Comparison of The Love Suicides at Sonezaki and Romeo and Juliet - Book Report/Review Example

TRAGIC LOVE Introduction William Shakespeare and Chikamatsu Monzaemon were both prominent literary figures of their time. Each one halfway around the world and born at least fifty years apart, they give us a glimpse of the society of their time. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Monzaemon's Sonezaki Shinju have been compared as both dealt with double suicides done in the name of love. Love is a subject that continues to enthrall people of different generations and people from different races and persuasions. It is an enduring theme that will continue to touch the imagination and sentiments of people from around the world. And almost anybody can identify with the pain of unfulfilled love or unrealized love. Both Romeo and Juliet and Sonezaki Shinju tell us the story of the suicide of two lovers due to the odds against their love affairs. Both are heart-wrenching and remind us of the bitter-sweet and turbulent emotions of young love. However similar the plot of these two plays may be, there are certain differences that mark the uniqueness of each. Both Romeo and Juliet and Sonezaki Shinju are expressions of social conventions of their time. Both Eastern and Western cultures, or the British and Japanese cultures for that matter, are mirrored in these opuses. These literary pieces can be best understood in the societal context in which they occurred. Contextualizing Romeo and Juliet And Sonezaki Shinju Romeo and Juliet gives us a peek into the pre-modern Elizabethan period in England. During this era, many people die young and are expected to marry at an age younger than the age most of the youths marry today. Juliet was only 13 in the story, only just on the onset of her adolescence (Wikipedia). Romeo was also only in his adolescent stage in the story. William Shakespeare himself, on the other hand, was only eighteen years old when he married. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is said to be a dramatization of Arthur Brook's poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, which is said to be inspired by an Italian tale (Wikipedia). Italian tales were popular in England theaters during those times. Brooke's poem, on which Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was based, was "a translation and an adaptation of the Italian Giuletta e Romeo by Matteo Bandello," which, in turn, was alleged to be based on a true story (Wikipedia). Chikamatsu Monzaemon's Sonezaki Shinju takes us to the pre-modern Edo period in Japan. During this period, courtesans or geishas were part of the Japanese society while arranged marriage and dowry-giving were societal norms. Ohatsu and Tokubei, the main characters of Sonezaki Shinju, were also young lovers. Ohatsu was a courtesan and a courtesan exists to give pleasure to men and not to be enamored with a single man. On the other hand, Tokubei was a simple clerk who was expected to strike a match with a girl from a good family to improve his situation in life. Sonezaki Shinju is said to be based on an event that really happened in Osaka (Kabuki). Because of the double suicide theme, it has been said to be the Japanese Romeo and Juliet (Holden). Similarities Between Romeo And Juliet And Sonezaki Shinju Both Romeo and Juliet and Sonezaki Shinju have ill-fated young lovers as main characters. The passion, romanticism, and recklessness of youth have played a major role in their early demise. The element of young love as a powerful, and sometimes destructive, force in the life of the youth is present in both literary pieces. Also, the defiance of norms in the name of love. Both stories also show us the young lovers' resistance of existing societal norms and conventions. Romeo and Juliet come from warring clans but they asserted their love for each other despite this. They had married secretly in defiance of the feud between both their families. In Sonezaki Shinju, Tokubei refused an advantageous alliance with his uncle's niece and chose a courtesan, Ohatsu. Ohatsu, on the other hand, chose death with Tokubei over the circumstances that threaten their love.. A veranda scene can be observed in both literary pieces. The veranda scene in both stories served as important turning points in the stories. In Romeo and Juliet, it is where Romeo, while trying to catch a glimpse of Juliet, knew of her love for him. This has hastened their courtship to their professing their love for one another and they were secretly married the next day (Wikipedia). As they were already married, Romeo's perceived death of Juliet, his wife, had greatly grieved him that he committed suicide. And this, consequently, led to Juliet's suicide. On the other hand, the veranda scene in Sonezaki Shinju tells us when the Ohatsu has first vocally breached the matter of suicide. The scene is where Ohatsu had been telling Kuheiji that she is willing to die with Tokubei, who was at that time hiding below the veranda (Kabuki). Tokubei expressed his understanding by caressing Ohatsu's foot. Both pairs of lovers were also driven to their deaths by desperation. When Romeo killed Juliet's cousin Tybalt, they both new that the situation has only worsened and that both their families would never consent to their alliance. And Romeo, on thinking that Juliet was dead, had desperately ended his life. In Sonezaki Shinju, Tokubei was falsely accused of forgery, squandering money, and extortion (Holden). On the other hand, Ohatsu was being relentlessly pursued by Kuheiji to be redeemed (Kabuki). Ohatsu can think of no way out of their desperate circumstances and was the one to express the option of suicide. The element of time has also made both stories suspenseful and ultimately, tragic and heart-wrenching. In Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers would not have died if only the emissary sent by Friar Lawrence had reached him sooner to inform him that Juliet was only faking death and if only Friar Lawrence had arrived at the Capulet family crypt earlier. As the story goes, Romeo thought that Juliet was really dead so he committed suicide because he can't bear the thought of life without her. And Juliet, on awaking and finding Romeo dead, also killed herself. In Sonezaki Shinju, the double suicide of lovers Ohatsu and Tokubei may not have materialized had they known that Tokubei was cleared of the grievous accusation against his person. Differences Between Romeo and Juliet And Sonezaki Shinju The main characters of the two literary pieces in question came from different socio-economic backgrounds. Romeo and Juliet came from prominent and well-to-do families while Tokubei and Ohatsu are of humble origin. Social expectations come with the social class from which they came from. And the gravity of un-met social expectations determines the impact of their deaths in their respective societies. The two stories also differ in the question whether the suicides were intentional or were only borne out of circumstances. In Romeo and Juliet, the lovers did not plan to commit suicide. The suicide of Romeo and, consequently, of Juliet was only their reaction to the circumstances at hand. Maybe Romeo had indeed planned to commit suicide as he bought poison before going to the Capulet family crypt. But that was only a reaction to the supposed "death" of Juliet. But the two of them had not planned to commit suicide, singly or together. Ohatsu and Tokubei, on the other hand, had a suicide pact (Holden). They went away together with the plan of killing themselves. Another difference, albeit minor, is the way the lovers died. Ohatsu and Tokubei died by a sword while Romeo died of poison and Juliet died by stabbing herself with Romeo's dagger. Conclusion Both Romeo and Juliet and Sonezaki Shinju are testaments of their time. Both opuses have their respective merits and should be appreciated as such. The protagonists in these literary pieces had been victims of the circumstances of their time and, maybe, their own folly. Mature persons would have reacted to the situations at hand differently and with level-headedness and sobriety. But youth is characterized, more often than not, by defiance of authority and conventions and of the assertion of oneself. Both literary works remind us of the strength of youth to swim against the raging current to fight for something they really believe in; and to sacrifice, if need be. I don't think Shakespeare and Monzaemon had intended to and suicide should not be glamorized vis--vis idealized concept of love. Love is beautiful in itself and works according to its own rules. Whether fulfilled or not, they say it's better to have loved than not to have loved at all. Works Cited: Holden, Stephen. "Japanese Romeo and Juliet." 12 March 1992. New York Times. 01 December 2007. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.htmlres=9E0CE2F113FF931A25750C0A064958260 "Sonezaki Shinju." Kabuki21. 01 December 2007. http://www.kabuki21.com/sonezaki_shinju.php "Romeo and Juliet." Wikipedia. 01 December 2007. http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet Read More