The actor Ichikawa Danzo IV in a Shibaraku role
About this video
Kabuki prints were hugely popular in the Edo period because people wanted images of their favorite plays and actors. This video looks at Katsukawa Shunsho's print of the actor Ichikawa Danzo IV in the Shibaraku role, whose exaggerated costume and sword mark a comic parody that pokes fun at samurai and, slyly, at the government.
You'll be able to
- explain why kabuki prints were widely produced in the Edo period.
- identify costume features that are emblematic of the Shibaraku role.
- explain how kabuki used parody and double meanings to mock authority.
Key words
- kabuki
- A popular form of Japanese theatre with dramatic costumes, makeup and acting.
- ukiyo-e
- Japanese woodblock prints and paintings of popular life, actors and entertainment.
- emblematic
- Serving as a recognizable sign or symbol of something.
- parody
- An imitation that exaggerates something to make fun of it.
- double entendre
- A word or phrase with two meanings, one often cheeky or hidden.
Transcript
kabuki prints were widely produced during the Edo period in response to a strong public demand for images of their favorite plays and actors cots kawasan show the foremost ukiyo-e artist of Kabuki prints during the Golden Age of Edo kabuki designed this image of an actor kabuki scholar Lawrence Commons this is each cow ah donzo in a shabbat aku roll with a great long sleeve persimmon colored soooo robe and matching persimmon colored pantaloons hakama the red striped commodore d makeup wig with power paper and impossibly long sword are all emblematic of the role the outrageous scale of the outfit and makeup reflect the tone of the performance melinda takeuchi the kabuki actors cut it right to the bone
as far as being disrespectful they became extremely adept at adapting rhetoric to pay lip service to governmental ideals and then they'd stick the poison stiletto in and give everything a double entendre keep Lee Shubert aku depicts samurai as buffoons he's a parody he wears a sword that's about 12 feet long and he Swagger's around and stomps around and conquers evil but the whole thing is cast in a comical vein the audience has a lot of laughs you
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