土佐浄璃瑠の脚色法(七) : 「源氏物語」の浄瑠璃化

Among Tosa Joruri works there are found four stories related to Genji Monogatari. They are 1) "Hikaru Genji Sodekagami", 2) "Genji Kacho Taizen", 3) "Genji Rokujogayoi", and 4) "Zoku Genji". These are not elements of Genji Monogatari made directly into Joruri, but new adaptations for the stage employing material taken from Genji Monogatari. These four works, however, share some common characteristics, which are outlined below. 1. Minamoto-no-Takaakira, who has been the model hero of Genji Monogatari ever since the Middle Ages, is characterized as Hikaru Genji, he falls in love with Murasaki Shikibu, who is actually the author of Genji Monogatari. 2. Higekuro-no-Taisho comes to love Murasaki Shikibu illicitly, and consequently becomes an opponent of Hikaru Genji. 3. The legend that Murasaki Shikibu started writing Genji Monogatari at Ishiyama Dera (temple) is incorporated into the plot of the four works, as are the exile of Hikaru Genji to Akashi and his love affair with Akashi-no-Hime. All these three elements are included as highlights in all four works. 4. The battle scene where Raiko and Shitenno try to defend Hikaru Genji against Higekuro\u27s plot is another highlight the four works share. 5. Two women who adore Hikaru Genji are Sumaura and Akashi. Their being prostitutes is highlighted in the Kuruwa scenes. 6. Many scenes with much music are included in the plays. Popular songs of the times were arranged and employed in the play, and \u27singing in turn\u27 was a new attempt to entertain the audience. As we have seen thus far, Tosa Joruri reveals the world and content of Genji Monogatari in a sort of modern parody style. That is to say, by taking material from Genji Monogatari and using the legend of Genji Monogatari as its background, it uses Murasaki Shikibu herself, the real author, as one of its characters in the very story which she herself created. The world of Genji Monogatari, arranged in a parody style and revealed in Tosa Joruri, was successively adapted for both Joruri and Kabuki in the following years. Those plays continued to be very popular among ordinary people for years to come