英文摘要
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The woodblock prints of theater scenes are a vehicle introducing theatrical stories into folk life. Images of many characters are directly associated with their profile on stage that audience can recognize the story at a glance. In this study, I analyze the woodblock prints that feature the White Snake Legend, starting with the "snake killing" plot that is unknown on stage but popular in the shuochang chantefable genre. I argue that the woodblock print scenes were also inspired by the shuochang chantefable. Because shuochang is a narrative intermittent with prose and verse, there is no visual clues for the painters/carvers to refer to; they have to depend on their own creativity. At the same time, they adapt the theatrical scenes, adding or altering elements in the picture layout to suit the purpose of festivity or evil-dispelling exorcism. Secondly, I discuss a series of 24 White Snake woodblock prints. I point out that the White Snake in this series still retains her demonic nature, indicating it to be a survival from the narrative's early stage of the development of the story and deviates from the audience's expectation of human warmth. Some plots that are not found in later theater stages are very likely the creation of painters. With the narrative framework constructed by pictures and corresponding captions, the painters are allowed ample liberty to insert a new plot. In this case, though woodblock prints of theater scenes seem to draw their material from theatrical scripts or stage character profiles, they are not mere subordinates to theater, but a vehicle with individual subjectivity.
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