ABSTRACT
In the Kabuki, Shibai and even the No theaters, plays are built around the conflict of human interests. The theme running through most plays is expressed by jiri-ningo. Jiri is the sum of all duty and loyalty, while ningo is a term expressing human affection and emotion. As the play unfolds the hero is bent on carrying out what he conceives to be his duty, while his wife or wives seek by weeping and wailing pleas to dissuade him from a path of peril. The heart of the conflict is in the irreconcilable claim of both these human interests. "The Forty-seven Ronin," as presented on the Japanese stage, is the best known exhibition of loyalty preserved in despite every appeal of human sympathy and tears. Whenever a theater is not doing well the manager can always pack his house by presenting this play.
