On "Love" in The Peony Pavilion

Tang Xian-zu's The Peony Pavilion is generally thought to deny feudal ethics and rituals through the exaltation of and thus regarded as his anti-feudal magnum opus.But with the love embodied in many acts following Rebirth simply ignored,people usually confine love to Du Li-niang and Liu Meng-mei's happy meeting in dream.The acts following Rebirth,however,express Tang's philosophy of life and his practical personality.In brief,he believes that ghost can indulge in but man has to live according to principles,the connotation of which actually includes his beliefs in the criterion for marriage,the paramountcy of the imperial power,and the order of society.Tang's authorial ideal expressed by the play is to create a world full of love,but he does not accordingly deny feudal ethics and rituals.Therefore,Tang distinguished himself from other literators in the late Ming Dynasty by advocating love but restraining lust.The play instead shows little inclination towards criticism.Considering the overall authorial intention,we can find that though love is his central concern,its connotation is inexplicit and complicated,which includes the thoughts of Confucianism,Buddhism,Taoism,and even the idea of Cai-Bu.