Historians have successfully overturned Cao Cao's conviction, but why is Cao Cao still a white face in Beijing Opera?

There is a saying in Peking Opera that "loyalty is red and treachery is white", so the characters represented by white faces are generally fierce and cunning. In fact, the white face has two uses. The first is to show the anger and childlike innocence of a hero or a general. The second is used to show a sinister villain who never shows his true colors. But Cao Cao is a white face in Beijing opera, and the characters belong to the latter.

First of all, in real history, Cao Cao was a resourceful man. During the Three Kingdoms period, he was also a very famous and outstanding politician and strategist. Not only that, he is also a very competent leader, who knows how to care about the people and pay attention to their living conditions. At the same time, he also has profound attainments in poetry, and he is a versatile talent.

Cao Cao in Beijing Opera is actually just an artistic image. Exaggerate or even belittle his character through some artistic techniques. In fact, such a character image is not true. The creator's personal feelings and colors are added in the process of artistic creation, so what is presented to the audience is a very insidious, suspicious and unbearable character image.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the image of Cao Cao also runs counter to history. Under the influence of famous works, the characterization of folk drama is also influenced to some extent. Under the influence of respecting Liu and belittling Cao Cao, Cao Cao was naturally regarded as a white face.

Such an image is actually deeply rooted in the minds of the audience. Even if it is overthrown by historians, this cognition is hard to be subverted. By using a creative technique, it can actually bring emotional impact to the audience, and it can also drive the audience's emotions, making the performance of Beijing Opera more full and full of emotions.