“齐天大圣”四字如一道霹雳划破《西游记》的叙事苍穹。

因嫌玉帝封的“弼马温”官小，悟空愤而返回花果山。两个独角鬼王前来投奔，听闻此事便趁机提议： “大王有此神通，如何与他养马？就做个‘齐天大圣’，有何不可？”悟空眼中骤然燃起火焰，立刻让人置办旌旗，自称“齐天大圣”。

后来玉帝采纳了太白金星“养在天壤之间，收他的邪心，使不生狂妄”的提议，正式认可了“齐天大圣”这一称号。

画作重点展现了悟空桀骜不驯、追求平等的个性。他眼中野性未退，迸发擎天气势。在京剧造型中，雉尾翎象征桀骜，是悟空精神能量的外延。

The four characters The Great Monkey King—the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven'—struck like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the narrative firmament of Journey to the West.

Indignant that the Jade Emperor had granted him only the lowly rank of Bima Wen, Wukong stormed back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. There, two One-Horned Demon Kings came to pledge their allegiance to him. Upon hearing of his grievance, they seized the moment to suggest: 'Great King, with such divine powers as yours, why should you tend horses for him? Why not simply style yourself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?' At those words, a sudden fire ignited in Wukong’s eyes. He immediately ordered the crafting of grand banners, officially proclaiming himself the 'Great Great Monkey King.'

Later, the Jade Emperor accepted the counsel of the Taibai Jinxing, who suggested: 'Keep him within the boundaries of Heaven and Earth to restrain his wild heart and quell his arrogance.' Thus, the title was formally recognized.

This painting focuses on Wukong’s untamable spirit and his pursuit of equality. The wildness in his eyes remains unextinguished, erupting with a momentum that seems to prop up the very heavens. In the aesthetics of Peking Opera, the Zhiweiling (pheasant tail feathers) symbolize his defiance—they are the physical extension of his surging spiritual energy.