Reference and Parallel To Wu Zetian
A quote from the adaptation Madam White Kept Forever under Thunder Peak Tower (Stories to Caution the World) states: "Judging from the case of Empress Wu, how do we know that this white snake is not a beautiful woman? Who is to say that a white snake can’t change into a beautiful woman?" Another passage in Lady White Snake: A Tale From Chinese Opera, retold by Aaron Shepard, states that an "animal may become a human. A human may become a god. Just so, a snake may become a woman."
Chinese folklore and Zodiac traditions both acknowledge snakes as the seducers and charmers throughout history of which there is equal fear and admiration. There is a common and likely male dominated perception that Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty thrust herself into power by having these intrinsic serpent qualities. Therefore the parallels between the story of Madam White and Wu Zetian are easy to draw.
Read more about this topic: Legend Of The White Snake
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