I've had just enough time to... be touched by the tragedy of Xiang Yu
Taken of the dressing of Xiang Yu before his Beijing Opera performance
I am a
painted face
But not
a clown
Who
moves you with laughter
I move
you to tears
With
tragedies
Of my
own
And that
of others
The
world is
A
greater comedy
Than
that
Played
by the clown
Will you
laugh
Or cry
Along
with me?
Xiang Yu项羽, the “Overlord
of Western Chu” is a proud and complex man. He would save his horse when all is
lost but not himself because he is too proud to face his people in defeat when
not one of his 8,000 loyal soldiers who followed him to overthrow the Qin
Dynasty survived. A brilliant strategist who won battles after battles but
rushed into a trap he knew was set up for him to save his concubine. A caring
leader who ordered his 28 remaining soldiers to take the last boat to safety
while he stood to meet his end but a tyrant who buried alive 200,000 enemy
soldiers who surrendered. He was honorable enough not to kill his nemesis Liu
Bang by deceit when he had the chance yet there was no honor when he killed his
own commander Song Yi for not listening to his advice. This was the King that
bade farewell to his concubine.
