上海京劇院的《歧王夢》與當代傳奇劇場的《李爾在此》均改編自莎士比亞的悲劇《李爾王》，但此兩齣戲對於「不孝」這個主題的處理方式迥異。孝為儒家的核心思想，被視為天經地義。傳統戲曲以風教為先，「孝子劇」所在多有。儒家文化視不孝為滔天大罪，必須審慎處理才能登上舞臺。由三齣與莎士比亞《李爾王》情節類似的戲曲劇目《清風亭》（又名《天雷報》）、《牆頭記》與《五女拜壽》中，可看見傳統劇場以（一）報應、（二）滑稽喜劇、（三）代罪羔羊、（四）大團圓等手法來處理此一尖銳題材，以減弱不孝所造成的衝擊。《歧王夢》的故事情節雖取自《李爾王》，但大量借用了戲曲處理不孝題材所使用的手段，將莎士比亞的悲劇轉化為教忠教孝的中國戲曲。《李爾在此》則不同，透過多重觀點重新檢視忠、孝、公義等觀念，對傳統的倫理與美學原則都有相當的省思。

Although both King Qi’s Dream, by the Shanghai Beijing Opera Troupe, and Lear Is Here, by the Contemporary Legend Theatre, are adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, their treatments of its theme of unfiliality differ. Filial piety is one of the core values of Confucianism. Traditional Chinese theatre has a strong moralizing tendency and many of its plays preach filial devotion. Transgression against filial piety is considered a fundamental sin in Confucian culture, and it demands sensitive handling when publicly staged. Analyzing three plays from traditional theatre’s repertoire—The Clear Breeze Pavilion (also called Heavenly Thunder’s Retaliation), The Story of the Wall, and Birthday Greeting by Five Daughters—I identify four techniques used to mitigate the shock of unfilial children: (A) providential retaliation, (B) comedy and farce, (C) scapegoating, and (D) the “grand reunion.” While hewing to King Lear’s storyline, King Qi’s Dream uses comparable tactics to transmute Shakespeare’s tragedy into a didactic play of Chinese opera. Conversely, Lear Is Here employs multiple perspectives to recast the notions of filial piety, loyalty, and justice. In doing so, it challenges ethical and aesthetic traditions alike.