Bushido

Blake Simoneaux Dr. K World Literature 1 December 2014 Bushido and the Seven Samurai In Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai (1954), Kurosawa illustrates the code of bushido by portraying both examples and violations of the code through the behavior of the villagers and the samurai. Bushido is a code of conduct, which the Japanese culture has followed for years. This code of conduct is a set of moral standards, which prizes qualities like loyalty, duty, and generosity (Fijimura1). The word samurai

differences. However, after thorough research, it is clear that the similarities of both Feudal societies were greater than their differences due to the equivalence of the Japanese samurai and the European knights as well as the resemblance of the Code of Bushido to the Code of Chivalry. One similarity between both Feudal societies was the alikeness between the Japanese samurai and the European knights. Both categories of people served as soldiers for the ruler and were raised for their duties from a young

There were three basic codes they were expected to follow. The biggest one was to have good virtue and morally correct thinking. This law was the basis of the others. Another law was courage. There is a difference between bravery and courage and Bushido defines the difference. Courage is worthy and it is doing what is right. Mercy is also a code in Bashido. It states that the samurai have the ability to kill and command but they also have to equally demonstrate mercy and compassion. Samurai also

strength, never once giving in or showing weakness or cowardice to his enemies. These characteristics are rooted in the bushido code. Mostly unwritten, the bushido code emphasized honor and loyalty to one’s leader and clan, unyielding strength and bravery in the face of one’s enemies, and deference and respect to one’s neighbor and clan members, especially his superiors. However, the bushido code was not the only one of its day to emphasize and inculcate these values into their followers. The Chivalric

service to his master if he has one...to devote himself to duty above all” (Soko). They followed a strict code known as Bushido and it became their way of life. The word Bushido comes from the Japanese roots bushi meaning "warrior," and do meaning "path" or "way." It can be directly translated to “the way of the warrior.” These warriors had to always live by the Eight Virtues of Bushido: Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Politeness, Sincerity, Honor, Loyalty, and Self-control. A samurai cannot even be

women were not allowed to become knights. Both warrior classes were bound by codes, the samurais had the Bushido code and the knights had the Code of Justinian. The samurais’ philosophy included the Bushido code while the knights’ philosophy contained the Code of Justinian. The Bushido code includes many rules on how chivalrous men should act in their personal and professional lives. The Bushido code gives eight different virtues of the samurai. They include: (1) Rectitude or Justice, (2) Courage

under Bushido. The article also states, “There were two forms of seppuku: voluntary and obligatory. Voluntary seppuku evolved during the wars of the 12th century as a method of suicide used frequently by warriors who, defeated in battle, chose to avoid the dishonour of falling into the hands of the enemy.

The samurai were the professional warriors that ruled Japan for about 700 years, from the end of the 12th century until the middle of the 19th century. “The term samurai originates from the verb saburau, meaning to serve as attendant to a person of nobility” (Mcgee 1). In the Heian era, (ca. 792-1192), samurai referred to the warriors guarding the Emperor and court nobles, but later the term started to be used to refer to all professional warriors. From the end of the Heian era, the samurai were

commission was given to Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192. Eventually the expansion of Japan embracing Western culture the warrior class was no more and the samurai age finally ended. The samurai had a code that governed their way of life this code was called Bushido which means way of the warrior. This code was based on the samurai’s ethical and moral values. There are seven important virtues of the code which are right action and duty, courage, benevolence, politeness and morality, truthfulness, honor, and loyalty

Who will be the remaining survivors? In reality, samurais and knights were too far away to even participate in a fatal quarrel. But if samurais and knights were put in a battlefield, Samurais are eligible to win a squabble for certain reasons. These reasons vary such as weapons, codes, and their fantastic training. While there are many reasons why samurais should claim victory, moral codes had effect the samurai’s life forever. In document E written by Yamaga Soko, it states, “The business of the