Overview Of Death In The Tale Of Genji

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Death: A five letter word that means the end of a person’s life. Sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law that can lead to death (Google). In the Bible, there are seven deadly sins: Pride, Envy, Wrath, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. These sins are ordinary in people’s lives, but in the Bible it says, “For the wages of sin is death!” (Romans 6:23). Murasaki Shikibu does a great job using some of the deadly sins, such as lust, to foreshadow the demise of Genji’s lovers. Lust is when you have a very strong sexual desire for someone (Google). Through the use of characterization, Murasaki Shikibu displays in “The Tale of Genji” how Genji’s lust for women generates a deadly jealousy which causes the demise of the …show more content…
Out of everything, Genji is a lover. He is a man who loves to shower women with affection. Genji has a lot of affairs with other women that vary of quality. Even though Genji liked to chase after woman, the honor of marriage went to the noblewoman known as Aoi, the daughter of a high minister of the emperor. As time goes by Genji begins spending more nights away from her which causes Aoi to get jealous of Genji and retreat from him. Genji’s Lust for different women transforms his love into a murderous passion. The first to suffer is Yugao. Genji met her while he was away from Aoi. Yugao is a mysterious woman of lesser rank who allowed Genji to take her off to a deserted mansion. Their romantic getaway is later shattered by Yugao’s sudden, inexplicable death. The second of Genji’s women to die. Her death was less violent but still devastating to Genji. As lust is a deadly sin, Genji’s lust for these two woman foreshadowed their deaths. It later becomes clear that both of the women’s deaths resulted from being possessed by the spirit of the Rokuj lady, who was also one of Genji’s …show more content…
Karma is the sum of a person 's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences (Google). For instance, the horrific tale of the Rokuj lady is that passion to an extreme point is dangerous. The Rokuj lady jealous passion was so intense that it caused her to have destructive impacts (possession) on people that she had been around, which happened to include Yugao and Aoi. This relates to Karma as Genji was the cause of her jealousy. Genji had neglected her as he was busy with his multiple lovers. Genji’s neglect caused the Rokuj lady’s jealousy, which caused the deaths of Yugao and Aoi (the two women closest to Genji). A person weakened by sorrow or guilt was more vulnerable to wandering spirits than a happy and stable one might be, as in any illness. A possessing spirit was usually one of an unhappy, or jealous individual, as is the case with the Rokujo lady. The events of the Rokujo lady displays how hatred can kill directly and indirectly. This works as it can relate to the Rokujo lady’s final illness, as her hatred may have caused it. Genji tried to amend things with the Rokujo lady, and even apologized at her deathbed; however, her spirit still remained destructive afterwards. Genji and the Rokujo’s actions caused her death, which displayed karma. Karma can not only affect the people who did wrong, but also their

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