most of these evaluations of Xiang Yu through the ages are taken out of context, or they are superficial, or they are just general, without their own reasoning and logical analysis. Actually, it is better to evaluate Xiang Yu's defeat than to evaluate Xiang Yu's death. More accurately, it should be about what heroes are "what heroes are"!
Sima Qian's evaluation: Tai Shigong said: boasting about the meritorious service and striving for personal wisdom without learning from the past is called the overlord's business. He manages the world by force, dies in five years, and dies in Dongcheng. He still doesn't feel guilty but doesn't blame himself. It is a fallacy to quote "Heaven kills me, but it is not the crime of using troops"!
Sima Qian's evaluation is that Xiang Yu is a boaster, who always talks about his own achievements, fearing that he won't know. And all these things he did were his own wisdom and courage. It can be seen that Xiang Yu still has some skills, so he is a genius! We seem to have heard about genius. For example, Fang Zhongyong was smart when he was young, but he could learn poetry when he stopped learning the day after tomorrow. Such a genius can only become an ordinary person. Xiang Yu's genius is different from that of Fang Zhongyong! Xiang Yu is a genius in strength and courage, and I think he is still a little clever! Moreover, Xiang Yu is much better than Fang Zhongyong. In the course of his experience, his talent for Li Dayong has been well consolidated and developed. So there are some deeds of merit. But Xiang Yu, who doesn't think, don't learn and don't study the old adage, doesn't learn to bully Wang Zhidao. But he really wants to be the overlord's business, but how does he think the overlord's business is? Is to fight it out by force. And want to operate by force, that is, to manage by force. Is his idea okay? What will happen to him in the end? Finally, he committed suicide at the age of 32 when he died in Wujiang. When he died, he didn't realize it, and he didn't know how to blame himself. He had the audacity to say, "Ah! God wants me to die! Everything is an act of god, not that I am not brave, nor that I use my troops improperly! " Sima Qian hated the last scene of Xiang Yu. "Isn't it ridiculous!" Finally, just sigh! How could this happen! Such a thing? Hey! Ridiculous! How can it be so ridiculous!
"Isn't that ridiculous!" It is Sima Qian's final introduction to Xiang Yu! There is a deep meaning in this sentence, and a profound feeling!
First of all, let's take a look at Xiang Yu's own final understanding: "Heaven kills me, and it is not a crime to use troops." Do we think it's "heaven's death" for him?
we know that "heaven" means "the laws of nature"! Is the law of nature to kill Xiang Yu? Hey hey! Birth, old age, illness and death are the laws of nature! Obviously, Xiang Yu's saying that "Heaven kills me" is untenable! Even Xiang Yu doesn't understand culture because he doesn't learn from the past! Maybe the "day" he wants to say refers to the "times" at that time! In other words, "it was the spirit of the times that harmed him, and it was the times that created his tragedy." Then let's take a look at what the spirit of the times was.
let's get to know the spirit of the times first. Hegel's answer is: "The spirit of the times is the universal spiritual essence unique to every era, and it is a kind of collective consciousness that transcends individual unity.". Heroes who embody the spirit of the times dominate the vision of children living in that era. When they have finished their mission, new heroes will occupy their thrones with new and more zeitgeist weapons. " That is to say, the spirit of the times at that time was characterized by great courage, that is to say, the children at that time could not stand the tyranny of Qin. Ah, ah! If there can be a great hero and courage, lead a gang into salty city and burn Epang Palace. So they'll be fine! I'll be happy! If so, hey hey, they must support him and support him. So Xiang Yu followed suit for the heroes supported by the children at that time. And Xiang Yu did what they wanted.
But when Xiang Yu did this. These don't feel good again. It's really "going to the wolf and coming to the tiger". Of course, there are also some things that Xiang Yuben did, such as: trapping and killing prisoners of war and opening up the vicious and cruel side of killing. Let the children really realize that Xiang Yu is not their ideal savior who is brave and popular. So I started to treat him again, didn't support him, and even hurt him every chance I got. So that he finally had no choice but to die! So sigh, alas! It's these that lie to me! Hurt me! Alas, "Heaven kills me"! If Xiang Yu understands it this way, it is more reasonable.
isn't it stupid to say that at that time? To support someone who can't solve anbang's security. Why not directly support people like Liu Bang, who can finally make the world peaceful? Yes, the progress of the general spiritual essence of society is also very similar to that of others. It is only after a wrong understanding and accepting the lessons of failure that we realize it. Xiang Yu just acts as a face example of this misunderstanding, which makes more students realize that those who can secure the world are by no means brave heroes, but should understand that people-oriented and can "help the people and secure the world". This example played by Xiang Yu also contributes to social development!
