Ikkaku Sennin, an immortal sage, carries the beauty that ultimately
costs him his occult powers. (Source now defunct)
Noh Drama "The world's oldest extant professional theater" (Norton
2263).
Things To Consider:
Relationship between Gods and Humans
Zen Buddhism
Role of Women
Chorus
Power/Control over Mind and Body
Comparison to Chinese poetry
Ikkaku Sennin
The legend of the one-horned wizard who traps the dragon gods of rain
and causes a searing drought originated in India and was later transmitted
by the Chinese to Japan, where it is dramatized in no (Ikkaku Sennin
[The
One-Horned Wizard]) and in kabuki (Narukami [Saint Narukami
and the God Fudo]). (Original Web Site no longer
available)
** Homework Questions ** 631:
What does "noh" mean?
When did noh drama reach its zenith?
What is Shinto?
What is Zen Buddhism?
What is a shite? a waki?
What are the component parts of a noh play?
Ikkaku Sennin 634:
Who is Ikakku Sennin? What does his name mean?
Why do Shinda and Lady Senda seek him?
638:
How is a cup of wine "like the moon / in the night sky"?
How are the dragon-gods able to free themselves?
Other Discussion Questions:
Is Ikkaku Sennin a sympathetic character? Explain.
631:
What is yugen?
632:
How does the chorus function in this play?
638:
Why does Ikkaku Sennin accept the wine?
How does the description of drinking here compare to those found in
some of the Chinese poems we have read (see 654-55). You can also
compare to Otomo No Tabito's poem on 645.
