Legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Peking Opera Butterfly Lovers, Yingtai Resists Marriage

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is one of the four archaic legends in China, so called Chinese Romeo and Juliet story. Other three legends are Madam White Snake, Meng Jiangnu's Wail Shattered The Great Wall, and the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid.

A beautiful and talented woman named Zhu Yingtai from Shangyu, Zhejiang, disguises herself a man travelling to Hangzhou for attendance of an academy. During her journey, she met and joined Liang Shanbo, a companion schoolmate from Shaoxing, who was believed her moral and intellectual equal. For three years of study in Mount Phoenix, they form a close bond of love and friendship but without the other student knowing she is actually a woman. They swear a pact of brotherhood. When the two part, Zhu wishes to marry Liang, and offers to arrange for Liang to marry her 16 year-old fictitious sister within a hundred days. She does so and Liang Shanbo accepts. However, in the meantime, Zhu Yingtai's parents arrange a marriage for her with another man because she does not tell them her secret arrangements to marry Liang Shanbo. When her parents tell her after her returning home, Zhu Yingtai refuses the marriage to the son of the Ma family and her parents accuse her of filial impropriety. She finally relents and agrees to marry the Ma son. Shortly thereafter Liang Shanbo arrives and proposes. Zhu Yingtai regretfully refuses him and tells him her situation. Liang Shanbo understands her difficulty but is deeply saddened. He dies only two days after their meeting of sadness. Zhu Yingtai is alerted to his death and on the way to her future husbands home for the marriage, she stops at Liang Shanbo's grave. She jumps into the cracked tomb as she wails at sacrifice, and a pair of butterflies are flapping as Liang and Zhu. They are once again together and live happily ever after.

Peking Opera Yingtai Resists Marriage was the drama that the master of Peking Opera Cheng Yanqiu adapted and performed after liberation, and it also was the last work of his life.

Li Haiyan Plays Zhu Yingtai of Beijing Opera Yingtai Resists Marriage

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京剧《英台抗婚》

剧情介绍

祝英台与梁山伯在凤凰山同学三载，情意深厚，英台临别，假称家有九妹，许山伯百日内来家议亲。英台至家，不料乃父已将其许婚马文才。一日马家下聘，英台见聘礼罗列，以为山伯所备，羞喜交集。乃知真相，大为惊愤，向父抗婚，父女反目。梁会祝后，忧郁而死。祝英台婚期，于途中哭祭梁坟，墓裂，祝奔入，死后并化为蝶。

《英台抗婚》是京剧大师程砚秋后期的代表作，在板式运用及唱腔的创造中，都有很大的突破与发展。

“五小程旦”之首、程派新星李海燕扮相清秀，表演细腻，唱念精到。她的声音极富感情色彩，发声结实浑厚，细弱时轻而不浮，宽宏时实而不浊。她扮演的祝英台从哭诉、哀求到绝望，层次清楚，感人肺腑，已达到相当高的境界。

民间传说

《梁山伯与祝英台》与《白蛇传》、《孟姜女》、《牛郎与织女》并称中国古代四大传说。其中，梁祝传说是我国最具辐射力的口头传承艺术，也是惟一在世界上产生广泛影响的中国民间传说。梁祝故事在民间流传已有一千四百六十多年，可谓中国家喻户晓，流传深远，被誉为爱情的千古绝唱，有东方《罗密欧与朱丽叶》之称。

这一个美丽、凄婉、动人的爱情故事，多少年以来就流传在上虞的曹娥江畔、流传在俊美的龙山脚下。

东晋时期，浙江上虞县祝家庄，玉水河边，有个祝员外之女英台，美丽聪颖，自幼随兄习诗文，慕班昭、蔡文姬的才学，恨家无良师，一心想往杭州访师求学。祝员外拒绝了女儿的请求，祝英台求学心切，伪装卖卜者，对祝员外说："按卦而断，还是让令爱出门的好。"祝父见女儿乔扮男装，一无破绽，为了不忍使她失望，只得勉强应允。英台女扮男装，远去杭州求学。途中，邂逅了赴杭求学的会稽（今绍兴）书生梁山伯，一见如故，相读甚欢，在草桥亭上撮土为香，义结金兰。不一日，二人来到杭州城的万松书院，拜师入学。从此，同窗共读，形影不离。梁祝同学三年，情深似海。英台深爱山伯，但山伯却始终不知她是女子，只念兄弟之情，并没有特别的感受。祝父思女，催归甚急，英台只得仓促回乡。梁祝分手，依依不舍。在十八里相送途中，英台不断借物抚意，暗示爱情。山伯忠厚纯朴，不解其故。英台无奈，谎称家中九妹，品貌与己酷似，愿替山伯作媒，可是梁山伯家贫，未能如期而至，待山伯去祝家求婚时，岂知祝父已将英台许配给家住贸阝城（今鄞县）的太守之子马又才。美满姻缘，已成沧影。二人楼台相会，泪眼相向，凄然而别。临别时，立下誓言：生不能同衾，死也要同穴！后梁山伯被朝廷沼为鄞县（今奉化县）令。然山伯忧郁成疾，不久身亡。遗命葬贸阝城九龙墟。英台闻山伯噩耗，誓以身殉。英台被迫出嫁时，绕道去梁山伯墓前祭奠，在祝英台哀恸感应下，风雨雷电大作，坟墓爆裂，英台翩然跃入坟中，墓复合拢，风停雨霁，彩虹高悬，梁祝化为蝴蝶，在人间蹁跹飞舞。