Reviews and Comments Questions Resources

Love Suicides at Sonezaki

Chikamatsu Monzaemon

The Beauty of Death in the Love Suicides at Sonezaki
snaseer@middlebury.edu
Two lovers opt for death as they find no bright future awaits them in a society that judges by social obligations, rather than human passions. Disregarded for being a shop clerk and a low prostitute, Tokubei and Ohatsu find their love caught in the strict expectations of Edo Period Japan. Ultimately, they discover that love ... read more

Two lovers opt for death as they find no bright future awaits them in a society that judges by social obligations, rather than human passions. Disregarded for being a shop clerk and a low prostitute, Tokubei and Ohatsu find their love caught in the strict expectations of Edo Period Japan. Ultimately, they discover that love transcends the physical restrictions of their society and becomes eternalized in a single choice made by two with pure feelings.

Written for joruri (puppet theater) and kabuki by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, The Love Suicides of Sonezaki is a tragic lovers tale that evokes both sadness and thought in audiences. Although the tale follows the grievances of two lovers who are frequently met with social obstacles, it blooms into a story where nothing becomes more important than the passions of two individuals. The playwright is known for Buddhist influences in his work and he displays them through various conduits such as themes of reincarnation and karma. As a result, readers should expect characters to display thinking guided by such ideology. Despite having spiritual philosophy dispersed through the story, readers should not be deterred. Instead, audiences should view these religious implementations as a view into the popular systems of thought during the Edo period in Japan. 

While it seems easy to dissect Chikamatsu’s play, it should be noted that I am reviewing the play as a written text and not as a performance. When seen as a form of theater, the Love Suicides at Sonezaki is transformed into a new experience. One is able to witness Japanese culture through fashion and music in addition to the authentic storyline when performed. As a kabuki performance, audiences can view stylized poses and backgrounds that influence how the Tokubei and Ohatsu’s characters are interpreted. Joruri may be equally as unfamiliar to western audiences in terms of storytelling, however like kabuki, the story’s unique portrayal is an artform that manages to create various perspectives of the tale. As a written work, the Love Suicides at Sonezaki uses a range of metaphors to illustrate the moments shared by the lovers. The Chanter plays an especially large role as they guide the audience in imagining the “breezes of love” and “love drowned-guests like empty shells” in the story. With eloquent words and heartrending plot, the Love Suicides at Sonezaki is great for anyone who enjoys dramatic stories, and more so for those who fall for love stories.

 

The Love Suicides at Sonezaki is not a happy tale, but it displays the power of love in a society which chooses to engage more in success than human passions. Whether one decides to read or watch the play, they will become enveloped in the world of Chikamatsu Monzaemon. From the roller coaster of emotions he creates through plot developments, to the way his words are translated into a flowery prose, Chikamatsu’s work is a must read for anyone who wants to experience the bittersweet. As someone who enjoys balancing romance out with sad stories, Sonezaki Shinju proves to be a satisfying read. 

Total Votes : 0 Vote Up Edit Reply

aplanting@middlebury.edu
I thought Chikamatsu's focus on samurai values was an interesting way to approach a love suicide. If the suicide of the couple was to redeem name and honor, could death be viewed as a tool for restoring a sense of agency? What did people in this time have to gain from death?
Edit Reply
jenglish@middlebury.edu
How are the themes that we see in this play different from what have we seen before? In what ways can we tell that this is a play or a broader audience than what we would have seen in the Heian period? How does samurai culture and Buddhism underpin the play?
Edit Reply
kmacalintal@middlebury.edu
 

In the introduction of The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, it was shared that Chikamatsu wrote it in such a way that "the audience deeply sympathized with the plight of the shop clerk and the low prostitute" (125). Which elements of the story and plot encouraged the audience to more deeply sympathize with these characters?

Edit Reply
aubriannaw@middlebury.edu

Content warning: My post will focus on the story of characters dying by suicide. Please engage however feels right for you.

 

I read The Love Suicides at Sonezaki and am wondering about the choice of societal defiance through taking one's life. We saw in previous tales about people abandoning society to live as monks in the forest and now we are seeing people escape the social control through no longer living. Why was suicide the normalized answer for issues of the heart rather than running off together or fighting back? Also, what was the reasoning behind their deaths being so violent and gory? Does this have significance?

