Tang Xianzu and his eight-legged essay: A re-account on the great dramatist of the late Ming China

Tang Xianzu (1550-1616) was a controversial essayist of baguwen (or “the eight-legged essay”) during the late Ming dynasty. Contrasting comments on his baguwen not only reflect the diversity of his contemporaries’ literary tastes, but also reveal the complexity of Tang’s thoughts and aesthetic pursuits during his early years. Since the May Fourth movement, baguwen has long been neglected and repressed by intellectuals; Tang’s baguwen therefore did not draw modern scholars’ attentions as deserved. By analysing the baguwen written in Tang’s early years, this paper evaluates the literary features embedded in his baguwen, reveals how this brilliant essayist became a successful candidate for the imperial examination, and investigates how the life-long training of baguwen writing made Tang became an influential dramatist in late Ming China. Copyright © 2019 CSAA.