ake the greatest possible sacrifices. For example, Chushingura, one of the most celebrated kabuki adaptations of a bunraku play, tells the famous story of the forty-seven lordless knights. These men avenged the enforced self-sacrifice of their master after years of patient waiting and plotting, and, for this act, they also were compelled to commit suicide. The second category of kabuki plays is domestic dramas. These plays, also known as sewa mono, invariably depict the life of the plebian class. The center of attention is focused upon the commoner. Kagotsurube (The Courtesan) and Tsubosaka-Dera (Miracle at Tsubosaka) are representatives of this group of plays. The domestic drama is essentially a realistic story. Nevertheless, it is not infrequent that plays of this type have scenes where the acting and staging become unrealistic, with emphasis placed upon such superficial aspects as elocution and splendid colors rather than upon internal elements like the logical consistency of the plot (Bowers, 330). In terms of origin, kabuki plays can be classified into the three groups. The first is plays adapted from noh and kyogen dramas. A substantial number of comic dance plays were adapted from kyogen, such as Migawari Zazen. Dance plays of a more serious nature, such as Kanjincho and Musume Dojoji, were adapted from regular noh plays. These are characterized by exceeding grace and dignity, reflective of the noble atmosphere of their origins. The stage setting for many of these plays was adapted directly from the noh theatre. It consists of only a panel background showing an aged pine tree and two side wings with pictures of bamboo groves. Plays adapted from the puppet theatre are the second category of origin for kabuki. In these plays a large part of the text is derived almost verbatim from their originals. They are still performed in a unique style unique to the puppet theatre. A singer and his accompanist sit at the right of the stage on ...
