Guan Hanqing
Guan Hanqing (, 1241–1320), sobriquet "the Oldman of the Studio" (齋叟 Zhāisǒu), was a Chinese dramatist, playwright, and poet during the Yuan Dynasty. He has been described as among the most prolific and highly regarded dramatists of the Yuan period. Life Guan Hanqing was undoubtedly the most productive and creative playwright of northern plays. Described by Jia Zhongming as “the leader of the Pear Garden” (liyuan lingxiu 梨園領袖), Guan was fully immersed in the theatrical scene of his time and was well known amongst both actors and his fellow peers. He is even said to have painted and powdered his face (mianfu fenmo 面傅粉墨) while acting on stage. He is credited with the writing of 68 plays, of which only 18 survive, three in fragments. These were written mostly in the vernacular of the time. In some cases, attribution is highly disputed. In addition to playwriting, Guan Hanqing is also said to be a master of songs (sanqu 散曲). 57 of his songs (xiaoling 小令) and 14 song suites (taoshu 套數) survive. Guan spent much of his later life in Dadu and to Hangzhou in the south. Above all, Guan Hanqing is celebrated for his uplifting portrayal of the downtrodden. Works The Injustice to Dou E a.k.a. Snow in Midsummer (感天動地竇娥冤 Gǎn Tiān Dòng Dì Dòu É Yuān) The Injustice to Dou E That Touched Heaven and Earth, also known as Snow in Midsummer, is regarded as one of Guan Hanqing's most popular plays. A young girl named Dou Duanyun is sold as a child bride in order for her father to pay the necessary funds to travel to the capital for an official exam. She is then forced to change her name to “Dou E”. The play begins after Dou E's husband has died two years after their marriage, leaving Dou E and her mother in law alone. After Dou's mother in law is almost strangled to death by a doctor who refused to give back the money he owed them, they are rescued by a man named Zhang Lü’er. Zhang then moves in for the purpose of “offering protection”, but eventually tries to force Dou E into marriage. After Dou E's mother gets a sudden craving for soup, Zhang Lü’er devises a plan to poison her so he can take Dou E for himself. This plan however backfires and Zhang's father ends up eating the soup and dies. Dou E is framed for this crime, and is later sentenced to death after being tortured and eventually confessing to spare her step mother from torture. As she is brought to the execution ground she swears by her innocence and states that it will be proven by the following three events that will occur after her death: her blood will float up onto the hanged white ribbons but will not drip onto the ground, there will be heavy snowfall in the midst of summer that will cover her dead body, and Chuzhou will experience drought for three years. All three