The Tale of the Heike

The Tale of the Heike is a Japanese epic poem relating the rise and eventual, inevitable fall of the Taira clan, also referred to as the Heike, during the end of the 12th century. The epic consists of thirteen books. Within the first five, the consolidation of power by the Taira is outlined featuring the “tyrant” Taira no Kiyomori. After Kiyomori’s death in the sixth book, the focus shifts to the rival clan, the Minamoto or Genji, as they orchestrate the complete destruction of the Taira and establish themselves as the dominant house. In contextualizing this work’s importance, Heike is regarded as a “seminal masterpiece of Japanese culture” on the level of The Tale of Genji.

Since the epic has a history of being performed as well as read, the physical structure of the passages can vary significantly. Royall Tyler, the translator, chose to incorporate three formats into the text, those of speech, recitative, and song. The purpose of doing so is meant to be reflective of how the text would have been presented in a performance setting. The formats are analogous to “spoken dialogue, recitative, and aria in oratorio or opera.” This manifests as a justified prose against the right margin, “highly irregular lines that start at the left margin,” and verse respectively.

When examining the plot structure of the poem, a distinctive pattern emerges. The story is frequently interrupted with anecdotes that are either directly or indirectly related to current events. This often takes the form of recounting historical precedents as a way of contextualizing a character’s actions or, if the precedent is lacking, perhaps to note a deviation from tradition. For example, when Kiyomori resolves to move the capital to Fukuhara, the ch...

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...ce of “calming influence and good judgment.” The text portrays him as a model example of a filial son even if his father does not display the equivalent, admirable attributes in return. While Kiyomori may not be a model senior in his relationship with Shigemori, he clearly values his son’s advice and holds him in high regard even if he does not always act perfectly on his counsel.

When restless spirits try to prevent Kiyomori’s daughter, Kenreimon-in, from bearing a son during her pregnancy, Kiyomori involves himself by resolving to “mollify the living and the dead. The text appears to approve of this action since it is stated that “the angry dead inspire fear,” and a number of anecdotes are mentioned concerning ghosts’ nefarious interferences. Yet, Kiyomori’s efforts are implied to be insufficient as Shigemori is called in to advise him on further action.