Four Major Plays of Chikamatsu / Edition 1

by Chikamatsu, Donald Keene

Overview

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) wrote some 130 plays, chiefly for the puppet theater, many of which are still performed today by puppet operators and Kabuki actors. Chikamatsu is thought to have written the first major tragedies about the common man. This edition of four of his most important plays includes three popular domestic dramas and one history play.Chikamatsu's domestic dramas are accurate reflections of Japanese society at the time: his characters are samurai, farmers, merchants, and prostitutes who speak colloquially, and who people the shops, streets, teahouses, and brothels that consituted their daily environment. The heroes and heroines of theses plays gain their tragic stature from their conflict with society. "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" and "The Love Suicides at Amijima" became so popular that they initiated a vouge for love suicides, both in life and onstage.Donald Keene's translation of the original text is presented here with an introduction and a new preface to aid readers in their comprehension and enjoyment of the plays.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231111010
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	09/29/1997
Series:	Translations from the Asian Classics
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.70(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Donald Keene is Shincho Professor of Japanese Literature and University Professor Emeritus at Columbia University.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
The Love Suicides at Sonezaki (Sonezaki Shinju)
The Battles of Coxinga (Kokusenya Kassen)
The Uprooted Pine (Nebiki No Kadomatsu)
The Love Suicides at Amijima (Shinju ten no Amijima)
Appendix 1: A Note on Prostitution in Chikamatsu's Plays
Apendix 2: Contemporary Puppet Performances of Chikamatsu's Plays
Bibliography