Genji Monogatari and Heike monogatari are literal masterpieces during Japan’s eleventh and twelve century. I argue that Genji Monogatari is very different from Heike Monogatari because of their different historic periods and themes, I see very few similarities between the two tales. Genji Monogatari written by Murasaki Shikibu, she displays a romantic poetic narrative of Aristocratic life in Japan’s Heian period. This is the period when culture, art, love, and politics are of courtly sophisticated and most civilians approach activities in pursuit of aesthetic refinement. Thus leading to new developments in art, literature, and poetry. This period is also the rise of imperial court and famous poets, and romantic affairs compared to Heike Monogatari. …show more content…
The Original Heike monogatari was compiled in 1240 by an unknown author (Michael Watson 2014). Many rumors say that Heike monogatari was compiled by a bind monk named Kakuichi. Soon later Heike Monogatari was retold by Eiji Yoshikawa and soon translated by several historians and scholars. This tale is displayed in “Gunki monogatari” a Military sense of writing. The Tale illustrates Japan’s military values, loyalty, and bravery. The tale written to also glorifies military leaders, and Japan’s medieval period. This period produced medieval Japanese literature that allowed people to read on politics, war, love and hate. The main themes of the story are Mujo, a buddhist law of impermanence. The Taira clan shows examples of Mujo with their rise and fall of their clan at war. The Taira clan was a powerful samurai clan who fought and defeated Minamoto clan around 1161. The Taira clan started the first military government in Japan. An exmaple of Mujo is in the opening passage of Heike monogatari, “The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.” (The Tale of the Heike). Another theme in Heike monogatari is Bushido (way of the warrior), it was the code of conduct of the samurai warrior. Bushido were to make samurais focus and loyal, it was influence by buddhism and confucian (Pletcher 2016) Samurai warriors also started to become important political figures, they become war dictators and political and government leaders that lead Japan through deadly