerned, "talent" and "love" are very attractive to the beauty who fell in love at first sight, but they are not famous. He is "poor and jealous" in the eyes of the whole society, and no beauty is willing to drink with him all his life.

6. For a "beauty", it depends on parents' choice of marriage object, and it may not be possible to find their own "dream lover", and "love at first sight" may not be all well that ends well. "I am a concubine, and I would like to raise a tree." Whether she can find a tree or be entangled with other silkworms is the pain in the hearts of ancient beauties.

Conclusion:

First, don't just look at the words "gifted scholar and beautiful woman", "back garden", "right on the wall", "No.1 scholar" and "happy ending", but pay more attention to the value of love, the rarity of "all shall be well" and the yearning for the word "wish". Because it is rare, it is valuable; Because it is rare, I yearn for it.

Second, don't use "valuing affection over fame" to evaluate the value of Yuan Zaju's "Talented Persons and Beautiful Women Play". No matter a talented person or a beautiful woman, reputation and ethics will be temporarily forgotten for family or desire, but reputation must be pursued and ethics is hard to break free. Only fame can make feudal parents compromise and make lovers better.