Week 5a: Introduction to Bunraku a. Online lecture on Edo period and outline If you don't know anything about Japanese history, watch this get a background of historical changes
This is an overview of the basic elements of performance practice in Bunraku puppet theater and Kabuki. Pages 303-307 concentrate on Bunraku -- make sure you’re familiar with it.
1. The main conflict in this play is between ninjô (human feelings/compassion) and giri (duty). How does this conflict ultimately cause Koharu and Jihei to commit suicide? Do you think they are justified in committing suicide? Do you think they have any choice? 2. Look for all references to religion in the play. What is the role of Amida Buddha with regard to the fate of Koharu and Jihei? Look for quotations in support of your position. 3. What is the function of money in this play? What role does it play in the dilemma that leads to the love suicide of Koharu and Jihei? What is the attitude toward money of Tahei? Jihei? Magoemon? Look for quotations in support of your position. Week 5b: Costumes, make-up and form in Kabuki acting I: wagoto male roles and onnagata female roles
Chûshingura (Treasury of Loyal Retainers): “At the Farmhouse” and “Ichiriki Brothel Scene”: To see a one-page list of the characters and their “real-life” counterparts click here. As you read along you might make short notes to help you remember who each one is. There are also images of the Kabuki and Bunraku versions of the play on the website. Reading Questions 1. Read Brazell’s introduction to “At the Farmhouse” for a synopsis of the entire play and the real life incident on which the play was loosely based. 2. What are the most noticeable differences between this historical play (jidai mono) and the domestic play (sewa mono) Love Suicides at Amijima? E.g. how does the dramatic world/time period differ? The personality and social class of the characters? 3. Think about the samurai code of ethics as expressed in this play in Chushingura. In particular, how does the concept of giri appear to be different in this play than in Love Suicides at Amijima? 4. How do the characters Okaru, Kampei (her husband), and Heimon (her brother) deal with the conflict between their duty/loyalty to their superiors (giri) and their desires/human emotions (ninjô)? Why is Heimon initially not allowed to join the vendetta? What role does Okaru play in the vendetta? 5. What is the role of money in this play? How does it compare to the role money plays in Love Suicides at Amijima in precipitating the conflict and moving the story forward? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS How are women represented in Treasury of Loyal Retainers versus Love Suicides at Amijima? 1. List the main characteristics of the women (Osan, the wife and Koharu, the mistress in Love Suicides; Okaru in Treasury of Loyal Retainers). 2. Compare Okaru in Treasury with Koharu in Love Suicides. As courtesans how is each represented? What moral code do they each live by? How does the giri/ninjô dilemma apply in each case? Do these women's motivations seem plausible to you, given their situation? Look for specific examples from the plays to support your arguments. 3. How are women portrayed differently in these plays from women in Noh and Kyogen? To what would you attribute this difference?
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