Zeami’s Poetics as Manifested in Tôru

Abstract

The structure of nô as a theatrical art as well as its aesthetic character have been analyzed in a variety of ways. However, most of these analyses have lacked a certain perspective regarding the essence of nô as written by Zeami – in other words, the character of all nô plays, as represented by his works. What was missing was an un- derstanding of nô as poetic drama. Poetic drama in this case refers to a form of theater almost indifferent to the idea of representing the world by depicting the opposition of individuals (or individuals against society) or the conflict within a human being. It is a drama based on a particular world- view through which the playwright realizes his vision on stage. Nô is an integration of the literary, aesthetic, philosophic and religious trends in the theatrical arts during the time of its earliest formation, in Zeami’s lifetime (1363?-1443?). This paper attempts to read into Tôru, a work that represents Zeami’s aesthetic sensibilities, from such a standpoint. What becomes evident from such analysis is that Tôru, while based on the apparently simple emotion of nostalgia, incorporates a variety of ideas within it to realize its meaning as a “poetic world” on stage. Current nô research needs, in this author’s opinion, this kind of dramatic analysis based on a rigorous explication of the text.