China and the West

Aufführung von Hamuleite = Hamlet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Liang Shiqiu durch die Guo li xi ju zhuan ke xue xiao (National Drama School), unter der Regie von Jiao Juyin. Wen Xiying spielt Hamlet, Lu Shui Ophelia in einem konfuzianischen Tempel in Jiang'an.
Jiao Juyin hält eine Rede vor der Schauspieltruppe : "The character of Hamlet is like a mirror, a lesson to us people who are living the the period of the Anti-Japanese war... So, the conclusion we can draw from the tragedy of Hamlet is that victory in our Anti-Japanese war will depend on the joint action taken by the people all over the country, and also more on immediate actions taken by the people without any hesitation. Today this sounds more correct than ever as triumphant reports pour in from battlefields on the anti-Nazi front all over the world, and we can foresee our victory against the Japanese invaders as well. This is the significance underlying our introduction of Hamlet to Chinese audiences. As to the skills or techniques of the performance, this is less significant, and it is quite unnecessary to bother too much about where it succeeds or fails."
Yu Shangyuan, Leiter der National Drama School in 1942 sagt : "The social significance of Hamlet [to us] is Hamlet's progressive and revolutionary spirit, which is what the Chinese people need during the Anti-Japanese war. Prince Hamlet resisted the destiny arranged by fate, countered feudal oppressions, and sought liberation from an environment filled with licentious and corrupt individuals. Those countries that produce the most high-quality Shakespearean productions are the countries with the highest cultural prestige. Performing Shakespeare is a crucial step for our country to catch up and to join the countries with world-class cultural achievements".