Stereotype 11: Historical characters and stereotypes

Historical characters and stereotypes

In many film and television works and fictional biographies about historical stories, in order to highlight the image of certain main characters, writers often exaggerate or belittle some peripheral characters to achieve their goals. However, because these works are so deeply rooted, modern people are often less aware of the authenticity and multifaceted nature of certain characters, and stereotypes of historical figures have been created. The following are examples of what people think of

Ji Yun (纪昀), character Xiao Lan (曉岚), shown in Figure 11-1, was a Qing dynasty statesman and literary scholar. Ji Xiaolan was admitted to the Imperial College in the 19th year of the Qianlong reign, and became a minister of the Ministry of Rites, a co-adjutor, and a crown prince. He was a scholar of Chinese Confucianism, a scholar of poetry and ekphrasis, and a scholar of exegesis. In history, Ji Xiaolan lived an extravagant and wasteful life and was a womanizer, he was not a decent gentleman but a fat man with white skin. When Ji Xiaolan ate, he only ate meat as his main food - "He did not eat noodles or occasionally, but rice was never on his lips. When he drank, he only had ten plates of pork and a pot of boiled tea".

（11-1）

When it comes to Ji Xiaolan, how can we not mention his "nemesis"? Heshen, Niuhu, whose real name was Shanbao, was a powerful minister and businessman in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, as shown in Figure 11-2. Heshen was a Manchu and rose to the rank of third-ranking retainer in just three years. The historical Heshen was indeed a corrupt official as in the film and television works, but from the appearance of the character, Heshen was actually a modest gentleman and was known as the "first beautiful man of the Qing Dynasty". In addition to his excellent appearance, Heshen was full of knowledge, he was proficient in four languages: Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan, and he was familiar with all kinds of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and also had profound attainments in poetry, not just a person who only had money and power in his mind all day long.

(11-2)

Liu Bei, word Xuande, Zhuo County, Zhuo County, after Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan in the Western Han Dynasty, the founding emperor of the Shu Han Dynasty, politician. The historians mostly call him the first lord. Due to the popularity of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Liu Bei's image in our minds is often a bit cowardly and not very strategic. In fact, the real Liu Bei in history was a charismatic and tactful man. Liu Bei was a teacher of Lu Zhi when he was a teenager, and later participated in the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the crusade against Dong Zhuo. Because of his limited strength, Liu Bei suffered repeated defeats in the process of lordly wars, so he successively attached himself to many lords such as Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and Liu Biao.

In the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Liu Bei is gentle and elegant character nearly cowardly, literate and courteous. However, in history, Liu Bei has a fiery personality, love and hate, obstinate city, is quite a leader personality charisma of the character.

Zhang Fei, the word Yide, the famous general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. Zhang Fei's courage and martial arts, and sworn brother Guan Yu and known as "ten thousand enemies". The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184 A.D. Liu Bei organized a volunteer army in Zhuo County to participate in the war against the Yellow Turban Army, Zhang Fei joined with Guan Yu and moved around with Liu Bei. The three love the same brother, bed is the same bed, Liu Bei attended a variety of banquets, and Guan Yu day stand beside Liu Bei. Whenever Zhang Fei is mentioned, what comes to mind is usually the image of a strong man with a black face and beard, "brave but not resourceful" is his keyword.

In history, Zhang Fei "lived in Zhuo County, quite a farmland", is a rich family man, and definitely not a brave butcher. At the same time, because the family has an abundance of good land, will not be subject to the wind and sun, so Zhang Fei's real appearance, I'm afraid, is not "dark and rough skin".

Song Jiang, Shandong Yuncheng County, water castle township Song family village, such as Figure 11-3, is Shi Naian novel "Water Margin" one of the main characters "Song Jiang" historical prototype. In 1119 A.D., Song Jiang led a peasant uprising, but it was much smaller in scale than the Fangla uprising of the same period. Song Jiang surrendered and became a pawn to conquer Fang La. In history, Song Jiang's rebellion was basically a roving bandit, with no fixed base and only 36 people living in no fixed place. And Liang Shan Po thieves and Song Jiang they do not have any relationship. Song Jiang in the "Water Margin" is a very complex character, he accepted the court's recruitment, led the Liang Shan brothers to conquer, the battle was remarkable, but the Liang Shan good men almost lost in the campaign to conquer Fang La, after Song Jiang was also designed by the treacherous ministers killed. And in the history books: Song Jiang surrendered not out of intention, but to preserve the strength. So when the time was ripe, Song Jiang raised the flag of righteousness again. But this uprising, soon failed, Xuanhe four years (1122), Song Jiang uprising was suppressed by the Song general folded can cun, Song Jiang and other people were brutally killed. 

The real Song Jiang in history, not the "Water Margin" that is bent on being a loyal and filial son, not hesitating to destroy the eyebrows of Song Jiang, but a good hero who can stretch, dare to do.

(11-3)

Reference.

Shen Bojun, Essays on Water Margin Studies, China Bookstore, 1994

Guo Xingliang, Zhou Jianzhong, Ancient Chinese Literature, Higher Education Press, 2000