晚明小說家馮夢龍（1574－1646）特別肯定小說「佐經書史傳之窮」與「教忠教孝」的社會功能，遂有《三言》之編纂。馮夢龍秉持情教導愚，故事裡的主人公雖徘徊在真情與禮教之間，但最後仍會選擇回歸傳統，以彰顯「勸善懲惡」的宗旨。自巴赫金（Mikhail M.Bakhtin，1895－1975）《小說理論》揭櫫「第三者」的角色功能後，開啟了《三言》配角研究的視域。本文認為《三言》裡的配角具有穿針引線、戲謔調笑的敘事功能，他們的表現符應亞里斯多德（Aristotle，西元前384－322）《詩學》裡所謂的喜劇角色。《三言》若沒有這些配角居中媒介，或增飾情節，或阻撓主角，其喜劇效果恐不如預期。這群被讀者忽視已久的邊緣人物，尤以「三姑六婆」等人的形象最為鮮明。本文擬借用源自米歇爾‧傅柯（Michael Foucault,1926－1984）話語分析理論所衍生之「喜劇話語」觀，認為《三言》中涉及「性」的話語，遊走在禮法/禁忌的間隙中，並經由諧謔與戲仿的書寫策略，成為推動喜劇話語從靈感到成篇的原創動力，反映人們隱藏在內心深處焦慮的騷動。而配角人物的發聲，往往逸出了作者筆端，在主角人物之外，向我們展示一個「人性至真」的世界。是故人類的食色本性，最終只能在宣淫與戒色的兩難中悄然蠢動。

Late Ming Dynasty fiction writer Feng Meng-Long (馮夢龍) (1574-1646) approved fiction's social function especially, because he thought it can make up for a deficiency of classic books, and books of history, as well as teach people by examples of loyalty, filial piety, integrity and chastity, therefore he compiled San Yan (《三言》) in order to make a comprehensive survey of its chapters. Feng Meng-Long adhered to the intention of bringing enlightenment to the people by emotional education, although the male and female leading roles in the story struggle between true love and the Confucian ethical code, finally, they still choose to return to tradition, in order to manifest the moral principles of "exhorting to reformation, and punishing evil." Since Mikhail M. Bakhtin (1895-1975) revealed the function of "The Third Party" in his fiction theory, the new angle of vision and field of research on supporting roles have been open. The researcher thought the supporting roles in San Yan bear both the narrative functions of serving as a go-between, and bantering and witticism, and their performance conforms to the so-called comic role in Poetics of Aristotle (384 B.C.-322 B.C.). Without these supporting roles' acting as medium in the middle position, either intensifying the plot or obstructing the development of the leading characters, perhaps the comic effect of San Yan would not be as great as expectation. This group of marginal figures that have been neglected by the researcher for a long time have the most vivid image as "nun, Taoist nun, female fortune-teller, procuress, matchmaker, sorceress female pharmacist, midwife, and trafficker." (「三姑六婆」) The researcher planned to borrow the "comedic discourse" strategies derived from the theory of discourse analysis of Michael Foucault (1926-1984), and held that under the contrasting tense relationship of the Confucian ethical code and taboo, and through wisecracks and mimicking or other ways, the discourse involves "sex" in San Yan has become the original power of desire that pushes comedic discourse forward from inspiration to chapters, and more or less, it reflects human's restless turmoil that hides within everyone's deep heart since ancient times; moreover, the voice of supporting roles is beyond the author's penpoint (thought) more often than not, exhibiting a world of "truth of human nature" in addition to the leading characters, and reflects considerable popular culture at that time as well as the writer's subconsciousness that include the dual comedic characteristics presented from the discourse between the narrator and the roles. Feng Meng-Long's cognition for humor in his early years became his attitude for viewing ordinary people in the society. The researcher attempted to open up the comedic discourse research of "nun, Taoist nun, female fortune-teller, procuress, matchmaker, sorceress, female pharmacist, midwife, and trafficker" that have extremely obvious characteristics of the common people besides the traditional happy reunion comedy exposition of San Yan.