Orphan of Zhao
Encyclopedia
The Orphan of Zhao, or Orphan of the House Tcho (趙氏孤兒) is a Chinese
play of the Yuan Dynasty
, attributed to someone named Ji Junxiang (紀君祥), about whom almost nothing is known. Based on an episode in Shiji, the play has its full name The Great Revenge of the Orphan of Zhao Family (趙氏孤兒大報仇).
It is the first Chinese play known in Europe. Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare
translated the play into French as Tchao-chi-cou-eulh, ou L'orphelin de la maison de Tchao, tragédie chinoise, which was collected in Jean Baptiste Du Halde's Description géographique, historique, chronologique, politique et physique de l'empire de la Chine et de la Tartarie Chinoise, published in 1735 (the play was published separately in 1755). Thomas Hatchett (active 1721-1741) published an adaptation of the play in English, "The Orphan of China" (1741) that changes the ending significantly so that the play conforms to classical conventions of the three unities. Voltaire
was inspired to produce his own L'orphelin de la Chine (1755), which the Irish dramatist Arthur Murphy
translated as The Orphan of China (1759). Stanislas Julien
's translation, Tchao-chi-kou-eul, ou L’orphelin de la Chine: drame en prose et en vers, was published in 1834. The play was adapted by the Lincoln Center Theatre in 2003, with music by indie rocker Stephin Merritt
. The 2010 film Sacrifice film by Chen Kaige
is based on the play.
The main story is that of a Zhao Emperor was betrayed by one of his officers. The new emperor thus sought to kill every one of the Zhao family, ending the old emperor's bloodline. The Zhao Emperor's wife was at the time pregnant, and gave the baby to her doctor to hide from the new emperor. The mother was killed but the baby escaped with the doctor. The new emperor then acknowledged of the Zhao baby's presence and sought to kill him. He forcefully took every one of the village's infants and declared that if nobody would confirm which baby is of the Zhao bloodline, that he would kill every one of the village's infants to ensure the death of the Zhao baby. The doctor sacrificed his own real son to the new emperor in order to save the royal bloodline, causing his own wife to go mad. As the Zhao baby grew, the doctor sent him to be raised next to the new emperor and eventually told him of the truth. The Zhao Orphan then killed the new emperor and completed his revenge, regaining the empire.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
play of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
, attributed to someone named Ji Junxiang (紀君祥), about whom almost nothing is known. Based on an episode in Shiji, the play has its full name The Great Revenge of the Orphan of Zhao Family (趙氏孤兒大報仇).
It is the first Chinese play known in Europe. Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare
Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare
Joseph Henri Marie de Prémare was a Jesuit missionary to China. Born in Cherbourg, he departed for China in 1698, and worked as a missionary in the Guangxi region. In 1724, after the Chinese Rite Controversy, he was confined with his colleagues in Canton, and later banished to Macau, where he died...
translated the play into French as Tchao-chi-cou-eulh, ou L'orphelin de la maison de Tchao, tragédie chinoise, which was collected in Jean Baptiste Du Halde's Description géographique, historique, chronologique, politique et physique de l'empire de la Chine et de la Tartarie Chinoise, published in 1735 (the play was published separately in 1755). Thomas Hatchett (active 1721-1741) published an adaptation of the play in English, "The Orphan of China" (1741) that changes the ending significantly so that the play conforms to classical conventions of the three unities. Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
was inspired to produce his own L'orphelin de la Chine (1755), which the Irish dramatist Arthur Murphy
Arthur Murphy
Arthur Murphy , also known by the pseudonym Charles Ranger, was an Irish writer.-Biography:He was born at Cloonyquin, County Roscommon, Ireland, the son of Richard Murphy and Jane French....
translated as The Orphan of China (1759). Stanislas Julien
Stanislas Julien
Stanislas Aignan Julien was a French sinologist.-Biography:Born at Orléans, he studied the classics at the Collège de France, and in 1821 was appointed assistant professor of Greek. In the same year he published an edition of The Rape of Helen of Coluthus, with versions in French, Latin, English,...
's translation, Tchao-chi-kou-eul, ou L’orphelin de la Chine: drame en prose et en vers, was published in 1834. The play was adapted by the Lincoln Center Theatre in 2003, with music by indie rocker Stephin Merritt
Stephin Merritt
Stephin Merritt is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles , best known as the principal singer and songwriter in the band The Magnetic Fields...
. The 2010 film Sacrifice film by Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
is based on the play.
The main story is that of a Zhao Emperor was betrayed by one of his officers. The new emperor thus sought to kill every one of the Zhao family, ending the old emperor's bloodline. The Zhao Emperor's wife was at the time pregnant, and gave the baby to her doctor to hide from the new emperor. The mother was killed but the baby escaped with the doctor. The new emperor then acknowledged of the Zhao baby's presence and sought to kill him. He forcefully took every one of the village's infants and declared that if nobody would confirm which baby is of the Zhao bloodline, that he would kill every one of the village's infants to ensure the death of the Zhao baby. The doctor sacrificed his own real son to the new emperor in order to save the royal bloodline, causing his own wife to go mad. As the Zhao baby grew, the doctor sent him to be raised next to the new emperor and eventually told him of the truth. The Zhao Orphan then killed the new emperor and completed his revenge, regaining the empire.