The Concept of Tragedy in Japanese Drama

Abstract

Tragedy has long been considered one of the highest achievements of Eur opean civilization, with the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Racine in prominence. Since the genre has such high standing, comparisons with non-European serious theatre are difficult. George Steiner has stated the domi nant idea straightforwardly: All men are aware of tragedy in life. But tragedy as a form of drama is not universal. Oriental art knows violence, grief, and the stroke of natural or contrived disaster; the Japanese theatre is full of ferocity and ceremonial death. But that representation of personal suffering and heroism which we call tragic drama is distinctive of the Western tradition. A comparison of Western tragedy with Noh and Bunraku drama, however, does not lead to such a sraightforward conclusion. I argue that tragedy is a theatrical, not a reading experience and that the most serious plays in the Japanese tradition?the 'Women' plays of Noh and the third-act pieces of Bunraku?focus on heroes who though caught in a difficult situation consciously choose their paths, which lead often to the extreme edges of human suffering.