The emperor's favourite lady, Kiritsubo, has no strong family backing at court and suffers greatly from the insults of jealous competitors. Show More. The tale of Genji revolves around Genji, a son of an emperor. Synopsis of Chapters 1-5 Chapter 1: The Paulownia Court. Written at the start of the 11th century, it is generally considered the world’s first novel. The Tale of Genji, masterpiece of Japanese literature by Murasaki Shikibu. The The Tale of Genji Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The The Tale of Genji Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. See the list of principal characters and background to the Tale of Genji. Genji was the second son of the emperor and his mother was a low ranked concubine who passed away when Genji was just three years of age. The Tyler translation follows the original Japanese text in referring to characters by their rank. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “The Tale Of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu. Genji (Hikaru Genji/The Shining Prince) The hero of the story, Genji is the son of Kiritsubo Emperor and a low-ranking Intimate concubine, Lady Kiritsubo. Characters in the Tale of Genji The table shows the principal characters in the Tale of Genji, with the names used for them in the Seidensticker translation. Murasaki Shikibu composed The Tale of Genji while a lady in attendance at the Japanese court, likely completing it about 1010. The Tale Of Genji Summary and Study Guide. The Tale Of Genji Character Analysis. Tale Of Genji Lavender Character Analysis. Genji’s Future Love Within The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, chapter three titled “Lavender” stands out to encompass many Chinese ideals that help further understand their history and way of life. The Emperor cares for Genji’s mother deeply, and earlyon Genji displays remarkable physical beauty and charm. This tale illustrates the court life of Japan in almost a thousand years ago. Kiritsubo (The Paulownia Court) (Genji, age 1 to 12) Emperor (Emperor Kiritsubo) falls in love with Kiritsubo no Koi, a lower class court lady, and she bears him an Imperial prince, but she soon dies of a disease.In order to console the deeply grieving Emperor, Fujitsubo, who looks exactly like the late Koi, is sent to the Imperial court and wins the Emperor's favor. The Tale of Genji mainly follows the lives of two central characters. 1773 Words 8 Pages. A Synopsis of The Tale of Genji The tale begins when the emperor and a low-ranking consort bore a child and was named Genji. While The Tale of Genji is parallel to the Heian era, and Genji even considered a hero by some; the storyline isn’t apt to the modern times, as his persona far opposes the ideals of a true modern hero.