Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on "Peony Pavilion"/Confucianism & Daoism. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page research paper/essay that analyzes The Peony Pavilion, a 400-year-old masterpiece in the style of Chinese Kunju opera, China's oldest surviving theatrical style. Written in the late sixteenth century by Tang Xianzu (1550-1617), this work demonstrates how both Confucianism and Daoism had become intertwined in the fabric of Chinese culture. The writer discusses how the focus on issues of respect and ritual derive directly from Confucianism. Such issues are extremely significant to the male characters. The women in the opera, however, express a more Daoist view of life. Examination of this work demonstrates that both philosophies co-existed in sixteenth century Chinese culture. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khppcd.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Xianzu (1550-1617), this work demonstrates how both Confucianism and Daoism had become intertwined in the fabric of Chinese culture. In The Peony Pavilion, the focus on issues of respect
and ritual derive directly from Confucianism. Such issues are extremely significant to the male characters. The women in the opera, however, express a more Daoist view of life. Examination of
this work demonstrates how both philosophies co-existed in sixteenth century Chinese culture. In The Peony Pavilion, the importance of ritual is stressed. Tu Li-niangs father, the governor, does not
listen to his son-in-laws protests, or even to his assertion that his daughter has come back to life, because he is so appalled at the young mans violation of ritual
in desecrating Li-niangs grave. As Leys (1996) points out, the term "rites" has to be understood within the context of Chinese culture. To understand this, Leys suggests that the Western
reader substitute concepts such as "civilized usages, moral conventions, or even common decency" (1997, p. xxv). When one does this, Leys asserts that it is easy to see how Confucius
concept is very close to the principles of political philosophy that the West derived during the Enlightenment (1997). Leys (1997) points out that Confucius did not insist on
an unthinking adherence to ritual. Analect 9.3 reads: The Master said, According to ritual, the ceremonial cap should be made of hemp, nowadays it is made of silk, which
is more convenient; I follow the general usage. According to ritual, one should bow at the bottom of the steps; nowadays people bow on top of the steps, which is
rude. Even though it goes against the general usage, I bow at the bottom of the steps (Leys, 1997, p. 39). The issue here is a matter of
...