能のあらすじ・見どころ Summary and Highlights of Noh Yoshino Shizuka English
Summary
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-1189), who achieved great fame after his military feat in the Genpei Battles, was forced to leave the capital over a dispute with his brother Yoritomo. He escaped enemy pursuit and hid in the mountains of Yoshino (Nara Prefecture), counting on the support of the warrior monks (ai) of the temples in the mountains, but they turned their back on him. Thus, he needs to leave the mountains and his loyal retainer, Satō Tadanobu (waki), was ordered to prevent the enemies from pursuing him. Then, Tadanobu encounters Yoshitsune’s beloved mistress Lady Shizuka (shite) and devises plans together to deceive the warrior monks and let Yoshitsune escape safely.
Tadanobu disguises himself as a pilgrim from the capital and secretly attends the warrior monks’ congregation. He lies that there is a rumour that Yoritomo and Yoshitsune have reconciled and warns them of the bravery of Yoshitsune and his men, hoping to distract their attention. Then, Shizuka appears in her dance costume and pleads Yoshitsune’s innocence. She also warns the crowd not to act foolishly because Yoritomo should pardon Yoshitsune soon. Furthermore, she tells the warrior monks that Yoshitsune is extremely strong so they would be no match for him. Finally, she sings a love poem for Yoshitsune, “Like the spool winding the threads again and again / I wish the time would wind back to the blissful days with you,” and dances as an offering to Buddha. The warrior monks are absorbed and enchanted by the beauty. They also grow fearful of Yoshitsune and his retainers, and none of them pursued Yoshitsune, allowing all to safely escape.
Highlights
Minamoto no Yoshitsune, famous for his legendary feats in the Genpei Battles and the tragic turns he took in life following his discord with his brother Yoritomo, has been depicted as a tragic hero in numerous literary works including nō. The literary works created the stereotypical image of him, tied to the concept of “hogan bīki,” a term expressing sympathy for a tragic character like Yoshitsune.
The plot of the nō play Yoshino Shizuka is based on the narrative of the Muromachi period (1336-1573) war chronicle Gikeiki but the story is the playwright’s original work. The scenes where Shizuka and Tadanobu discuss their plans to help Yoshitsune escape is largely abridged depending on the school of nō.
The mountains of Yoshino (Yoshinoyama) have long been a center of Shugendō (a religion combining Buddhism and worship of nature, known for their ascetic training in the mountains), and many worshippers – in the context of this play, the monks that also serve as military force – have based themselves here. This is why Tadanobu disguises as a pilgrim, or rather, an operator sending pilgrims from the capital, and blends in with the crowd. Tadanobu and his brother Tsugunobu are both Yoshitsune’s retainers, and Tadanobu is depicted as a wise character in this play.
The main highlight of the play is Shizuka’s elegant dance. Shizuka, who was Yoshitsune’s mistress, was a type of performer called shirabyōshi that dances in cross-dressed costumes (hence she wears a hat and a large-sleeve kimono representing a men’s cloak in the play). The dance is depicted as an exuberantly beautiful one, so much that the warrior monks are completely enchanted.
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333) chronicle, Azuma Kagami, there is a scene in which the captured Shizuka dances at Tsuruoka Hachiman Shrine by the orders of Yoritomo and exclaims her love for Yoshitsune with a poem. “Like the spool winding the threads again and again / I wish the time would wind back to the blissful days with you.” Like this poem which was also adapted in this play, Shizuka’s persona is attractive not only because of her passion for Yoshitsune but also because of her strong, unyielding will.