Abstract:

As the leading character in Journey to the West，Sun Wukong，the Monkey，epitomizes various human virtues. He is strongminded，humorous，witty and he fears no power and hates evils. However，beyond the humorous style in Journey to the West，we find tragedy in it. The weird and miraculous world of genies and gods in Journey to the West reflects the tragedy in real life. This paper reveals the strong sense of tragedy in the Journey to the West by analyzing the role of the Monkey in the following three aspects: as an embodiment of human’s pursuit of freedom，the Monkey has to face the disillusionment; as an symbol for justice and braveness，he becomes a victim of the counter elimination power system，and as a loyal defender of order，he has to meet the chaos and disorder in the world of genies and gods.

Key words: Wu Cheng&rsquo, en；Journey to the West；the Monkey；the tragedy in Journey to the West