The Love Suicides at Amijima docx.

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THE LOVE SUICIDES AT AMIJIMA
Name of the Student
Assignment
Class Meeting Time
“The Love Suicides at Amijima” is a play that was written by Chikamatsu
Monzaemon, that was performed somewhere in the year 1720. The play was based on a real
event that took place as a result of the brothel system. It is a story about Jihei who is in love
with Koharu, a brothel girl. Jihei is not wealthy enough to release Koharu from the brothel.
The play revolves around duty as well as desire that ultimately lead the couple to a tragic end,
as the conservative society cannot accept their love (Shimazaki). The main aim of the essay is
to discuss the best seven pages of the text along with main characters, allusions and message
that the author tries to give to the readers.
The essay will discuss the third act of the play. The very first reading of the play
explains what the modern and contemporary readers were expecting from Chikamatsu’s play.
The play has many layers of meaning. The characters are types that are expected from
Chikamatsu’s play. Jihei, Koharu and Osan are the main characters of the play. The author
creates Jihei as a person who is undeserving of both the woman that is present in his life. He
is unable to fulfil the role of a father, a businessman as well as a husband. Even when he is
separated from Koharu, he does not transform his behaviours though he had promised to
reform (Groot). However, it should be noted that Jihei is the most burdened man in the play;
he has to show duty towards his wife, children, aunt, brother and father-in-law. It is this
reason that Jihei resorts to telling lies and making false oaths in front of his family. Amijima,
with the representation of Jihei, depicts the complex as well as a real relationship that is filled
with conflicting emotions. He is someone who reacts without reflecting on things. Jihei’s
character is complicated as on the one hand he loves Koharu but on the other, he spies on her

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THE LOVE SUICIDES AT AMIJIMA
and does not trust her (Groot). Koharu, on the other hand, is shown as an innocent woman,
who is colourless that is a manifestation of her opaque nature and the difficulty that one faces
while comprehending her real character. However, this is not true; she is an enigmatic figure
in the play who eludes the audience with her true feelings and emotions. Her outburst on
Mogoemon is different from her character although she must have done this to protect Jihei,
and her speech is hidden with a sense of truth. The play does not allow the readers to get an
insight into Koahru’s mind; therefore, the readers might misinterpret her true intentions. In
Act 3, she at last commits suicide (Groot). This shows that her love for Jihei is genuine so
much so that she sacrifices herself because of her love. A close reading of Act 1 and 3 show a
clear sign when it is juxtaposed against each other and thereby gives the readers a chance for
an alternate interpretation. Koharu’s suicide makes it clear that she fears physical pain and
therefore commits suicide. Osan on the other hand is Jihei’s wife who is also a shady
character. The readers can feel her presence in Act 2, where Jihei’s domestic life is explored.
The narrator introduces Osan to the audience and shows her as a responsible wife and mother.
She is also the one who keeps the family business afloat. Osan has variable emotions. Her
feelings towards her husband oscillate from hatred to affection (Groot). Osan is a caricature
of a typical household wife who longs for her husband. It is she who instigates the lovers'
suicide by showing the letter to Jihei. She intended to protect Jihei but it leads to reverse
outcome (Groot). There are not many shifts in the characters in the play. They remain
constant.
The opening sentence of Act 3 “The shoals of love and affection are here at the
Shijimi River” recalls to the mind of the readers the opening of the famous book Pride and
Prejudice by Jane Austen. Bothe the openings show the dubious nature of the explicit
message. The end of the lovers and the play raises practical questions as to what will happen
to Osan and her children. How will they be able to regain their finances? In Act 3 nothing