晚明清初小說新品類對文人傳奇戲曲敘事開創的影響

The Influences of New Genres of Novels on Traditional Chuanqi Opera Narratives during the Late Ming-Early Qing Period

晚明清初的文人戲曲創作，相較於明代中葉以前，有不少突破性的發展。除了文類本身的內在規律，更與當時商品經濟發達，通俗文藝商品化密切關連，許多文人透過參與非主流的通俗文學的編纂和創作，表達他們對禮教的反思。同屬敘事文學，小說一向是戲曲取材的主要來源之一，在此風潮下，兩者的交流和相互影響可說是前所未見，有不少作者甚至同時寫作小說與戲曲，其下龐大的讀者群也相互交錯重疊。嘉靖到萬曆年間，在原有的「歷史」、「英雄」和「神魔」之外，發展出「世情」、「艷情」、「公案」和「俠義」等白話小說新品類，「中篇文言愛情小說」亦在此時確立。這雖然並未直接促使戲曲產生相應的品類，卻對文人傳奇戲曲的敘事造成刺激，透過題材關注、情節設計、人物形象、語言風格、審美概念等新風貌的開展，全面回應諸多小說新品類帶給他們的啟發。許多珍貴的創發後來雖因遭到「詩文傳統」的覆蓋而未能持續，卻為當時代的戲曲藝術留下多姿多彩的身影，同時，也為清代中葉以後花部戲曲的全盛提供了養料。

Compared to traditional opera (戲曲) from earlier periods, the works of late Ming-early Qing writers possessed a certain level of innovation and development. Beyond changes in the intrinsic patterns within genres, many writers, by engaging in non-mainstream literary traditions during authorship or compilation, were able to express their reflections on lijiao (禮教, Confucian ritual teachings and practice); these developments were closely related to the prosperity of urban economy and commercializing of popular literature and art of the time. As both are classified as forms of narration, traditional opera has always drawn on novels as a source of creativity; thus, their level of mutual interaction could be said to have been unprecedented. This commonality even prompted many writers to author both novels and traditional opera, causing the substantial readership of each genre to overlap. In the period of Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli emperors, (rs. 1521-1620), outside of the existing tropes on “history”, “heroes” or “gods and demons”, some new genres of vernacular novel as well as medium-length “classical Chinese love novel,” related to “worldly affairs,” “erotica,” “detectives” and “chivalry,” were developed. Despite not directly producing corresponding genres in traditional opera, this new development encouraged writers to utilize new styles within chuanqi (fantastic tales) opera narratives, such as those concerning subject matter, plot design, character imagery, language, aesthetics, etc., to respond in full to the above-mentioned new genres in novels. Although numerous remarkable works were later repressed by “literary tradition” and unable to be preserved, they still left a diverse and profound trace on traditional opera during this period, and at the same time, would serve as a source of nourishment for the later flourishing of mid-Qing huabu opera.