Uwanari (Jealousy)    嫐  

The play

The first version of "Uwanari" was staged in 1699, in Edo. This drama was entitled "Isshin Gokai no Tama" and the story was created by Ichikawa Danjuro I. It went to oblivion and the original script was lost but it was nevertheless added to the 18 Kabuki plays collection of drama in 1840 by Ichikawa Ebizô V. It was revived in 1936, in Tôkyô and it was revived a second time almost 50 years later, in January 1986. In the absence of the original script, both versions drew upon old prints of the play. 

At the opening of the play, we see Kôga no Saburô  who has been searching for five precious jewels, a lost family heirloom. These jewels represent the five Buddhist precepts against murder, stealing, lying, hedonism and lust. He has found four (indicating that he has overcome those desires in himself) but not the fifth jewel, the one for lust. He explains that he is the second son of Lord Kôga. He and his elder brother Kôga no Tarô became enamoured of the same young woman named Minazuki. Saburô eventually divorced his wife Kasuga to marry Minazuki. Unfortunately, burning with hate and jealousy, Kasuga assassinated Minazuki and then committed suicide. Out of remorse, Saburô  became a wanderer and headed out for the search of the five jewels. Saburô is now in the Netherworld and finds himself in a replica of the Kôga mansion where he finds his elder brother Tarô with concubines. He asks Tarô to hand him the fifth jewel, but Tarô offers him to resume his relation with Minazuki. The temptation is great but he is reminded of his duty and resists. The spirit of Kasuga appears who curses Saburô for the love suffering he inflicted on her when she was alive. She vows to eternally torment him and he apologizes as best he can before seizing the jewel and rushing off out of the Netherworld with the spirit of Kasuga in pursuit. 

Kasuga reappears in the real world. She symbolizes the utter terror born from the jealousy of a betrayed woman and she is about to ruin the country. Saburô is then transformed into a mighty warrior and with the five jewels now in his possession, he subdues her and poses triumphantly in a famous aragoto-style finale.

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