自我表达下的剧本欠缺——王仲文与《救孝子贤母不认尸》

The Defect of Script under Self-expression--Wang Zhongwen and Mother Saves the Son and Protests against Injustice

《救孝子贤母不认尸》是元代杂剧作家王仲文唯一流传下来的剧目,现存于《元曲选》。钟嗣成在《录鬼簿》中评该剧“关目嘉”。然若仔细审视,会发现剧中情节设置不够合理,人物行动缺乏充足依据,细节组织也不够严密。这些欠缺很大程度源于剧作家主观或自我意识的过分表达,以呈现其“以道补儒”的人格和人生理想追求,反映出了元代文人内在的人格和人生理想冲突,一定程度表露了剧作家怀念故国的家国情怀。剧作家的思想表达只有融于更合情理的剧作情节设计与人物形象塑造,才能创作出佳作,但剧作本身的不完美,也恰好提供了认识剧作家思想的另一视角。

Mother Saves the Son and Protests against Injustice, which is included in Anthology of Yuan Qu, is the only play written by Wang Zhongwen, a poetic drama writer in the Yuan dynasty. Zhong Sicheng praised it as being innovative in plot in his Collection of Recording Ghosts. However, a close reading and analysis shows that the plot of this play is not that reasonable, the behavior of the characters are irrational, and the details not well conceived. These defects are largely due to the playwright’s over-expression of his subjectivity or self-consciousness to present his attempt to complement Confucianism with Taoism and his pursuit of life ideal, which reflects the inner conflict between the personality and life ideal of the literati in the Yuan dynasty. It also reveals the playwright’s homesickness and patriotism for his native country. A good play can be created only by integrating the plot design and character image in a more reasonable way. However, the imperfect play can provide an alternative perspective to understand the playwright’s thoughts.