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B1 Scenes in which YuranosukeAppears in Kana dehon chūshingura
With the appearance of Kana dehon chūshingura in 1748, the dramatic representation of the Akō Incident achieved a certain fixity. This play’s structure blended elements of a number of earlier works of jōruri and kabuki such as Goban taiheiki, Chūshin kogane no tanzaku, and Ōyakazu shijūshichihon. In addition, because the Bakufu prohibited productions from dramatizing real events with real names, like Goban taiheiki, Kana dehon chūshingura used the world of the Taiheiki as background and changed the names of the principals involved. Ōishi Kuranosuke, the leader of the forty-seven retainers of Akō, appears as Ōboshi Yuranosuke and is depicted as an ethical man of determination who nurtures his own will for revenge. In addition, the title “Chūshingura” which literally means a “storehouse of loyal retainers,” also puns on the character for “kura” or “storehouse” from Kuranosuke’s name.
The critique Kokon iroha hyōrin, published in 1785, makes it clear that theatergoers expected performances of Chūshingura to develop new devices so that, for the roles of Yuranosuke and others central characters, they were refined over time as each actor applied to the role his own acting style and interpretation and competed to outdo his peers in the role.
Well-received performances would quickly get depicted in ukiyo-e and consumed by the public and thus Chūshingura came to spread quite widely. In addition, the figure of Yuranosuke blended with the reputation of the real-life Ōishi Kuranosuke as a loyal subject, to emerge as a hero who stood as the leader of the loyal retainers.
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【List of reference】
赤穂市教育委員会市史編さん室編『忠臣蔵』第2巻(赤穂市、2011年)
赤穂市総務部市史編さん室編『忠臣蔵』第4巻(赤穂市、1990年)
赤穂市総務部市史編さん室編『忠臣蔵』第5巻(赤穂市、1993年)
赤穂市総務部市史編さん室編『忠臣蔵』第6巻(赤穂市、1997年)
赤穂市教育委員会市史編さん室編『忠臣蔵』第7巻(赤穂市、2014年)
赤穂市立歴史博物館編『赤穂市立歴史博物館収蔵 忠臣蔵の浮世絵』(赤穂市立歴史博物館、2004年)
赤穂市立歴史博物館編『描かれた赤穂義士』(赤穂市立歴史博物館、2012年)
赤穂義士会編『赤穂義士会所蔵 忠臣蔵の浮世絵』(赤穂義士会、2015年)
赤穂市立歴史博物館編『錦絵にみる「忠臣蔵」の世界』(赤穂市立歴史博物館、1998年)
赤穂市立歴史博物館編『歌川国貞の忠臣蔵浮世絵』(赤穂市立歴史博物館、2014年)
服部幸雄他編『新訂増補歌舞伎事典』(平凡社、2000年)
演劇博物館役者絵研究会編『増補古今俳優似顔大全』(早稲田大学坪内博士記念演劇博物館、1998年)
野島寿三郎編『歌舞伎人名事典』(日外アソシエーツ、1988年)
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B2 The Actors Who Played Yuranosuke
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B3 Yuranosuke/Kuranosuke Dressed for Battle