Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms Questions and Answers

What is the author's style in this story?

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Considering the operative Confucian ethic of 'righteousness' 義 guiding Lord Guan Yu's decisions, how is Guan Yu able to rationalize his seemingly vain decision to spare the life of Cao Cao, given that this decisions appears to stand in direct contravention to Guan Yu's obligatory Confucian duty as ruler (君) to act only in the interest of his subjects (臣), lest he give up the 'Mandate of Heaven' (天命)? Given the subsequent collateral damage, was this decision consistent with the Confucian ethic of 'righteousness'? Why or why not?

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How does the Confucian notion of 'righteousness' or 'duty' (義) shape the dynamic between Guan Yu and Cao Cao? What archetypal qualities are shared by both Guan Yu and Cao Cao, and what qualities set the two characters apart from one another?

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What function does the Confucian notion of ‘righteousness’ (義) serve between Lord Guan Yu and Cao Cao?

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