Exploring the Image of Prime Minister Le Loi in The Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô

Prompt: Please analyze the portrayal of Prime Minister Le Loi in The Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô by Nguyễn Trãi

Analyzing the Depiction of Prime Minister Le Loi in The Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô
 

Tip: How to Craft an Engaging Expository Essay

I. Outline Analyzing the Depiction of Prime Minister Le Loi in The Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô

1. Introduction

-Introducing the author Nguyễn Trãi, the work Binh Ngô's grand proclamation.
-Leading into the analysis.

2. Main Body

a. Overview of Lê Lợi's Background:
- Lê Lợi (1385-1433), originally from Lam Sơn (now Thọ Xuân, Thanh Hóa), was born into a wealthy family, continuing his father's legacy as a lord in Lam Sơn.
- In early 1416, he and 18 close friends established the oath association of Lũng Nhai, determined to create the Lam Son righteous army, to resist the invasion of the Ming dynasty and save the country.

b. Beauty from Virtue, Patriotism, and Deep-Seated Hatred Towards Enemies:
- The use of the intimate pronoun 'ta' demonstrates humility and closeness, but also reflects the character's awareness of his position and stature within the righteous army, embodying the demeanor of a leader with sufficient virtue and talent.
- Choosing the 'Lam Sơn mountains as the cradle of righteousness,' as the starting point for the righteous army, was a precise choice, as no one else, being a lord himself (Lê Lợi had a thorough understanding of the homeland's terrain, close to his family, capable of easily providing food and necessities).
- With a heart devoted to the righteous cause, he was ready to forsake the luxurious and comfortable life of a lord, refusing the temptations of the Ming dynasty's nobles to enter the 'wilderness to nurture himself.'
- All of Lê Lợi's noble actions and strong will stem from one reason alone: a deep love for his country and a profound hatred towards the enemy. 'Contemplating great vengeance, the sky cannot contain/Shall loathe the enemy, swear not to live together.'

c. Passion and the deep-seated sorrows of Commander Lê Lợi in the early days of the newly established righteous army:
- Bearing the demeanor of a person with high ambitions, profound virtues, and emotions of 'heartache, headache, tasting bitterness and sleeping on thorns, forgetting to eat out of anger, restless in dreams...'.
- Lê Lợi understands the principle that great work cannot be rushed, so he solely focuses on nurturing the army, worrying 'heartache, headache, tens of years in a blink of an eye.' With patience 'Tasting bitterness, sleeping on thorns, should it be a morning or an evening.'
- It is because of his heavy mission and great responsibility that Lê Lợi is always 'restless in dreams/pondering only one matter constantly.'

d. The hardships of the righteous army and the beauty of determination, the wisdom of Commander Lê Lợi:
- The forces are still young and weak, 'talents are like autumn leaves/noble and talented like stars in the morning.'
- Despite the lack of both soldiers and provisions, Lê Lợi remains unwavering 'By ourselves, we must exert ourselves, rushing to save drowning people.'
-'People of the four directions, one family, erecting bamboo flags fluttering in the wind/Soldiers and scholars wholeheartedly serve their country, harmonizing like sweet wine,' revealing Lê Lợi's ability to mobilize the strength of the entire nation, winning over the hearts of the people, creating a powerful unity of the entire nation.
- Revealing the beauty of intelligence and strategic prowess in military affairs when 'Deploying tactics brilliantly, using weaknesses to counter strengths/Using a small force to defeat a larger enemy,' effectively utilizing the strengths of the righteous army in combat, implementing guerrilla warfare both skillfully and efficiently while overcoming the weakness of our thin military strength.

3. Conclusion

Express your feelings.

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Depiction of Prime Minister Le Loi in The Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô

Among the 9 renowned literary figures of Vietnam, Nguyễn Trãi stands out as one of the exceptional medieval writers. His life intertwined with the tumultuous changes of the Trần - Hồ - Hậu Lê dynasties. Particularly during the Hậu Lê dynasty, Nguyễn Trãi emerged as a pivotal figure in the nation's founding, a distinguished military and political strategist who made significant contributions to the Lam Sơn uprising led by Lê Lợi, defeating 150,000 Ming invaders, ushering in a new era of national history, an era of enduring independence. In the realm of literature, especially in the political essays Nguyễn Trãi wrote to serve the nation-building and diplomatic efforts, each work is considered the epitome of exemplary political literature. The most prominent among them is the Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô, written after the victory of the Lam Sơn uprising, regarded as the nation's second declaration of independence, a monumental literary work for generations to come. In this work, besides addressing the principles of righteousness, condemning the atrocities of the Ming invaders, and praising the unity of the righteous army, Nguyễn Trãi also dedicated a lengthy passage to depict the image of Prime Minister Le Loi, a talented, virtuous individual, leading the righteous army from the days of hardship to eventual triumph.

