EA190 Disc Week 9 17s

East Asian 190 Shakespeare and Kurosawa Week 9 (Spring 2017) Discussion Questions
In week 7 we considered how faith and skepticism were represented in King Lear. Edmund's first soliloquy [1.2] sets up the basic dichotomy: Are we trapped by fate/fortune/our horoscope? Are we the playthings of the gods (the notion later enunciated by Gloucester that the gods are wanton boys who "kill us for their sport" [4.1])? Or, as Edmund argues, is human suffering solely the result of human weakness and wrong-doing, with no need to resort to supernatural forces? This week we will consider how similar questions are dealt with in Ran. 1. Which characters have faith in compassionate deities? Is their faith borne out? Does Ran portray any possibility for human redemption through religious faith? Support your argument. 2. Which characters are skeptical? Is their skepticism supported within the story? 3. Is life fated? What elements of Ran reinforce the Buddhist concept of a ghost warrior forced by karmic retribution to face the consequences of his actions in hell (similar to Throne of Blood)? Where could Hidetora (or any character in the movie) have chosen differently? 4. Is there any hope for an escape from the cycle of violence presented in the film? Why or why not?

In week 7 we considered how faith and skepticism were represented in King Lear. Edmund's first soliloquy [1.2] sets up the basic dichotomy: Are we trapped by fate/fortune/our horoscope? Are we the playthings of the gods (the notion later enunciated by Gloucester that the gods are wanton boys who "kill us for their sport" [4.1])? Or, as Edmund argues, is human suffering solely the result of human weakness and wrong-doing, with no need to resort to supernatural forces?

This week we will consider how similar questions are dealt with in Ran.

1. Which characters have faith in compassionate deities? Is their faith borne out? Does Ran portray any possibility for human redemption through religious faith? Support your argument.

2. Which characters are skeptical? Is their skepticism supported within the story?

3. Is life fated? What elements of Ran reinforce the Buddhist concept of a ghost warrior forced by karmic retribution to face the consequences of his actions in hell (similar to Throne of Blood)? Where could Hidetora (or any character in the movie) have chosen differently?

4. Is there any hope for an escape from the cycle of violence presented in the film? Why or why not?