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[2020·¹ãÖÝÊÐÆÕͨ¸ßÖбÏÒµ°à×ۺϲâÊÔ]After 400 years, William Shakespeare (1564£­1616) is still widely celebrated as a great craftsman of language and playwright (¾ç×÷¼Ò). But he was not the only great master of dramatic writing to die in 1616, and he is certainly not the only writer to have left a lasting impact on theatre. While less famous worldwide, Tang Xianzu is rightly considered China's greatest playwright and is highly admired in that country of ancient literary and dramatic traditions.

Tang was born in 1550 in Linchuan, Jiangxi Province, and worked as a government official until, in 1598 and aged 49, he retired to focus on writing. Unlike Shakespeare having plenty of plays and poems, Tang wrote only four major plays: The Purple Hairpin, A Dream Under the Southern Bough, Dream of Handan and The Peony Pavilion—widely considered to be his masterpiece. In the latter three plays, much of the story is told through dream sequences. Tang used these scenes to explore human emotions in ways that challenged the feudal system of his time. It is a similar dream structure that we find in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Tang lived towards the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368£­1644) and his lasting success was partly due to the growth of theatre as an artistic practice during his lifetime. As in Shakespeare's England, it became hugely popular in China, with public theatres opening in different cities and traveling performance groups becoming common. Theatrical audiences started to populate open public spaces, and theatre as a popular form of entertainment found its place outside palaces. However, unlike in Shakespeare's England, there was hardly any mixing of the rich with commoners at theatrical events.

During this time, the way in which dramas were enjoyed, spread and performed also changed. Initially, Chinese dramas had an emphasis on poetic language and were distributed in book form, to be read like novels. They were seldom, if ever, performed. However, from the mid­16th century, Kunqu opera, a form of musical drama, spread from southern China and became a symbol of Chinese  culture.

While Tang and Shakespeare lived in a world away from each other, they have in common the humanity of their drama, their heroic figures, their love for language, the lasting popularity—and the anniversary during which we still celebrate them.

1£®Why does the writer refer to Shakespeare throughout this article about Tang?

A£®To compare the writing styles of the writers.

B£®To emphasize Tang's importance in literature.

C£®To assess the achievements of these two great writers.

D£®To examine the different influences of Tang and Shakespeare.

2£®What distinguishes The Purple Hairpin from Tang's other plays?

A£®It does not rely heavily on dream scenes.

B£®It is widely considered to be his best work.

C£®It is the only play to be publicly performed.

D£®It challenges the feudal system of ancient China.

3£®What characteristic was shared by both English and Chinese theatre during Tang's lifetime?

A£®Music and poetry were present in most performances.

B£®The popularity of public theatrical performances grew rapidly.

C£®Different social classes often attended the same performances.

D£®Most plays were written to be read as novels rather than to be performed.

4£®Which of the following would the author probably agree with?

A£®Tang's plays are as remarkable as his poems.

B£®Tang's plays are more famous than Shakespeare's.

C£®Tang is one of the best playwrights in Chinese history.

D£®Tang and Shakespeare knew of each other's works.