Kiritsubo's Love In The Heian Period

Improved Essays
In the Heian period, marriage and politics were intertwined. People of high status would marry others of high status or importance for political gain. In The Tale of Genji The Emperor falls in love with a lower class woman (Kiritsubo). He has a beautiful son with her (Genji). Even though Kiritsubo bore the Emperor's child, they could not marry. Kiritsubo would give no political gain to the Emperor, she was just a lower-class woman.

The Emperor didn't seem to care that Kiritsubo was of lower-class. His love for her was pure. However pure and real their love may have been, the people of the court did not approve of the relationship. The Emperor had another son, he was born of the Kokiden consort. Though the Emperor favored Genji, he knew he

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