It is the culmination of constant interaction between readers and critics and careful elucidation by scholars in the past several generations to demonstrate prevailing ideas, cultural significance, and aesthetic
values of a literary work. Yuan Zaju (poetic drama set to music)
Fengguanghao (What a pretty scenery) has long been regarded by scholars as a satirical
comedy or comedy of manners. It aims to expose the hypocrisy of a sanctimonious person. The theme is to reveal the clash between human nature and
traditional moral values. The protagonist
Tao Gu is generally regarded as a passive character in the comedy; however, he can also be interpreted as a complicated, multifaceted, and comical figure in the drama, if we read him from different angle. In the context of aesthetic form, it may fit as a comedy of character because it has departed from traditional art form, a piece of wellknit
structure, as well as traditional aesthetic and moral values. Deviating from the confines of simplified and stereotyped
characterization, the drama has faithfully reflected the colorful daily activities of ordinary people. Moreover, if we place it in the perspective of modern dramatic theory, it stands as a remarkable piece of work in terms of the use of language, characterization, conflict and resolution, and structure.
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