China and the West

Bian, Zhilin. Shashibiya de bei ju "Hamuleite" [ID D23925].
Er schreibt : "Hamlet : Shakespeare had written for the people, not for the ruling class, and that Shakespeare opposed the feudal system in the early part of his career and exposed the evils of capitalism in the later part."
After the ending of the Cultural revolution, Bian Zhilin came to realize his mistake in analysing Shakespeare and his plays only from the point of view of class struggle and then admitted Shakespeare's great contributions to the literature of Romanticism, breaking away from the strong in influence of the Soviet Marxist criticism.

Li Ruru : Bian Zhilin was concerned with the ideological aspect of Shakespeare interpretation. He started translating Hamlet in 1954 as part of his overarching research project "to apply the standpoint, concepts and methods of marxism to the exploration of the thought and art in Shakespeare's works".
Bian Zhilin's famous essay on Hamlet was the first Chinese work that attempted to interpret a Shakespeare play by applying the Marxist "dialectical and historical materialist point of view". First of all, Bian considered the idea Shakespeare expressed through Hamlet that "the purpose of playing, whose end both at the first, and novve, was and is, to holde as twere the Mirrour vp to nature, to shew vertue her feature ; scorne her own Image, and the very age and body of the time his forme and pressure". According to Bian, the word 'playing' here covers both theater and all creative literature. Thus Shakespeare's works are intended to be the reflection of his times and must be interpreted in the context of the period of history in which Shakespeare lived and wrote. "As the 'soul of his time' (not merely skin or hair), [Shakespeare] used his outstanding realistic art and expressed his eternal affinity to the people". Even when Hamlet meditates on the deeply personal question "To be, or not to be", Bian claims that "he hardly thinks of himself but inequality in society" as exemplified in the lines "For who would beare the whips and scornes of time, The oppressors wrong, the proude mans contumely,... who would fardels beare, To grunt and sweat vnder a wearie life" (1724-31). To Bian, Hamlet aligns himself with those who have been exploited by society when he describes himself as "a rogue and pesant slaue" and only finds true companionship with the players who belong to the lowest strata of society. "Through his bitter thinking (i.e. his soliloquies) and his mad words, Hamlet realizes the social inequality and the suffering that the masses have borne. Such an experience not only makes Hamlet hate his enemies more but also gives him more strength to carry on his fight. The bright color of his idealism is shown in Hamlet's accusation of the whole world". Before Hamlet dies, he still maintains his responsibility for his people by arranging for a successor. From this detailed analysis Bian concludes: "The theme of this tragedy should be the conflicts between the ideal and the reality. Human beings fight for the ideal. Even if they fail at the time, their fight illuminates the glory of the ideal. This therefore strengthens and consolidates human beings' confidence in their ability to reform the reality". In further support of Engels's view of Shakespeare as a 'realistic' dramatist, Bian interprets Hamlet's comments on playing as proving that Shakespeare advocated the realistic style of theater and acting.

He Qixin : Bian Zhilin discussed English society in Shakespeare's age and concluded that Shakespeare had written for the people, not for the ruling class, and that Shakespeare opposed the feudal system in the early part of his career and exposed the evils of capitalism in the later part. Shakespeare's affinity to the people was the central theme of his plays and was also the key to his great success in subsequent centuries.