Pericles and The Tale of Genji are regarded as being some the greatest pieces of work of literature of all time. William Shakespeare’s Pericles, centers around a young prince, Pericles of Tyre, who wants to win the hand of a princess in the kingdom of Antioch, where he learns the king and his daughter are engaging in incest. Pericles flees out of fear of being killed for learning the truth about their relationship; this begins his grueling journey toward happiness. The Tale of Genji is a classic work of Japanese literature written by Murasaki Shikibu in the eleventh century. The novel follows the life of Genji, the son of a Japanese emperor, who has several romances. Though both stories have great differences between them, loss is a prominent theme in both. Both princes pursue women unsuccessfully because they choose women who are unavailable. However, their actions and how they cope with their loss reveals much about their character.
Throughout Pericles, we see that Pericles literally sails away …show more content…
Genji indulges in various love interests and his relationships never seem to work out because he is unfulfilled due to losing his mother at a young age, “When I was a child those who were dearest to me were early taken away…” (53). Genji tries to fill a void in his life by having these relationships and is in fact sincere. Faith is another method, Genji uses to try to cope with the sadness in his life. When the nurse that cared for Genji as a child becomes seriously ill, she tells him that she waited for his visit and that she held back from leaving the world to see him once more. Genji tells her, “For they say that those who died with longings unfulfilled are ‘burdened with an evil Karma in their life to come’” (53). Genji uses his Buddhist faith to make logic of situations that are difficult in his life. Like Pericles, Genji turns to his faith to lead and make sense of the events that occur in his
Throughout Pericles, we see that Pericles literally sails away …show more content…
Genji indulges in various love interests and his relationships never seem to work out because he is unfulfilled due to losing his mother at a young age, “When I was a child those who were dearest to me were early taken away…” (53). Genji tries to fill a void in his life by having these relationships and is in fact sincere. Faith is another method, Genji uses to try to cope with the sadness in his life. When the nurse that cared for Genji as a child becomes seriously ill, she tells him that she waited for his visit and that she held back from leaving the world to see him once more. Genji tells her, “For they say that those who died with longings unfulfilled are ‘burdened with an evil Karma in their life to come’” (53). Genji uses his Buddhist faith to make logic of situations that are difficult in his life. Like Pericles, Genji turns to his faith to lead and make sense of the events that occur in his