中國戲曲發展至明末清初，由於易代世變之衝擊，除了開拓出「以曲為史」的寫實新趨外，事實上，仍有不少劇作家仍延續著晚明以來重情思潮之餘波，主張以真情的抒發為美，將「言情」、「寫情」視為藝術呈現的核心，創作出許多以才子佳人遇合、婚戀為題材的愛情佳作。所謂「傳奇十部九相思」，「相思」指的就是男女之情。才子佳人劇之情節多半敘寫才子佳人一見鍾情、吟詠酬唱的婚戀情事；小人播亂、好事多磨的婚戀糾葛；夫榮妻貴、滿門團圓的婚戀結局。值得注意的是，明代「言情」觀的發展，從李贄的「童心」說作為理論的發軔，經過湯顯祖（1550-1616）、馮夢龍（1574-1646）等在戲曲、小說方面創作實踐上的努力，並提煉出「情至」、「情為理之維」等主情的美學觀點後，至明代末年其理論內蘊發生了變化。明末清初的戲曲劇論家如王思任（1574-1646）、孟稱舜（約1600-1684）、李漁（1611-約1679）與金聖嘆等人對「情」的理解，呈現出一種歸復於性理的傾向，即近於所謂「性情者，禮義之根柢」的「情正」立場。此種美學思潮之轉變，也出現在實際劇作中。不過由於美學理論上之轉變與創作，並非必然地發生於同一軸線，因此在同一時期可以有交錯的表現。如晚明至清初許多愛情劇的佳作，在性質上是繼承了湯顯祖謳歌「至情」的傳統，劇作家通過才子佳人悲歡離合的故事，細緻入微地描繪了發生在少男少女生命中情與理的衝突，描繪他們對愛情生死不渝的執著追求，並總是以情的實現與情的不朽為最高境界，如《焚香記》、《紅梅記》、《紅梨記》、《橘浦記》、《情郵記》、《夢花酣》、《畫中人》、《西樓記》等。然而，也是在晚明至清初這一時期，戲曲劇作中的婚戀主題開始出現了另一種歷史性的逆轉。如《嬌紅記》、《燕子箋》、《綠牡丹》、《貞文記》、《五高風》、《秦樓月》、《石麟鏡》、《笠翁十種曲》等作品中，作家都力圖把情與禮、情與理、情與性折衷地會統起來，著力表現的只是愛情與社會邪惡勢力（如權豪勢要、無行文人、奸詐小人等）的衝突。情與理的強烈對立與衝突，在這些傳奇中並未予以充分地展示，反而是逐漸消融於情理交融、情理合一的調和論調之中。 有鑑於此，本文首先說明明末清初才子佳人劇「情」觀轉變之文藝思潮背景；其次，探討此一時期才子佳人劇「情」觀之性理化趨向，並進一步論析影響明末清初才子佳人劇情節設計的幾種審美考量；最後，則論述才子佳人劇所呈現之作家主體意識與文人心態。總之，明末清初之才子佳人劇不唯在其內涵上，具有某種可以清楚鑒別其特徵的思維傾向，亦且由於此種傾向，造成某些必然將影響其結構設計之審美考量，而此種思維傾向與審美考量，實亦與作者之主觀價值及身世之感有所關聯，值得論者特為關注。而這些注意點也都將成為研究明清戲曲史時所不得不討論之要項。

　　　　　In the history of Chinese drama, the early Ch'ing period is usually regarded as equally important as the late Ming period for the development of chuanqi drama. In fact, chuanqi drama had been flourishing for almost two hundred years before the regional drama replaced it in the middle of the Ch'ien-lung period. Although the poetics of early Ch'ing drama continued the late Ming dramatic tradition, the transformation of dramatic aesthetics during the dynastic change must have influenced the writing of chuanqi drama. Following the shift from ch'ing to li, the dramatic aesthetics also moved from the late Ming yen-ch'ing ideal to the early Ch'ing idea of “integrating ch'ing and li” (ch'ing-li-he-i). How did the rationale of “integrating ch'ing and li” influence the development of love theme in the ts'ai-tzu chia-jen drama (scholar-beauty drama) of this period? How did the social and cultural background stimulate the flourish of scholar-beauty drama in late Ming? How did the change of the relation between ch'ing and li turn the late Ming romantic tradition into the early Ch'ing realm of realism with more historical and social consciousness? How did scholar-beauty drama produce its rational content and relevant aesthetic construction during this dynastic transition? What is the significance of writing scholar-beauty for the literati of this era? What are the major modes and structural characteristics of scholar-beauty drama? Did the authors present some special aesthetic taste in their plays? To answer these questions, I first examine how the social and cultural background influenced the development of scholar-beauty drama from the late Ming to the early Ch'ing. Secondly, I analyze the rational trends of ch'ing in these plays. I then go on to explore the narrative mode and the structural design of scholar-beauty drama. Finally, by discussing how Ming-Ch'ing literati externalized their subjectivity by writing scholar-beauty dramas and the mentality behind this phenomenon, I point out the significance of scholar-beauty drama from late Ming to early Ch'ing within the framework of Chinese literary tradition.