戲文、傳奇都是中國戲曲體製劇種的稱名。戲文產生於宋代，經過了長時間的發展，無論表演藝術或劇目數量都逐漸豐富。到了明代，終於在不斷累積的成果上，蛻生出體例形製有所不同，實質內涵也發生變化的新劇種，是為傳奇。傳奇既自戲文中出，如何界定，除了文獻證據的掌握，更關係到對戲曲發展歷史階段的看法，及對戲曲聲腔體系乃至表演藝術的整體概念。因此儘管論者甚多，始終各執一說，未有定論。 戲文必需經過「質變」方能產生傳奇，是學者的共識。而不同稱名的流通，反映了各自的歷史根源。光就外在體製來看，傳奇與戲文差異有限。其所「質變」者，當在於體製內在的組織技術。明代後期戲曲聲腔的高度發達，為戲文的脫胎換骨提供了有力的後盾，突破了原有的內涵，在組織架構、文字格律、呈現技巧各方面開創了新局，進入了所謂的「傳奇時代」。本文以戲劇發展的事實做依據，敘體陳述傳奇質變的內涵。 一個興起於江左崑山縣；一個發源自江右弋陽縣，崑山腔和弋陽腔是晚明傳奇劇壇的雙璧。卻因為文獻累積數量懸殊，造成崑山腔成為晚明新劇種唯一聲腔的印象。直到清代乾隆年間，王瑞生才以編訂京腔曲譜的敘體行動提出辯駁，為弋陽腔由「戲文」蛻生為「傳奇」，完成了滿足文人觀點的註腳。 湯顯祖的戲曲創作究竟屬什麼聲腔？同樣受到爭議。《四夢》其實正是新體製從舊戲文中破繭而出，透過聲腔，一邊流播，一邊成長的過程之反映。從戲文到傳奇，其變不在一夕之間。兩大爭議擺在一起，啟發我們從更多的方向思考問題。

　　　　　Hsi-wen and ch'uan-ch'i are two of the classical Chinese opera types. Hsi-wen, which originated in the Sung Dynasty, has gradually developed its performing art and repertoire to an enormous degree as time progressed. In the Ming Dynasty these accumulated artistic achievements had eventually evolved into ch'uan-ch'i, a new type of opera which was structurally and substantially different. Since ch'uan-ch'i is derived from hsi-wen, differentiating the two not only involves grasping the literary evidence but also the historical point of view towards the periodization of opera development; as well it involves the whole concept of tune patterns and performance art. The issue remains argumentative with each individual holding a different opinion and the conclusion has therefore not yet been drawn. Scholars share common ground that ch'uan-ch'i could emerge only through the transformation of hsi-wen. The circulation of different typologies reflects disparate historical origins. The distinction between hsi-wen and ch'uan-ch'i is limited if one examines only their external structures. As for the transformation, it involves the compositional technique within the structure. The exceptional advancement in opera tunes in the late Ming provided a strong reinforcement for the changeover from hsi-wen, and brought the breakthrough in the original essence to introduce an entirely new aspect in organizational structures, literary regulations and presentational techniques. This is known as the “ch'uan-ch'i Era.” Based on the facts of how opera has developed, this paper concretely describes the transformed nature of ch'uan-ch'i. The K'un-shan tune and the I-yang tune, arising from K'un-shan Hsien of the left Yangtze bank and I-yang Hsien of the right Yangtze bank respectively, are the two jewels of ch'uan-ch'i opera in the late Ming. However, the great discrepancy in documentation between the two has caused the impression that K'un-shan tune was the only tune of the new opera in the late Ming. It was not until the Ch'ien-lung era in the Ch'ing that Wang Jui-sheng protested, by editing the scores of the Peking tune, and categorized the I-yang tune into ch'uan-ch'i instead of hsi-wen; he therefore satisfied the annotation from a scholarly point of view. To which tune category that T'ang Hsien-tsu's works belong remains controversial. Ssu Meng in fact reflects the process, in which a new structure derived from hsi-wen, of circulating and maturing through tunes. The transformation from hsi-wen to ch'uan-ch'i does not take place overnight and therefore the controversies will inspire diversity in viewpoints.