明開國之初，崇尚儉樸，但從正統開始 (A.D 1435)，繁榮的江南地區，風氣漸變，嘉靖年後 (A.D 1521)，奢侈風氣蔓延，尤以萬曆時期 (A.D 1572~A.D 1620) 變化更劇。晚明時期，全國進入所謂「消費社會」型態，文人士大夫階級為了與庶民形成不同區隔，更致力於「品味」的建立與培養，從而產生一種特殊的美感經驗與文化鑑賞力，使平民百姓望塵莫及，難以仿傚，這些因應時代、社會、文化所產生的特殊狀況，真實地被寫入明代風俗志、筆記與小說中，而《陶庵夢憶》便是一例。 《陶庵夢憶》寫於明亡入清時期，張岱以筆記方式，通過追憶與懺悔，描述記錄晚明士大夫階層的生活樣貌，其中大量的戲曲藝文活動，除了是「品味」的標誌，更是晚明劇場活動實錄。 由於明代文人參與因素，直接使得戲曲創作、搬演理論與審美價值，都與前代產生絕然不同的姿態，其中又因文人仕族蓄養家班、觀戲活動頻仍，愈發使得晚明戲曲呈現綺麗之姿。明代戲曲發展與文人參與有著密不可分之關係，「雕蟲小技」在文人眼中究竟如何看待？是個值得探討的課題。本文以《陶庵夢憶》所記載的劇場實錄及品評觀點為進路，結合社會景況、重要曲論、搬演藝術等等，探討文人視角下的晚明戲曲，緣此，《陶庵夢憶》的學術價值，將不單單只是張岱個人的回憶之作而已。

At the beginning of Ming dynasty, thrift and simpleness prevailed. From A.D. 1435, however, this unsophisticated ambience changed among the prosperous south of Yangzi River area. During the years of Jiajing （A.D.1521）, the extravagance began spreading, and it became worse and worse, especially during A.D.1572 to1620, the era of Wanli. In the late Ming dynasty, the whole country escalated to the consumer society in which the literary intelligentsia, with a view to differentiating themselves from the hoi polloi, endeavored to cultivate their disparate tastes from the common people. This endeavor equipped the literati with idiosyncratic aesthetics and delicate culture values that the common people could neither compete with nor mimic. At Ming dynasty, these dramatic events caused by the drastically changing society and culture had been realistically written in custom diaries, the note books and the novels, among which was Tao An Meng Yi. Tao An Meng Yi was written at the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty by Zhang Dai who presented the book in the style of literary sketchbook by remembering and confessing to portray the life styles of those literati living in the different stratums. Those life styles depicted by means of theaters are not only considered symbol of the “savoring’s life” but also vividly transcribed as theatrical veritable records at late Ming dynasty. Because of the participation of those literati in the theatrical events, the staging, play creation and aesthetic standard has disparate perspectives from its previous dynasty. One of the significant factors that made theatrical events so distinguished was the wealthy and prominent family employed and patronized theatrical companies, watched plays constantly, all of which rendered drams at late Ming dynasty in splendor. The drama and playwrights had inseparable relationship, and how those literati treated “insignificant skill” is a task worth dealing with. Based on not only theatrical veritable records and critical viewpoints but also social circumstances, important tune theories and staging arts in Tao An Meng Yi, this article tries to study the different perspectives of literati on the late Ming dynasty opera. Hence, the academic value of Tao An Meng Yi is not merely Zhang Dai’s individual memoirs.