Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- 21 Introduction to medieval literature
- 22 Japanese poetic thought, from earliest times to the thirteenth century
- 23 Shinkokin wakashū: The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
- 24 Waka in the medieval period: patterns of practice and patronage
- 25 Hyakunin isshuand the popularization of classical poetry
- 26 Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
- 27 Medieval women’s diaries: fromTamakiwarutoTakemukigaki
- 28 Setsuwa (anecdotal) literature:Nihon ryōikitoKokon chomonjū
- 29 The rise of medieval warrior tales:Hōgen monogatariandHeiji monogatari
- 30 The Tales of the Heike
- 31 The late medieval warrior tales: fromSoga monogataritoTaiheiki
- 32 Literature of medieval Zen temples: Gozan (Five Mountains) and Ikkyū Sōjun
- 33 Renga (linked verse)
- 34 Noh drama
- 35 Noh drama theory from Zeami to Zenchiku
- 36 Kyōgen: comic plays that turn medieval society upside down
- 37 Late medieval popular fiction and narrated genres: otogizōshi, kōwakamai, sekkyō, and ko-jōruri
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
34 - Noh drama
from Part III - The medieval period (1185–1600)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2016
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- 21 Introduction to medieval literature
- 22 Japanese poetic thought, from earliest times to the thirteenth century
- 23 Shinkokin wakashū: The New Anthology of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
- 24 Waka in the medieval period: patterns of practice and patronage
- 25 Hyakunin isshuand the popularization of classical poetry
- 26 Medieval recluse literature: Saigyō, Chōmei, and Kenkō
- 27 Medieval women’s diaries: fromTamakiwarutoTakemukigaki
- 28 Setsuwa (anecdotal) literature:Nihon ryōikitoKokon chomonjū
- 29 The rise of medieval warrior tales:Hōgen monogatariandHeiji monogatari
- 30 The Tales of the Heike
- 31 The late medieval warrior tales: fromSoga monogataritoTaiheiki
- 32 Literature of medieval Zen temples: Gozan (Five Mountains) and Ikkyū Sōjun
- 33 Renga (linked verse)
- 34 Noh drama
- 35 Noh drama theory from Zeami to Zenchiku
- 36 Kyōgen: comic plays that turn medieval society upside down
- 37 Late medieval popular fiction and narrated genres: otogizōshi, kōwakamai, sekkyō, and ko-jōruri
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
Summary
This chapter focuses on the scripted elements of the noh plays. The plays of the time of the noted playwright Zeami and his pupils were more constrained in structure. The Okina sarugaku performance tradition shares some elements with that of noh plays, but there are fundamental differences between the two, for example in the structure of their masks and conventions of costume and dance. Sotoba Komachi and Jinen Koji by Kanami and Ukai by Saemon Goro of the Enami troupe may be taken as representative of the Heian period. Zeami's importance in the tradition of noh plays derives not so much from his fame as an actor in his lifetime, but rather from the fact that his style of play came to dominate the later repertoire. The content of his plays reflected the passion of Kyoto high society for the classical literature of the Heian court and the Heike monogatari.
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- Information
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature , pp. 328 - 339Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015