This thesis looks at Chikamatsu Monzaemon's domestic puppet play "The Love Suicide at Amijima" as a multi-level performance. It revisits the textual interpretations of Donald H. Shively and Donald...Show moreThis thesis looks at Chikamatsu Monzaemon's domestic puppet play "The Love Suicide at Amijima" as a multi-level performance. It revisits the textual interpretations of Donald H. Shively and Donald Keene, and the musical interpretation of Andrew Gerstle, while adding a study of visual elements for a full interpretation. It argues that textual elements alone do not lead to an adequate interpretation. Furthermore, it argues that Chikamatsu's stylized representation of reality, as opposed to a naturalistic one, does not impact the quality negatively, as is suggested by Shively.Show less
