Human Frailty In 'The Love Suicides At Amijima'

Maegan Eager
Professor Dellner
ENGL 256-02
7 March 2017

Human Frailty in The Love Suicides at Amijima
Out of all the literary works we have read thus far in the semester, the theme of human frailty prevails significantly in Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s masterwork The Love Suicides at Amijima. Monzaemon’s play depicts a tragic love story between a poor, married paper merchant by the name of Jihei and a young prostitute named Koharu. The entire work is fixated on Jihei’s weak family values, desperation, and his ultimate decision to commit a double suicide with Koharu. Each of the characters in the literary piece have their own moral weaknesses and flaws, whether it be self-absorption or hopeless devotion. The Love Suicides at Amijima serves as a reminder that happiness is only temporary. In each of the three acts of the play, the theme of human frailty prevails.

At the very beginning of act one in The Love Suicides at Amijima, we are introduced to Tahei, Jihei’s rival in the battle for Koharu.

Tahei comes across as a very egotistical and greedy individual who believes that his wealth alone can win Koharu’s heart. He talks down on Jihei for pursuing a relationship with Koharu because he is married with two children. Tahei even stoops so low to say that “Jihei himself is like scrap paper” (50). Every word about Jihei depresses Koharu so much that when her next customer enters the Kawachi House, she is unable to greet him. She confesses to her customer, the samurai, that she has sold her heart to Jihei and that they will commit suicide together. The samurai ridicules Koharu for even considering suicide because Jihei’s family will blame her for their loss and she will punished in hell. Koharu’s greatest frailty is her hopeless devotion to Jihei. She knows that she does not want to die, but because Jihei cannot buy her out of her contract, she feels as though she has no other choice than

suicide.
Throughout the majority of this act, Jihei is sitting right outside the Kawachi House eavesdropping on their conversation. Jihei is more than willing to leave his family and jeopardize his family’s reputation to commit a love suicide. After Koharu confesses to the samurai that she does not want to die, Jihei becomes enraged. The samurai hears Jihei in a frenzy outside and ties him to the latticework. Tahei wanders back towards the Kawachi House and notices Jihei tied up and accuses him of pulling off a robbery. Spectators gather around the scene and spread gossip. The importance of a respectable reputation in this play is irrefutable. The samurai exits the house and tramples Tahei to the ground. The samurai then reveals himself as Jihei’s younger brother, Magoemon. Magoemon addresses Jihei’s fallible marriage and blames his brother for tarnishing the family name by asking him, “Instead of stamping on Koharu, why don’t you use your feet on your own misguided disposition?-It’s deplorable” (55). Jihei has neglected his wife and children and he is finally coming to the realization that he has caused his family great pain. He promises to end his relations with Koharu and to return to his family.
Ten days later, Jihei’s aunt and brother come to his house to speak with him and his wife, Osan. Jihei’s aunt reprimands Osan for her leniency and blames her for her Jihei’s infidelity. She says, “Remember, it’s not only the man who’s disgraced when he goes bankrupt and his marriage breaks up” (59). Jihei clears up all of the rumors that were spread and sends his aunt and brother on their way, however, it is apparent that Jihei has not gotten over his love for Koharu. Osan is disgusted with her husband. She confesses that she wrote to Koharu, begging her to end her relations with Jihei to spear both of their lives. Even though her husband and Koharu have disrespected her, she still feels this moral obligation to help Koharu save her life. Osan’s biggest concern is her husband’s reputation and Koharu killing herself will not help Jihei’s case. Osan’s greatest frailty is her generosity and concern for others before her own well-being. She ends up selling her and her children’s clothes to gather enough money for Jihei to buy Koharu out of her contract. Jihei is astonished by his wife’s generosity and bows before her. He recognized his frailty in providing for his family and supporting them and begs for forgiveness.
Jihei leaves to redeem Koharu when he is stopped by Gozaemon, his father-in-law. Gozaemon insists that Jihei should divorce Osan for all that he has done. He confesses, “I feel so deeply indebted to Osan that I cannot divorce her” (64). It becomes exceedingly obvious to Gozaemon that Jihei has sold his family’s goods in order to buy Koharu. Even though it was Osan who decided the matter, Gozaemon threatens to shout the news to the entire town. The couple feels as though that poor reputation is worse than a divorce and Osan is taken away. Act three begins in Sonezaki where Jihei sneaks in to the Yamato House after claiming he would be traveling to Kyoto for business. Magoemon is under the impression that Jihei has left town and has not taken Koharu with him. He believes that there is no chance for the two to commit suicide, however, he is afraid that Gozaemon’s actions may have triggered Jihei to make a foolish decision. Magoemon and Sangoro exit and Jihei sneaks up to meet Koharu. She is impatient to depart ad the two sneak away into the night.
“The frost now falling will melt by dawn but, even more quickly than this symbol of human frailty, the lovers themselves will melt away. What will become of the fragrance that lingered when he held her tenderly at night in their bedchamber?” (69). This quote demonstrations the theme of the entire work. Happiness, in the lover’s sense, is only temporary. Throughout the whole piece, the idea of death has followed Jihei and Koharu. Ultimately, they decide that the pressures of the world are too difficult to endure. They both admit to their wrongdoings and establish the fact that they no longer owe any obligations to anyone other than each other. The lovers are so concerned with their reputation ever after their death. They arrange their bodies so that it does not seem that they committed a lover’s suicide. Social stipulations and shame are the pivotal factors in their deaths.
Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s masterpiece, The Love Suicides at Amijima, displays human frailty so deliberately compared to the rest of literary pieces we have read this semester. Each of the characters flaws were illustrated so strikingly that the theme was able to be deciphered with ease. The final scene of at three tied the entire play together with the critical decision by Jihei and Koharu to commit suicide. The deteriorating of each of their family’s well-being and reputation was too much to handle and they became desperate for a way out. Human frailty proved to be too much for Jihei and Koharu, ultimately affected the ability of the lover’s to live in the world.