The Tale of Genji and the Tale of the Keike: a comparative essay
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The Tale of Genji and the Tale of the Heike are stories illustrating the Heian period of
Japan. The Tale of Genji is a fictional work completed in the early eleventh century C.E. that takes place at the height of the court aristocracy, while the Tale of the Heike is a dramatic telling of the true events that led to the end of the era and the dominance of the warrior class. They show very different aspects of the time period, and while they both provide powerful sentiments, the Tale of Genji is definitely a delivery of greater artistic expression with greater attention to detail, while the Tale of the Heike tells stories of far graver circumstances.
Both stories are episodic, where the Tale of Genji focuses on the many experiences of a single character and the Tale of the Heike follows different protagonists in different episodes.
The episode from the Tale of Genji to be focused on here is Yugao, named for the vines with white flowers that Genji first discovers near his lover 's residence before they meet for the first time. The episode follows Prince Genji, a son of the emperor, as he becomes intrigued by a girl who leaves him a piece of poetry. He decides to pursue her, despite her supposedly being of a lower class, and with the help of his servant begins a secret affair with her, having never learned her name. They both keep their identities secret from each other, and Prince Genji begins to neglect more and more of his normal life to sneak away to be with her. One night she dies from a mysterious affliction in his presence and Genji, struck with grief, scrambles to keep the situation under wraps while also paying the proper respects (Keene 1960, 106-136).
The focus of the Tale of Heike shall be episodes approaching the end of the full work, spanning in time from around 1185 C.E., when the final decisive battle occurs, to 1213, when the former empress passes away. The first episode of the selection depicts the warrior Kumagai, who chases
The Tale of Genji and the Tale of the Heike are stories illustrating the Heian period of
Japan. The Tale of Genji is a fictional work completed in the early eleventh century C.E. that takes place at the height of the court aristocracy, while the Tale of the Heike is a dramatic telling of the true events that led to the end of the era and the dominance of the warrior class. They show very different aspects of the time period, and while they both provide powerful sentiments, the Tale of Genji is definitely a delivery of greater artistic expression with greater attention to detail, while the Tale of the Heike tells stories of far graver circumstances.
Both stories are episodic, where the Tale of Genji focuses on the many experiences of a single character and the Tale of the Heike follows different protagonists in different episodes.
The episode from the Tale of Genji to be focused on here is Yugao, named for the vines with white flowers that Genji first discovers near his lover 's residence before they meet for the first time. The episode follows Prince Genji, a son of the emperor, as he becomes intrigued by a girl who leaves him a piece of poetry. He decides to pursue her, despite her supposedly being of a lower class, and with the help of his servant begins a secret affair with her, having never learned her name. They both keep their identities secret from each other, and Prince Genji begins to neglect more and more of his normal life to sneak away to be with her. One night she dies from a mysterious affliction in his presence and Genji, struck with grief, scrambles to keep the situation under wraps while also paying the proper respects (Keene 1960, 106-136).
The focus of the Tale of Heike shall be episodes approaching the end of the full work, spanning in time from around 1185 C.E., when the final decisive battle occurs, to 1213, when the former empress passes away. The first episode of the selection depicts the warrior Kumagai, who chases
References: Hane, Mikiso. 1991. Premodern Japan: A Historical Survey. Boulder: Westview Press. Keene, Donald. 1960. Anthology of Japanese Literature. New York: Grove Press.