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Thai 孔剧, a treasure of Thai traditional culture, integrates diverse artistic forms such as dance, music, poetry, painting, martial arts, and shadow puppets. It is renowned as the most splendid dance drama art in Thailand, fully exhibiting the unique charm and profound heritage of Thai culture. Its history can be traced back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom, also known as the Great City Kingdom, in the 16th century, and it has been handed down for over 400 years. During the glorious era of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, 孔剧 was an important form of court entertainment, winning the favor of the royalty and the public with its exquisite performing arts. It is worth mentioning that 孔剧 stands alone with only one classic script – “Ramakian.” This play is based on the ancient and well-known Thai story “Ramakian,” which, although derived from the Indian epic “Ramayana,” has developed unique plotlines under the influence of Thai local culture, profoundly reflecting the values and morality of Thai society. Similarly, in China, Peking Opera, as one of the national treasures, also possesses a long history and profound influence. With nearly 200 years of development, Peking Opera has emerged on the international art stage with its unique performance style and artistic charm, earning it a reputation as one of the three major theater systems in the world. The artistic characteristics of Peking Opera lie in its extensiveness and profundity, appealing to both refined and popular tastes, incorporating the essence of traditional Chinese culture, and forming a unique performance system. Among them, “White Snake” is a classic work of Peking Opera, deeply loved by the audience. Although “Ramakian” and “White Snake” belong to different countries' theatrical works, they share similarities in plot and theme. The heroines of the two plays, Sita and Bai Suzhen, have become paragons in their respective national cultures due to their virtuous and loyal qualities, embodying people’s unwavering pursuit of virtue and purity. At the same time, the joys and sorrows they experience in the plots also profoundly reflect the societal examination and oppression of women at that time. These two plays showcase the noble qualities and tenacious spirits of the characters through exquisite performing arts, provoking deep reflection among the audience on social values. By conducting a comparative study of Thai 孔剧’s “Ramakian” and Chinese Peking Opera's "White Snake," we can not only glimpse the artistic styles and creative features of theater under different cultural backgrounds but also delve into the commonalities and differences between the two plays in terms of thematic expression, character portrayal, and social value embodiment. This cross-cultural comparative study of theater contributes to deepening our understanding and cognition of traditional theatrical arts in different countries, promoting the exchange and inheritance of theatrical cultures between Thailand and China, and providing wisdom and strength for the in-depth development of cross-cultural exchanges and cooperation. |
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