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Certain characters in the history and lore of China have become renowned for their bravery, beauty, valor, intelligence, or other outstanding characteristics. Their stories have mutated into the traditional Jingju canon, heightening their recognition . Some of these characters are referred to throughout the text to illuminate examples of dress patterns. To facilitate understanding of these characters and their place in the scripts, a brief description of their personalities and circumstances follows. Bai Suzhen is the White Snake in The Legend of the White Snake (Baishe zhuan). She takes on human form and falls in love with a young man named Xu Xian. They marry and have a child, although the monk Fahai challenges their relationship . When she is drawn into battle, she wears a distinctive headdress with snake imagery. Qingyi and wudan role. Cao Cao is the ruthless warlord whom the sworn brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei are fighting to overcome in the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Cao’s successor eventually prevails in the struggle for power. Cao Cao’s face is flat white, the most treacherous of makeup colors. The Gathering of Heroes (Qunying hui) and The Carefree Ford (Xiaoyao jin) are two of the plays adapted from the novel in which he appears. Jing role. Dou Erdun, a hero in Stealing the Imperial Horse (Dao yu ma), has a blue face and wears a red beard. He steals the horse to gain revenge over a rival charged with guarding the emperor ’s horses. Jing role. Guan Yu is one of the three sworn brothers from the Three Kingdoms story. He is so admired that he has been deified, onstage and off. His green costumes are specially designed for him to go with his red face makeup. He is among the characters in Zhuge Liang Leaves His Thatched Roof Study for the First Time (Chuchu maolu), as well as other plays adapted from the novel. Hongsheng role. Hongniang is a matchmaker and the title character in Hongniang. She arranges secret meetings between her mistress and her mistress’s suitor. Her name has become synonymous with matchmaker. Huadan role. Judge Bao is a character based on the historical Bao Zheng, who lived in the eleventh century during the Northern Song era (960–1127). A stern, capable judge, he is a model of justice and truth and appears in many scripts, including Judge Bao and the Case of Qin Xianglian (Qin Xianglian) and The Beating of the Dragon Robe (Da longpao). Jing role. Lady Diaochan is said to have been one of the four great beauties in Chinese history. Initially a slave girl, she is adopted by a high minister, Wang Yun. Together they plot discord between the evil Prime Minister Dong Zhuo and his adoptive son, Lü Bu, in the course of which Lady Diaochan seduces both men in Lü Bu and Diaochan (Lü Bu yu Diaochan ). Qingyi and huadan role. Lady Yu is a concubine to Xiang Yu, the king in The Hegemon King Says Farewell to His Concubine (Bawang bie ji). When he faces sure defeat in an upcoming battle, Lady Yu performs a sword dance to distract him and then commits suicide to prevent his worrying about her during combat. Qingyi role. Liu Bei is the eldest of the three sworn brothers in the Three Kingdoms saga. The leader of Shu-han, he is known for his cleverness and his organizational ability. He appears with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in Zhuge Liang Leaves His Thatched Roof Study for the First Time (Chuchu maolu),and is the last Appendix2.Dictionaryof JingjuCharacters 316 @ a ppendix 2 of the three sworn brothers alive in The City of Baidi (Baidi cheng). Laosheng role. Liu Lihua is the innkeeper in Fight at Crossroads Inn (Sancha kou), where a famous night fighting scene is staged in full light but the action is pantomimed as though it occurs in darkness. Lin Lihua mistakenly believes Ren Tanghui to be an enemy of one of his guests and steals into Ren’s room at night, armed for a struggle. Wuchou role. Lü Bu is a brilliant young general in the Three Kingdoms story, but he has a weakness for women. He is seduced and outsmarted by Lady Diaochan, who also flirts with Lü Bu’s adoptivefather,DongZhuo,therebypittingthemagainsteach other in Lü Bu and Diaochan. Xiaosheng and wusheng role. Mu Guiying, a woman warrior, takes over her husband’s command after his death and leads the emperor’s army along with other war...

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