Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Chinese (Pinyin):
- Sanguozhi yanyi
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, novel traditionally attributed to the 14th-century Chinese writer Luo Guanzhong. Spanning more than a century of Chinese history that includes the era of the Three Kingdoms, this epic saga of the last days of the Han dynasty is a compilation of history and legend based on ancient storytelling traditions. With its gripping plot, distinctive heroes and villains, intricate intrigues, and spectacular battle scenes, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a literary masterpiece. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature, along with Journey to the West, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber.
Characters
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is an epic retelling of historical events in China from 184 to 280 ce. Its most prominent characters are Chinese leaders and rulers drawn from real life. Daoist faith healer Zhang Jue is a key character at the beginning of the novel, when he is leading the Yellow Turban Rebellion against the Han emperor. The uprising marks the start of the fall of the Han dynasty, one of the most significant of China’s imperial dynasties. The tyrannical Dong Zhuo kills the young Han emperor and puts the emperor’s brother on the throne, turning him into Dong’s puppet. The novel includes the warriors and leaders who help found the Three Kingdoms that emerged in China after the Han fell. The ambitious and ruthless general Cao Cao, depicted as a thoroughgoing villain, rules the north. Liu Bei, who is descended from Han emperors but grew up in poverty, is portrayed as virtuous. He becomes emperor of the Shu-Han dynasty and attempts to keep the Han alive after Cao Cao’s son Cao Pi is ceded the throne and founds the brief Wei dynasty. Sun Quan controls the south and eventually becomes the first emperor of the Wu dynasty. He is portrayed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms as being marginalized or in shaky alliances with Cao Cao or Liu Bei.
Beyond these rulers, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is filled with other historical figures. Among them are Liu Bei’s oath brothers, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who play important roles; Guan Yu became deified as the god of war Guandi after his death, and his popularity as that figure is reflected in this novel. Lady Sun, who is the sister of Sun Quan, becomes Liu Bei’s wife. Schemers are integral to the story; they are involved in the toppling of armies and governments. For example, the politician Wang Yun sets Dong Zhuo and his adopted son Lü Bu against each other by making them fall in love with the same woman. One of the more famous and iconic characters of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is Zhuge Liang, who serves as the civil and military adviser to Liu Bei. Granted magical powers in the novel, he is a military genius who is always multiple steps ahead of the enemy.
All of the characters in Romance of the Three Kingdoms—whether major or minor, whether leaders, warriors, plotters, or betrayers—play integral roles in the complex story the novel is telling. Despite their grounding in Chinese history, however, these characters are subject to the demands of the novel’s plot, which means that their actions are sometimes embellished, invented, or otherwise altered from real life—or, at least, life as described by historians.
Plot summary
Romance of the Three Kingdoms begins with the outbreak of the uprising led by Zhang Jue against the Han emperor Ling in 184 ce. This rebellion creates significant instability in China, as regional warlords are tasked with putting it down, which means that power held by the Han becomes decentralized and new rulers, such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei, emerge. One of the most famous events in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the vow of the peach orchard, during which Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu become oath brothers. They promise to be loyal to one another, support the Han, and die together. This companionship becomes a major component of the novel. Romance of the Three Kingdoms also describes the tyranny of Dong Zhuo; the formation of the three rival kingdoms Wei, Shu, and Wu; and, finally, the reunification of China that began with the emergence of the Jin dynasty in 265 ce and concluded with the fall of the Wu kingdom in 280 ce, when the novel ends. Heroes and villains proliferate, and this episodic novel is filled with intense battle scenes and strategy, acts of tyranny, plots of betrayal, and supernatural interventions. Romance of the Three Kingdoms also features verse by the great poets Du Fu and Su Shi, among others, that reflects narrative events or provides background information about a character.
Influence and legacy
Romance of the Three Kingdoms remains one of the most popular books in East Asia, valued for its traditional wisdom, fantastic fairy tales, historical detail, and insights into war strategy. As a popular Korean proverb says, “One can discuss life after reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”
The novel has been translated into many languages, and its influence has been wide-reaching. It has inspired many forms of literature as well as opera, movies, and television series. Because of the vast sweep of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, works based on it tend to focus only on certain aspects of its narrative or its characters. Romance of the Three Kingdoms was also adapted in 1985 as a video game series by Japanese game developer Koei Co., Ltd.