So when Xiang Yu performed such a wonderful last scene of his life, did he know his own corner? The answer is: don't know! From what he said: "the crime of not using soldiers is also", we can see it! He still thinks it's wrong not to fight by himself? I didn't do anything wrong? Why should I die? I'm going to talk to the director! Hey hey! The director said, I don't know. Ask the screenwriter. They made it up. I don't know. But who is the screenwriter? The working people are screenwriters. The working people said: Xiang Yu! This is the end of your play. Min Yi doesn't believe that you are a wise monarch, for fear that you will be more cruel than Qin. Therefore, there are two roads in the later play. You can see which one you take. First, you can cross the river to Jiangdong to be your king, but you can't fight Liu Bang, and you will die slowly at Liu Bang's hands. At that time, you may die very ugly. Second, you will fight for the last time and then commit suicide, so you will die wonderfully. Of course, Xiang Yu chose to kill himself!
and when Xiang Yu performed this scene, he did it very well! Xiang Yu died a heroic death, a heroic death, a magnificent death, an earth-shattering death, and even the Wujiang River sobbed for it, which made it swell and muddy. His death has unparalleled charm and aesthetic value. However, all the children saw was the direct execution of his king, in order to reward the daughter and seal up thousands of households. Therefore, Wang's image as a running dog for his own interests is compared with Xiang Yu's heroic image that death at that time could not deprive him of his pride. It deepened Xiang Yu's position in the eyes of ordinary people. Things that died for history books, but not for the people. The image of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang among the people has never been respected. From the drama overlord of the West Chu to today's movies and pop songs, few people sang Liu Bang, but Xiang Yu who lost to Liu Bang was a folk hero. Why is this? In fact, this is a rule, yes. "What you can't get is the best!" Liu Bei finally failed as a typical representative of the folk dream of a wise monarch, Zhuge Liang also became a typical representative of the folk dream of an honest official, and Guan Yu became a typical representative of the folk dream of a chivalrous man. Hey! What is lost is the best. Never say the edge is the best, hehe, this is the law. Because dreams are always better than reality. And Xiang Yu! It is a typical representative of the folk "heroic dream".
why not say that he is a typical representative of "heroic dream"? Then it is necessary to find out what is a hero, that is, "what is a hero"! This concept is actually a lot and not very clear. Do heroes only represent one? As the saying goes, heroes have suffered a lot since ancient times. Heroes should have a little sadness, and there is a little bit of resentment in the sadness, just like Daiyu. The sad and beautiful section is accompanied by the residual hatred of "don't complain about the east wind", which has infinite charm and can attract the feelings of the future and reflect on the seclusion of the past. Therefore, Tengwang Pavilion said, "Hey! Bad luck, bad fate, Feng Tang is easy to get old, and Li Guang is hard to seal. " This is the hero. Obviously Xiang Yu just has such heroic characteristics! Nature is a typical hero who sings through the ages. When Xiang Yu crossed the knife, the red splash was beautiful, which made all the worldly things lost. When Xiang Yu closed his eyes, the faint resentment flowed with him, infiltrated into this mountain and thick soil, and lived with all things. Such a heroic sadness and unyielding resentment can only create heroes. Because heroes are the feelings of the ages.
Liu Bang wouldn't have such an unyielding grudge if he didn't judge a hero by defeat, so the world didn't regard him as a hero. But Liu Bang and Xiang Yu have one thing in common. They are all geniuses! Xiang Yu's talent for courage and Liu Bang's talent for security state. Therefore, Liu Bangcai said: "In the planning of the husband, I am not as good as the ovary (that is, Zhang Liang). Town home, caress the people, to feed reimbursement, endless route for providing foodstuff, I am not as good as Xiao He. Even with an army of millions, the battle will win, and the attack will be taken. I am not as good as Han Xin. These three are outstanding, and I can use them, which is why I take the world. Xiang Yu has a Fan Zeng and can't use it. This is why he is captured for me. " Xiang Yu is a genius with great courage, but he is a fool in a security state. Xiang Yu can't defeat Liu Bangzhi with his own weakness. His courage can only make him win for a while, but in the end he will lose. Therefore, it is purely brittle and redundant to analyze the reasons for Xiang Yu's failure.
but who pushed Xiang Yu to this road of no return? It was the working people who pushed him away in a hurry, but he was also very happy. And who forced Xiang Yu to commit suicide? It was the working people who knew Xiang Yu and pushed Xiang Yu to death after waking up. At that time, although Xiang Yu didn't understand why this happened, he was still talking about "the crime of not using troops." He also felt that he was not the material for anbangzhi, and it was useless to go back to Jiangdong. So choose a vigorous way to die.
self-knowledge is the most important thing, and you are afraid of choosing the wrong line. If Xiang Yu chooses to be a famous soldier, it must be very successful. But in this case, you can't perform such a wonderful scene. It's really difficult to have both sides of the coin, and you have to give up what you have! Just watch this heroic feat performed by Xiang Yu with a wave of his hand. It really makes people respect the gods and feel deeply. His death has unparalleled charm and aesthetic value. We know and evaluate his death just to feel the charm of Xiang Yu and appreciate this beautiful art. This is also the precious spiritual wealth of the Chinese nation!
The most well-known poem is Li Qingzhao's five verses:
"Being a hero in life, being a ghost in death, but now I miss Xiang Yu and refuse to cross Jiangdong!"