Battles, Betrayals, and Brotherhood

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No cycle of historical legends has enjoyed greater or more enduring popularity in China than that of the Three Kingdoms, which recounts the dramatic story of the civil wars (c. AD 180–220) that divided the old Han empire into the Shu-Han, Wei, and Wu states, and the eventual reunification of the realm under the Western Jin in AD 280.

Reviews:

"Beginning with the swearing of brotherhood in the Peach Orchard and continuing on to the most famous battles and betrayals of the Three Kingdoms era, this selection of expertly translated plays enables readers to discover how the major heroes of the legend were portrayed on the Yuan and Ming stage.
    "Informative introductions and annotations enhance enjoyment of the plays, as do appendices that expand on the core selections by providing alternate versions of some famous episodes. Translations of selected incidents from a popular history, the Sanguo zhi pinghua, enable comparisons between a popular historical account of these heroes’ careers and dramas about them.
    "[This book is] indispensable as a companion to translations of the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as a student introduction to Chinese culture and theater, or as a guide for any readers simply interested in Three Kingdoms lore."
     —Catherine Swatek, University of British Columbia

 "Battles, Betrayals, and Brotherhood is a brilliant introduction to one of China’s best-loved heroic traditions. And of course the translations are wonderful—very lively!"
     —Katherine Carlitz, University of Pittsburgh

"[A] veritable treasure trove of materials in English for those interested in exploring the immediate predecessors of the Ming novel [The Romance of the Three Kingdoms].
     "The translations in Battles, Betrayals, and Brotherhood are, as is typical of Idema and West's work, colloquial and lively while simultaneously meticulously researched. This volume is a welcome addition to our resources on early drama and the Three Kingdoms story cycle alike, and will no doubt continue to inspire lively class discussions and productive research for some time to come."
     —CHINOPERL: Journal of Chinese Oral & Performing Literature 

“An exciting contribution—one that should be a source of great interest and pleasure to students, teachers, and scholars working in the fields of Chinese history and literature—this anthology collects Yuan and Ming dynasty zaju (musical dramas in four acts) explorations of Three Kingdoms narrative produced in the centuries leading up to the 120-chapter novel. This new anthology illuminates not only the evolution of the Three Kingdoms saga, but also of Chinese theatre during an important stage in its own historical development.
     "This volume will likely be of use to anyone with an interest in premodern Chinese literature, but it is sure to be of particular value to graduate students or advanced undergraduates within the field. Many of these selections will be unfamiliar even to those who have spent some time with Chinese literature, but Idema and West ably locate these pieces within their pertinent historical, literary, and narrative contexts. As a result, the reader is left with a better understanding of these particular works as well as a clearer overall impression of the concerns and preoccupations of one corner of Chinese literature at this time.
     "Selections from this collection would work very well as part of a survey of premodern or traditional Chinese literature or in an introduction to Chinese theater. It would also be ideally suited to a graduate or an upper-level undergraduate seminar devoted to the Three Kingdoms saga in which it would work admirably alongside the Ming novel, historical records, and even modern retellings such as films, graphic novels, and interactive media.
     "In sum, Battles, Betrayals, and Brotherhood is a lively, polished, and thoroughly researched contribution to the field that admirably accomplishes its task of introducing a body of diverting and informative material to English-speaking students of Chinese literature young and old alike."
     —Journal of the American Oriental Society

About the Authors:

Wilt L. Idema is Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University.

Stephen H. West is Foundation Professor of Chinese, Arizona State University.

Contents:

 Preface, Introduction, Table of Dynasties, Conventions

Anonymous
1. Liu, Guan, and Zhang: The Tripartite Oath of Brotherhood in the Peach Orchard

Anonymous
2. In the Hall of Brocade Clouds: The Beauty and the Story of the Interlocking Rings

Zhu Youdun
3. Guan Yunchang’s Righteous and Brave Refusal of Gold

Anonymous
4. Liu Xuande Goes Alone to the Xiangyang Meeting

Anonymous
5. Zhuge Liang Burns the Stores at Bowang
    Thirty Yuan Plays Edition
    From a Ming Palace Edition, Act 4

Guan Hanqing
6. The Great King Guan and the Single Sword Meeting
    Thirty Yuan Plays Edition
    Ming Palace Edition

Guan Hanqing
7. In a Dream Guan and Zhang, A Pair, Rush to Western Shu

Appendix 1: The Records of the Three Kingdoms in Plain Language
Appendix 2: Excerpt from the Tale of Hua Guan Suo
Appendix 3: A Selection of Yuan Plays Version of The Plan of Interlocking Rings

Bibliography and Suggested Readings, Classified Glossary, Index