This study explores the dynamic nature of Japanese cultural traditions by tracing the development of the performance of onna monogurui or the 'mad female character' in Noh, a traditional theatre art of Japan. Throughout the centuries, medieval Noh librettos on the theme of madness have been interpreted and reinterpreted and plays on this motif have enjoyed long-standing popularity. Interpreting the traditions of medieval Noh librettos requires not only an understanding of the original Noh texts' relationship to the socio-cultural contexts in which plays were composed, but also of its theatrical development in which various art forms such as music, chorus, dance, and poetry have come to constitute the total theatre experience of Noh. An interdisciplinary probe of the phenomenon of feminine madness in Noh is effective in unraveling such a complex series of relationships that characterizes the traditional theatre of Japan.
The term for madness as a motif in Noh is monogurui, which refers to an altered state of consciousness in which a person forgets himself or herself because of some kind of traumatic event that induces mental disequilibrium. Monogurui created a liminal moment in which the unpredicted might emerge and the unspeakable be spoken, often in reference to injustices that a woman would never address publicly if it were not for her state of monogurui. The continuing draw of monogurui style plays may well have to do with this power that is conferred upon characters who would otherwise be punished if they were 'in their right minds'.
Chapter 1 introduces an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the madwoman motif in Noh drama. In this chapter I address key issues in representations of madness and gender in Noh drama. Chapter 2 provides the historical background of Noh plays to enhance understanding of plays featuring monogurui. Chapter 3 explores an innovative use of the monogurui motif in the Noh play Sakuragawa (The Cherry-Blossom River), a classic exemplar of the onna monogurui grouping. In Chapter 4 my focus shifts to resistance expressed in the form of feminine sexuality, obsession, and suffering. I take a close look at the case of an unfulfilled spirit in the Noh play Kinuta (The Fulling Block). Chapter 5 investigates a different type of monogurui play on the possession motif titled Fujidaiko (The Fuji Drum).
My study of selected Noh plays on the theme of onna monogurui explores the workings of the relationships between gender politics and tactics for self-expression among subjugated populations in the hierarchical society of medieval Japan. In this study, I thus make the case that monogurui, on the one hand, provides openings for expression of what would otherwise remain repressed due to social constraints governing the expression of desire and overt social criticism. On the other hand, it functions as the catharsis for all involved in the production of the total theatre of Noh. The dynamic process of continuing performance and interpretation of the medieval monogurui Noh librettos suggests that these plays have something to say to audiences then and now.