The East-West Dichotomy in the ‘Western’ Reception of Throne of Blood

Abstract

The East-West dichotomy is a conceptual framework which has historically been used as the basis for analysing cultural differences and interaction. It is also a deeply flawed conceptual framework, on both a theoretical and practical level. This thesis seeks to establish and analyse its presence in the study of Japanese Shakespeare productions by looking at the Western reception of Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood. Following a basic introduction, the first chapter establishes the concept of the East-West dichotomy and its flaws. The second chapter offers a brief introduction to Throne of Blood. The third chapter analyses the treatment of Throne of Blood by Tetsuo Kishi and Graham Bradshaw in their book Shakespeare in Japan. The fourth chapter analyses Paula von Loewenfeldt’s article “Weaving the spider’s web: interpretation of character in Kurosawa Akira’s Throne of Blood (Kumonosu-jô)”. The fifth chapter analyses Lei Jin’s article “Silence and Sound in Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood”. This thesis concludes that the East-West dichotomy has indeed been present in the Western reception of Throne of Blood, and that its presence has been deeply problematic. It also concludes that some of the most recent critics have successfully avoided using the East-West dichotomy in their analyses. It ends on the note that though the East-West dichotomy may be disappearing, care should be taken to avoid its return.