' is a Noh play, which was traditionally attributed to Zeami, but is now ascribed either to his son-in-law Zenchiku or his son Motomasa. The Kita school refers to this play as Kikaigashima.

Background

The play takes place in the aftermath of the Shishigatani Incident, several years before the final defeat of the Taira and the ascendancy of the Minamoto clan in the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yori ...

of 1180-1185. It focuses upon the fate of a trio exiled to "Devil's Island" (''Kikaigashima'', 鬼界島), off the coast of

Satsuma province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation was . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Dur ...

, as punishment for a plot against the ruling

Taira clan The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...

. When the imperial consort, pregnant with Antoku, the future emperor, falls ill, seers advise

Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and '' kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Japan, in 1118 as the first son of Taira ...

, the ''de facto''

head of government In the Executive (government), executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presid ...

, to placate the spirits by pardoning and compensating some of his victims. He agrees to pardon Fujiwara no Naritsune and Taira no Yasuyori, but not the monk

Shunkan was a Japanese monk who, after taking part in the Shishigatani plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori, was exiled along with two others to Kikai-ga-shima. His story is featured in the ''Heike monogatari'', and in a number of traditional derivative w ...

Plot summary

The play begins with the dispatch of an envoy to the island, where Naritsune and Yasuyori (but not the Zen Buddhist Shunkan) are ceremoniously worshipping their replica of the Kumano shrine, while the Chorus laments the “endless days of banishment”. When the (prop) boat brings the amnesty proclamation, Shunkan is staggered to find his name is not on it: “When three dwelt together here, How terrible the loneliness of these wild rocks! Now one is left, to wither Like a flower dropped on the shore”. The play reaches its emotional climax when he clutches the rope behind the departing boat, in vain;Mae Southurst, ''Dramatic Action in Greek Tragedy and Noh'' (2013) p. 16 and he is left alone, with only the voices of his former companions assuring him that they will work for his recall as well.

References

{{Reflist, 2}

External links

Shunkan
Noh plays Plays set in the 12th century

Background

Plot summary

See also

References

Further reading

External links