`the love suicides at sonzaki` play

Suicides of couples that are in love have been used as a tragic even in many stories , plays , and songs throughout history . Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous plays to contain a suicide between couples . The theme of love and death is used to show how just how much the partners really cared for each other . This too is the case in the play The Love Suicides at Sonezaki

The play opens with two lovers discussing outside troubles that cause conflict within their relationship . The two lovers discuss why there

has been trouble and what has caused the trouble . The trouble is that the man Tokubei has been asked to marry his master 's wife 's niece . Because Tokubei loves Ohatsu , he can not marry this other woman . The trouble started because Tokubei 's mother got money from the master and kept it pledging Tokubei to marry the other woman . When Tokubei finds this out he confronts the master and explains that he can not marry the other woman . The master furious demands the money back and says Tokubei is to never step a foot in the city again

This is the trouble because Ohatsu lives in the city and if Tokubei can not step a foot in the city he will be unable to see her . The problems continue to grow as Tokubei has lent the money he got back from his mother to pay the master , to his best friend . The best friend has plotted against Tokubei and has made it seem like Tokubei never lent him the money . Tokubei now has no money to pay his master and feels he can only die now

Ohatsu at hearing this wants to die with him for if they can not be together in life , the will be together in death . This is where the suicide comes in . This suicide is necessary because it shows how the love between the two partners can not overcome the problems of the world and that the only way to remain together is in death . Without the suicide the two lovers would be separated and their love would not be continued . They decide to die together and share the journey to the Mountain of Death . The suicide however is really a murder and a suicide for Takubei has to kill Ohatsu before he kills himself . The suicide of himself is used to shed him of all the worldly pain , for after killing Ohatsu he could have lived , even in his misery , but by killing himself he has shown his true love for her and his desire to be with her in death

Throughout the play there are mentions of Buddhist beliefs and traditions . The most noticeable one is about the Buddhist rosary . The footnote at the bottom refers to how the rosary has 108 beads and Tokubei repeats over and over Aimda Butsu . Namu Amida Butsu ' This is a form of using the rosary and saying a prayer . Another mention of...