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Seven Samurai

I’m really hard pressed to find any similarities between The Tale of Heike, and Seven Samurai aside from the warrior caste of samurai. One thing that might be worth noting is that honor came before the personal self. In Heike the warring factions constantly stop their engagements to test one another’s code of honor and skill, usually in the form of a contest; for example shooting an arrow through a fan. In Seven Samurai the true warriors—not the farmers—seemed to be aiding the peasants for no other reason than bound by honor because of being a warrior, and also perhaps seeking an honorable samurai’s death.
It really struck me how good the story of the Seven Samurai is, and also how universal its appeal is to many cultures. The theme of putting yourself second and helping those that need to be helped transcends into many cultures. So much so that the ...

Posted by: Amy Hetzel

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