All we know about the life of Ji Junxiang (13th century), to whom Zhao the orphan has been attributed, is that he lived in the city of Dadu (present-day Beijing) and that he was probably active in the region’s commercial theatre. Plays emerged in China as a distinct literary genre in the second half of the thirteenth century, during the Yuan dynasty. At first, they did not bear the name of an author and were attributed later, on the basis of scholarly research. Junxiang is believed to have written six theatrical works, but only Zhao the orphan, which is based on historical fact, has survived. It belongs to the zaju genre, which was chiefly comic in tone, mixed poetry and prose with elements of dance and mine, and had a happy ending. The play’s main themes are self-sacrifice, revenge, power, and the cycle of violence. The orphaned protagonist who avenges the murder of his family and the usurpation of his power can be seen as an East Asian version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It has been translated into many languages and has also been adapted for opera and the cinema.

 

 

An unpunished bad action is unbearable. (Zhao the orphan)

If I knew this would be my last day… I wouldn't sleep last night.(Zhao the orphan)

You sleep happy, you wake up sad… That's life. (Zhao the orphan)