Kinuta, which is also known as The Fulling Block, is a noh play written by Zeami. The characters, which appear in this play, are: The Husband, a local squire (waki), His Sword-bearer (wakizure), A maid, Yugiri (tsure), The Wife (maeshite), A Manservant (ai), and The Spirit of the wife, after her death (nochijite). The Jo, or introduction of the play, begins with the very first line of the Husband (waki), because it establishes the basis of the play and introduces the shite, or the Wife:
“You have before you a squire from Ashiya in Kyushu. Presently I am staying in Miyako, where I have a lawsuit of mine to look after. Although I had not thought I would be in Miyako long, this year is already my third, and I am very worried about my wife and my home. For that reason, I mean to send my maid, Yugiri, down to Ashiya” (Tyler 160).
The Husband then sends Yugiri, the maid; to Ashiya to announce that he would surely be home by the end of the year. The Jo comes to a conclusion as the maid arrives in Ashiya to deliver the news to the Wife. Within the Jo, the dilemma of the play is slowly unveiled and receives a better understanding in the Ha, where the Wife (shite) enters and recites a poem:
“Snug beneath mandarin duck covers,
lovers still grieve that they must part;
fish of the deep, pillowed side by side,
they yet fear the sundering waves.
And I, whose love has turned away,
though living still, can only suffer
the rush of memories; my sobs
cry that I have not forgotten.
Tears spill from sleeves life rain
that never ends for this stricken heart! (Tyler 161).
Within this poem there is underlying imagery, which further defines the dilemma of the play and the grievance of the Wife. The mandarin duck and the fish, or t...
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...ted Lotus Sutra
so powerful, the chanted Lotus Sutra,
before the spirit a bright path of light
opens out straight to Buddhahood (Tyler 170).
Within the Kyu, there are a couple of dualities that are present. First, the duality of darkness and light; where the spirit of the Wife is able to escape the darkness of Hell and move into the light of Buddha. Second, the duality, which is present, is the shifting of her spirit from suffering to enlightenment. In the Kyu the play does come to a resolution, because the Wife is able to meet with her husband again he helps in guiding her spirit into Buddhahood. Here the Wife is able to finally find peace, because she sees the reverent love of her husband as he chants the Lotus Sutra.
Works Cited
Tyler, Royall. Japanese Nō Dramas. London U.a.: Penguin, 2004. Print.
Poetry and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 9nd ed. New York: Longman, 2005. Pgs 389-392
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