Characters
*Benten Kozō Kikunosuke – a young thief *Nippon Daemon – leader of the band of thieves *Nangō Rikimaru – a young thief *Tadanobu Rihei – a young thief *Akaboshi Jūzaburō – a young thief *Princess Senju – a daughter of a powerful samurai or courtier *Hamamatsuya Kōbei – owner of a kimono/cloth shop *Hamamatsuya Sōnosuke – Kōbei's son-in-lawPlot
Act I
The play opens upon a strikingly colorful scene ofAct II
Senju and "Kotarō" hike up the mountain for some time, Kozō treating her quite nicely and playing the role of her fiancé. However, when she insists upon heading more directly and quickly for his home, he loses the disguise and announces his identity to her, explaining that he was named Benten Kozō after his home, the island of Benten-jima. His possession of Kotarō's flute, Chidori, being what originally convinced her that he was her betrothed, he concocts an explanation of how he came to obtain it. He explains that Kotarō came to him as a poor and ill traveler who asked him to safeguard the flute and to exchange it for the incense burner, just before he died. In truth, Benten Kozō took care of Kotarō before killing him for his money and taking the flute. Betrayed and overwrought, Senju throws herself into a ravine, as a voice is heard from off-stage, announcing a desire for the golden object. Nippon Daemon, a great thief respected by all others, appears and demands that Kozō join him, and gather a band of other thieves for him. In exchange, he explains, he will allow Benten to keep the incense burner. In the following scene, Senju is seen to have survived, and comes across Akaboshi Jūzaburō, who is preparing to commit ''Act III
The climatic act of the play takes place inside the Hamamatsu-ya, a cloth and clothing shop run by Hamamatsuya Kōbei and his son-in-law Sōnosuke. Benten Kozō enters the shop, disguised as a high-ranking young lady seeking to buy wedding clothes, along with Rikimaru who acts as the lady's retainer. One of the most celebrated elements of this play lies in the acting skills required to act the role of the low-class manly thief who is in turn acting as a classy, refined young woman. As most kabuki actors specialize only in male or female roles for their entire careers, a skillful performance of this scene serves as a dramatic demonstration of an actor's abilities. The "lady" is shown a number of silks and brocades possibly suitable for her wedding dress, into which she inserts a small piece of cloth and then removes it, sticking it into her kimono. Noticed by Kōbei, she is accused of stealing, and a scuffle erupts. Rikimaru (as the lady's retainer) manages finally to mediate, with the help of the shop's neighbor and a few others. He shows a receipt from another shop for the scrap of fabric, proving it was not stolen from the Hamamatsu-ya. In the course of the fighting however, the "lady" suffered a blow to her head, for which Rikimaru then demands 100 ''ryō'' as recompense. As the pair prepare to leave with their illicit gains, however, a man by the name of Tamashima Ittō (Nippon Daemon in disguise) emerges from the backroom and points Kozō out, noting that the cherry blossom tattoo peeking out under his sleeves reveals him as a man. Discovered, Kozō removes his outermost kimono, reveals his tattooed arm, and begins to explain his true identity, in one of the most popular monologues in the kabuki repertoire. Rikimaru also removes his samurai disguise, and Tamashima, acting outraged, offers to cut off the thieves' heads. Kōbei instead takes pity on them, and lets them go, even offering some plaster or salve for Kozō's injury. The pair leave, and walk along the streets taking turns carrying the disguises and discussing how to split the money. This serves to introduce some levity and ease the narrative out of the emotional climax of the scene, helping to prepare the audience for the twists and emotion of the following scene, the true climax of the play. Tamashima Ittō is invited into the back room of the shop for a drink, perhaps in part in thanks for pointing out the thieves. The next scene takes place in this back room. Drunk, Tamashima draws his sword and reveals himself as Nippon Daemon in a rousing speech, before demanding Kōbei hand over all the money in the shop. Though Rikimaru and Kozō have made off with 100 ''ryō'', the entire ordeal was a ruse to help Daemon earn Kōbei's trust, and to get himself into the back room. Sōnosuke throws himself between the two, offering his own life instead of that of his father-in-law; Daemon stops, noting that he once had a son who would be roughly Sōnosuke's age. The two older men begin to talk about their pasts and come to the realization that not only is Daemon Sōnosuke's true father, but Kōbei is in fact Kozō's true father. Both men, for differing reasons, lost their sons at a crowded ritual ceremony at the Hase-dera over a decade prior, and agree to forget about Daemon's criminal scheme as they thank one another for taking care of one another's sons, though Kōbei does ask that Daemon attempt to turn all five of the thieves away from their lives of crime. Kozō learns through this exchange that Kōbei was once a retainer of the Koyama family to which Princess Senju belongs. If Kōbei can return the stolen incense burner, he'll be reinstated as a samurai. As the police descend upon the shop, Kōbei offers Daemon a set of formal clothes ordered several days prior by the thieves.Act IV
The single scene of the fourth act takes place on the banks of the Inase River where, surrounded by the police and clad in formal kimono, all five reveal their identities and life stories in celebrated monologues. They then overcome the police and flee.Act V
The final act takes place at the Gokuraku-ji, where Kozō battles the police while searching for the lost incense burner. One of his band, who informed on him to the police, steals away the incense burner, and after a long battle, Kozō commits suicide on the roof of the temple gate, seeking to atone for all his crimes. The transition to the next scene is likely one of the largest, and most famous, ''keren'' stage tricks in kabuki. The entire roof tilts backwards and out of the way, revealing Nippon Daemon standing on a veranda within the temple gate. He stands and watches the police search for him. Two of the thieves appear, convey the news of Kozō's death, and then attack him, explaining that they were policemen in disguise the entire time. Daemon throws off the attack, and spots Aoto Fujitsuna, the top official after whom the play was originally named, on a small bridge down below. Aoto explains that his men found the incense burner in the river, and intend to return it to its rightful owners. Relieved, Daemon resolves to ask to be arrested, but Aoto generously offers to instead let him be at least until the end of the memorial service of the late ''See also
* ''The Gay Masquerade'' a.k.a. ''Benten Kozō'' (1958 film)References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Benten Kozo Kabuki plays 1862 plays