Justice or Judgment? On Adaptations of Macbeth in Chinese Traditional Opera

Macbeth has been adapted at least fourteen times into eight different opera genres since its being put on the Chinese opera stage in 1980s. As China has become more involved in intercultural communication and international Shakespeare studies, scholars have shown a growing interest in how Chinese traditional opera affects the way Shakespeare is presented. Drawing on interviews with directors and actors, this article examines the differences between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and its adaptations in Chinese traditional opera, focusing on three adaptations of Macbeth produced during the last decade in Wu Opera, Hui Opera, and Cantonese Opera. We argue that adaptations of Macbeth into Chinese traditional opera, while having their own interests and distinctive features, limit the exploration of ideas in Macbeth by commenting on the action and applying various operatic strategies and skills to didactic purposes, thus encouraging their audience to interpret the play straightforwardly as a moral fable, a chance to learn more about what is right and what is wrong. In contrast, Shakespeare’s play reveals the complexity of human nature, examining human psychology and making no explicit moral judgments of its characters, therefore leaving enough space for the audience’s ambivalent response and interpretation.