In The Great Proclamation of Binh Ngô, the portrayal of Le Loi by Nguyễn Trãi is crafted from the early days of the uprising, amidst overwhelming difficulties, in the form of the character's autobiographical narrative.

'Here I am:
Lam Son mountains raised the righteous cause,
Wandering in the wilderness to nurture myself.
Contemplating great vengeance, the sky cannot contain,
Shall loathe the enemy, swear not to live together.'

The familiar use of the term 'we' portrays humility and closeness, yet also reflects the character's awareness of their position and stature within the righteous army, embodying the demeanor of a leader with sufficient virtue and talent. Lê Lợi, hailing from Lam Sơn, is conscious of the responsibility to defend the nation, thus he also chooses the 'Lam Sơn mountains as the cradle of righteousness,' as the starting point of the righteous army. It can be said that this is a precise choice because, as a lord, Lê Lợi has a thorough understanding of the homeland's terrain, making it easier and more convenient to nurture and train soldiers. Moreover, this place is close to his family, allowing easy access to daily necessities, stabilizing the righteous army and preparing for battle. Additionally, we can also observe the virtue of Lê Lợi, a 21-year-old young man, yet with a heart devoted to the righteous cause, he is willing to forsake the luxurious and comfortable life of a lord, rejecting the temptations of the Ming nobles to enter the 'wilderness to nurture himself.' Accepting a life of deprivation, surrounded by dangers, losing sleep day and night, contemplating strategies to defeat the enemy, truly worthy of the leadership, virtue, and excellence of the nation. All of these noble actions, high-mindedness, stem from one reason alone: a deep love for the country and a profound hatred towards the enemy. Combined with the ideal of repaying the debt of fame and a strong determination to realize the dream, Lê Lợi has become an outstanding leader, a hero born from the common people, deserving to be the head of a future nation.

Especially, the patriotism and determination to crush the enemy of Lê Lợi are deeply expressed in the following verse.

'Heartache, headache, tens of years in a blink of an eye,
Tasting bitterness, sleeping on thorns, should it be a morning or an evening.
Forgetting to eat out of anger, pondering strategies, already refined;
Reflecting on past and present, the cycles of rise and fall examined meticulously.
Restless in dreams,
Only pondering one matter constantly.'

The verse reveals the passion and deep-seated sorrows of Commander Lê Lợi in the early days of the newly established righteous army. He embodies all the exemplary qualities of an outstanding commander, not only as someone with a deep love for the country and compassion for the people, an intense hatred for the enemy, but also appears with the demeanor of a person with high ambitions, profound virtues, and emotions of 'heartache, headache, tasting bitterness and sleeping on thorns.' Lê Lợi understands the moral principles, knowing that great work cannot be rushed, hence he is solely focused on nurturing the army, worrying 'heartache, headache, tens of years in a blink of an eye,' to build a mighty military force, enhancing combat capabilities. He is very patient 'Tasting bitterness, sleeping on thorns, should it be a morning or an evening,' deeply contemplating strategies to fight against the aggressive Ming enemy, worrying about the welfare and national ideals. Witnessing the Ming invaders ravaging the country day by day, with demeanor, morality, and deep love for the country and people, Lê Lợi 'forgets to eat out of anger.' And the more so, the more he must contemplate, research thoroughly, so that the military advance against the enemy is convenient, quickly driving them out of our country, however, he must not act rashly, recklessly causing losses to the righteous army, while the enemy is not relenting. It is because of his heavy mission and great responsibility that Lê Lợi is always 'restless in dreams/pondering only one matter constantly,' truly facing countless difficulties.

Within the framework of depicting the cloth hero Lê Lợi, Nguyễn Trãi also reveals the initial difficulties of the righteous army, as well as showcasing other talents of Commander Lê Lợi.

'Just as the flag of righteousness is raised,
At the very moment when the enemy is strong.'

Yet it is harsh because:
Noble and talented as the morning stars,
Talented individuals like autumn leaves,
Traveling without companions is troublesome,
Where only evil abounds and few converse,
The heart to save the country always desires to venture eastward,
The modest bridge is often meticulously maintained on the left side.

Despite this:
Looking around, one sees fewer figures, as misty as a seascape.
On our own, we must exert ourselves, hastening to save those drowning.
Partly due to the anger towards the enemy's tyranny,
Partly due to concerns over the nation's difficult fate,
When the supplies in Linh Sơn ran out for weeks,
And at Khôi Huyện, not a single unit remained.
If heaven tests one's dedication to great tasks,
We must use our minds to overcome hardships.