Edit Reply
pruffolo@middlebury.edu
I found it interesting that in The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, the author of the play decided to break the third wall through the main character by addressing the fact that his life could be turned into a three-act play. How does this contribute to the story; why do you think the author chose to do this? 
Edit Reply
nzambranoromero@middlebury.edu
How do the Buddhist themes, in relation to double suicide, differ from those in Amjima, if at all?
Edit Reply
mkemmer@middlebury.edu
Within the context of “The Lake Which Took People In,”what narrative significance does comparing the couple’s fate with the impermanence of flower blossoms bring?
Edit Reply
jlegido@middlebury.edu

After reading The Love Suicides at Sonezak, and was curious as to whether or not the beliefs and religous views depicted were accurate in terms of Buddhism?

   
Edit Reply
snaseer@middlebury.edu

While reading Love Suicides at Sonezaki, I wanted to know more about the quarrel between Tokubei and Kuheiji. They are supposed to be close friends, yet Kuheiji still insisted they write a document when he borrowed money from Tokubei. Was this a normal occurrence in the Edo period concerning money, or was this done for the development of the story and Kuheiji's plan? I enjoyed this reading, but I found it really sad that suicide was the only option for the lovers. 

Edit Reply
nleung@middlebury.edu
While I was reading Love Suicides at Sonezaki, I wondered about the seals. Do they just act as signatures that people stamp on their documents? Under what conditions can you or would you change your seal?
Edit Reply
jcruzmendez@middlebury.edu
While reading Love Suicides, I was curious about the scene where Kuheiji says that Tokubei used his lost seal to extort money from him. During this time did the words of higher-ranking people hold more weight than a seal?
Edit Reply
pauls@middlebury.edu
In The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, the death of our two lovers is described in painful detail. The author tells us every step as he cuts her throat and then his. This is a pattern I've seen and that we've discussed regarding sex scenes, where in Heian literature it was all very subtle and between the lines, but in Edo literature authors will explicitly mention sex, masturbation, and rape. Is something similar happening with scenes involving death? I'm reminded of the Genji scene where he kidnaps the girl, then she just 'dies' next to him. Her actual death is very vague and we don't know what actually killed her (some 'vengeful spirit' apparently). But literature now is very clear, with the methods of death being a little too highlighted.
Edit Reply
ipentony@middlebury.edu
I am curious about the fact that The Love Suicides at Sonezaki was based on a true story, and the actual suicides happened only a month before the play was first performed. Was it common for playwrights of the time period to write plays based on real-life events, especially scandals such as this one? Furthermore, were plays about tragedies such as suicides or murders common? As others have mentioned in their questions, the play seemed to portray the suicides in an almost positive light, or at least as the only logical course of action given Ohatsu and Tokubei's situation. Was suicide typically considered to be such an acceptable response when faced with a struggle such as theirs?
Edit Reply
lmcnamara@middlebury.edu
 

While reading The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, I questioned the impact of societal obligations and their role in the agency of each of the characters. Both characters were trapped by societal obligations, leading to a tragic conclusion, which makes me wonder: What does this suggest about his view on the roles of fate and personal agency in our lives? Are his characters victims of circumstance, or do they have the power to alter their fates? How does this dynamic play out in the Buddhist faith?

Edit Reply
mgamez@middlebury.edu
Going through todays reading, I found the similarities between Chikamatsu Monzaemon and Shakespeare very apparent. Both writers show the conflicts between social expectations and human desires. In The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, much like in Romeo and Juliet, the lovers are trapped by external circumstances and rigid social norms, leading to their tragic deaths. I found it interesting how through his work he critiqued the society he lived in by shedding light on how merchants and other lower economic class people struggled. I wonder how these critiques shaped audience perception of him and his work, and how they shaped audiences perceptions of love and society.
Edit Reply
sgosnell@middlebury.edu
I was a bit confused about how the act of suicide was approached within the Buddhist context. In some of our previous readings, it was made clear that to kill oneself and thus have control over ones death was antithetical to Buddhist thought. How do these stories change things? In the Buddhist view, what is the moral difference between a single suicide and a suicide between lovers? Particular to The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, does the nature of Tokubei and Ohatsu's relationship, that is, arguably looked down upon, make suicide justifiable or even natural?
Edit Reply
dennisl@middlebury.edu
I am curious about the significant number of plays involving a young male commoner falling in love with a prostitute mentioned in "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki". Why were so many of Chikamatsu's plays centered around this plot and what was the appeal to the audience?
Edit Reply