能のあらすじ・見どころ Summary and Highlights of Noh Kagekiyo (The Warrior Kagekiyo) English
Summary
Banished to Miyazaki in Hyūga Province (today, Miyazaki Prefecture), Akushichibyōe Kagekiyo was once a renowned Taira warrior at the Battle of Yashima. Now blind, he is known as “Hyūga no kōtō” (The Blind Man of Hyūga) and survives with others’ help by reciting the stories of war between the Taira and the Minamoto. Learning that he is still alive, his daughter Hitomaru and an attendant travel from Kamakura to find him. In Hyūga, they ask a man living in a straw-thatched hut where Kagekiyo may be found.
The man claims not to know anyone by that name. In reality, he is Kagekiyo himself, but shame at his wretched condition makes him conceal his identity. A villager who lives nearby eventually reunites father and daughter. When Hitomaru reproaches her father, Kagekiyo explains why he rejected her earlier and, at her request, recounts his deeds at Yashima: how he went ashore intending to attack Yoshitsune, commander of the Minamoto forces; how he scattered the enemy; and how, in the famous shikoro-biki episode, he tore the neck guard from an opponent’s helmet. As he tells the story, he grows increasingly impassioned, but before long the reality of his present condition reasserts itself. Finally, he asks Hitomaru to perform memorial rites for him after his death and parts from her as she sets out for home.
Highlights
Akushichibyōe Kagekiyo appears in the Tales of the Heike and other works. The aku in his epithet means not “evil” but “strong,” conveying his power. Once a heroic representative of the surviving Taira remnants, he is now destitute as one of the defeated. The n? Kagekiyo carefully portrays the light and darkness of his life and the conflict within his heart.
Although his daughter has travelled so far, Kagekiyo hides his identity and rejects her to prevent the world from knowing that her father is blind and destitute. Yet he longs to be with her and grieves that he cannot look upon her. Recalling his former glory and his love for his daughter sharpens the contrast with his present life. Ashamed once more, he forces himself to sever the bonds of paternal affection and parts from her again.
The shifts in Kagekiyo’s heart are the play’s central fascination. His characterisation and staging admit many interpretations, depending on the school and performer. The actor may emphasise his fallen condition or retain his proud warrior spirit. This expressive range demands exceptional artistry and is why Kagekiyo is regarded as a difficult play. Take time to savour this masterpiece and its fine portrayal of life’s depths.