A contemporary of William Shakespeare, Ming dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu left a literary legacy built on dreams and love
During this year’s London Book Fair from March 11 to 13, two literary giants were juxtaposed on a small display: “Symphony of Love and Dream: The Theatrical Worlds of Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare.”
Both writers were active during the mid-16th century and both passed away in the same year, 1616. Japanese Sinologist Aoki Masaru first noted their similarities in his 1930 work A History of Modern Chinese Opera: “The great figures of Eastern and Western literary circles emerged in the same era—truly a remarkable coincidence.” Scholars have conducted comparative studies of the two ever since.
The moniker “Shakespeare of the East” has been used to describe Tang Xianzu in Chinese academic circles since at least 1985, first appearing in journal articles. Though some have opposed the nickname, viewing it as a sign of a lack of cultural confidence.
But while everyone in the Anglophone and Chinese spheres knows the name William Shakespeare, few in the West have heard of Tang Xianzu (汤显祖). Who was he, and why does he merit comparison to the English language’s greatest literary figure?
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