Aoi no Ue (play)

Infobox Noh
name = Aoi no Ue
name_ja = 葵上
name_en = Lady Aoi
author = Zeami Motokiyo
revisor =
category = 4
mood = mugen
style = geki
chars = "shite" Rokujo no Miyasudokoro (Maejite/Nochijite)
"tsure" the shaman Teruhi
"waki" the priest Kojihiri of Yokawa
"wakizure" Cour official
place = Imperial Palace, Heian-kyō
time = Heian period
sources = Genji monogatari
schools = all

"Aoi no Ue" (葵上, Lady Aoi) is a Noh play written by Zeami Motokiyo based on an episode in the Tale of Genji and named for Lady Aoi, one of the novel's characters. It is an example of the fourth category of "miscellaneous" Noh plays.

Background

Prince Genji, who was married to his wife Lady Aoi at a young age, has taken a mistress, Lady Rokujo. Lady Rokujo had been married to the crown prince, and had been next in line to become empress. The death of her husband robbed her of the chance to become empress and left her powerless.

Following an episode in which she is humiliated in public by Lady Aoi, Rokujo is enraged to discover that Aoi is pregnant. Genji begins ignoring Rokujo, and in her jealousy her living spirit leaves her body and possesses Lady Aoi, resulting in Aoi's death.

Plot

The play focuses on the exorcism of the living spirit of Lady Rokujo from the body of Lady Aoi.

The first woman to play the lead role in "Aoi no Ue" was Uzawa Hisa.

External links

* [http://www.the-noh.com/en/plays/data/program_006.html Noh plays Photo Story and Story Paper]