Silvergrass bending in the wind. The development of female characters in “Yoshitsune”

Abstract

Female characters occupy very important place in the Japanese literature starting from the earliest period notions. However, their depiction in narratives changes through time. The analysis of female characters in the anonymous text “Yoshitsune” (15^th c.) allows us to point out both traditional literary and folkloric elements. on the one hand, there are undifferentiated descriptions of the appearance and personal traits characteristic of court literature. on the other hand, there are evident connections with didactic stories and urban literature of the Middle Ages with their stereotyped, plain characterizations and lack of character evolution. Consequently, one can speak of a new type of female characters, which at the same time are still connected to the preceding literary tradition.