AN ANALYSIS OF THE PORTRAYAL OF YUAN SHIKAI’S CHARACTER AS A “PIONEER OF REFORM” IN THE TV DRAMA “TOWARDS THE REPUBLIC”
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Abstract
This study focused on the portrayal of Yuan Shikai as a “pioneer of reform” in the TV drama “Towards the Republic”. Using close reading and narrative analysis, the research examined key scenes involving military, educational, police, constitutional, and judicial reforms to explore how Yuan’s character is constructed through dialogue, structure, and visual storytelling. The findings showed that the drama presents Yuan as a complex institutional reformer—pragmatic, ambitious, and constrained—challenging the traditional moral condemnation of him as a usurper. By blending historical fact and fiction, the series redefines public memory and offers a nuanced understanding of Yuan’s role in the modernization efforts of the late Qing dynasty. This research contributes to both the study of historical figure representation and the role of television drama in shaping historical consciousness.
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