The criticisms on drama of the last ten years of the Qing Dynasty （1901 -1911 ） were made when the country was in decline and in need of change and were intended by the Qing government, the reformers, the revolutionaries and oth- er intellectuals as a debate on how to tap the potential of drama to educate and enlighten the public. Thus intended, these criticisms were not made from the standpoint of drama itself, but from the standpoint of social education, aiming for conven- ience, efficacy and rapidity in educating and enlightening the public through drama. Therefore, drama was seen as an effec- tive way of introducing civilized ideas and boosting the public morale and a complementary educational means that was as good as, or even better than, speeches, newspapers and libraries.%清末十年（1901-1911）的戏剧言论，是在国衰民敝、急需变革的紧迫背景下，清政府、维新派、革命派以及其他有识之士为“开智普及”而宣扬戏剧功用以面向民众普及教育的讨论。这些戏剧言论不是站在戏剧本体的立场，而是站在社会教育的立场，在探寻有利、有效、迅捷的普及教育方式的语境中对戏剧之于民众教育的合目的性希求和利用。由此而把戏剧视为输入文明思想、提振国民精神的有力有效途径，是与宣讲、报纸、图书馆等同列而优势明显的辅助教育的一种手段。
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