Nō Dramas

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Atsumori is a Nō drama written by Zeami whereas Nonomiya was thought to have been written by Komparu Zenchiku. Even though these two dramas were written by different people, they both incorporate past literary sources as their base. Nō dramas are usually influenced by past works of literature such as Genji Monogatari, Ise Monogatari, and the Kokinshū. These two Nō plays are mainly based upon Heike monogatari and Genji monogatari.

The Atsumori Nō drama was based from Heike Monogatari and the story of Atsumori of the Taira clan who was killed by Kumagai of the Minamoto clan. Like many other Nō plays, this one focuses on Buddhism and how a spirit that needs help moving on. This is accomplished usually by reciting the Lotus sutra and praying. There are some important psychological aspects too, such as how fighting will accomplish nothing and how important forgiveness and prayers are.

The significance of the play was that it added more to the original story including religion and remorse. It gave a more in depth look at some of the characters from the tale. Kumagai felt guilty for ki...

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