Dalle parole alle immagini. Alcuni esempi di trasposizioni e riscritture di personaggi femminili nel teatro Nō From words to imagese: some examples of transpositions and rewritings of female characters in Nō theatre

This article explores the dynamic interplay between verbal and visual representations of female characters in Japanese nō theatre, focusing on how classical figures are reinterpreted and recontextualized through visual arts, particularly during the Tokugawa period. It examines how illustrations, woodblock prints, and paintings not only reflect but also reshape the narrative and symbolic dimensions of nō plays, offering new perspectives on gender, marginalization, and cultural memory. The study begins by establishing the close relationship between oral and visual arts in Japanese culture, noting how images often serve as accessible translations of complex literary or performative texts. The Genji monogatari is cited as a prime example of a narrative whose popularity was sustained and amplified through visual depictions. These illustrations do more than merely accompany texts—they encode the cultural and historical lens through which characters are understood, often adapting them to contemporary sensibilities. The article then focuses on female figures from nō plays who have undergone significant visual reinterpretation. Ono no Komachi, the legendary poetess, is examined through the lens of the play Sotoba Komachi, where she appears as an aged beggar reflecting on her past beauty and cruelty. The nō dramatization, attributed to Kan’ami and revised by Zeami, portrays Komachi as a complex figure whose poetic talent and spiritual journey are overshadowed by societal marginalization. Visual representations from the Tokugawa period, such as those by Kikugawa Eizan, reframe Komachi as a seductive courtesan, emphasizing her aesthetic appeal while subtly referencing her poetic legacy and spiritual depth. These images echo themes from the play, including her possession by a former lover’s spirit and her path toward redemption. Another case study is the mother in Sumidagawa, a nō play that diverges from Zeami’s typical elliptical style by presenting a linear and emotionally raw narrative. The mother’s desperate search for her kidnapped son leads her to the eastern provinces, where her grief is misinterpreted as performance. Only by assuming the role of a yūjo (courtesan) does she gain passage across the river, highlighting the societal constraints placed on women. The print by Utagawa Hiroshige, Mokuboji. Umewaka no yurai, captures this moment with poignant symbolism: the mother stands alone in a desolate landscape, her sorrow mirrored by the absence of empathetic figures and the presence of mocking children. The print diverges from the play’s narrative but retains its emotional core, emphasizing alienation and loss. Through these examples, the article demonstrates how visual art not only preserves but transforms the legacy of nō theatre. Female characters are reimagined through aesthetic codes that reflect shifting cultural values, often reinforcing or challenging their narrative roles. The visual reinterpretations serve as both commentary and continuation of the nō tradition, bridging past and present, text and image, performance and perception.