The Samurai in Classical Japanese Literature

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The sword-wielding samurai warrior is perhaps the most familiar icon of pre-modern Japan, one that continues to influence how the Japanese think of themselves and how others think of Japan even in modern times. Who were the samurai? How did they see themselves? How did other members of Japanese society see them in the past? How did the role and the image of the samurai change over time? To answer these questions, we will explore the depiction of samurai in various kinds of texts: episodes from quasi-historical chronicles, 14th-century Noh plays, 17th-century short stories, and 18th-century Kabuki and puppet plays. While some of these texts emphasize themes of loyalty, honor, and military prowess, others focus on the problems faced by samurai in their domestic lives during times of peace. The last part of the course will be devoted to the most famous of all stories, The Revenge of the 47 Samurai. Students will read eyewitness accounts of this vendetta, which occurred in 1702, and then explore how the well-known Kabuki/puppet play Chushingura (A Treasury of Loyal Retainers 1748) dramatizes the conflicting opinions surrounding it. All readings will be in English translation and no previ¬ous knowledge of Japan is required.