Chushingura
1. The Chushingura was one of the most popular Japanese plays in the 18th and 19th centuries. Utilizing what you have learned about Japanese history, what aspects of the play might have accounted for this work’s popularity? What can this play reveal to us about:
a. Japanese attitudes and beliefs?
b. About the lives of warriors?
c. About the lives of women?
d. About the culture?
2. To what extent does a desire for justice motivate the acts of revenge depicted in Chushingura? What are the consequences of these violent acts of revenge? Explore how the concepts of honor, loyalty, and revenge are represented within the actions and characters of the play.