Comment expliquer que Genji puisse aimer simultanément Aoi et Murasaki tout en étant marié à la première ?
Plot

Genji 's mother dies when he is three years old, and the Emperor cannot forget her. The Emperor Kiritsubo then hears of a woman (Lady Fujitsubo), formerly a princess of the preceding emperor, who resembles his deceased concubine, and later she becomes one of his wives. Genji loves her first as a stepmother, but later as a woman, and they fall in love with each other. Genji is frustrated by his forbidden love for the Lady Fujitsubo and is on bad terms with his own wife (Aoi no Ue, the Lady Aoi). He engages in a series of love affairs with many other women. These are however unfulfilling, as in most cases his advances are rebuffed, or his lover dies suddenly, or he becomes bored.

Genji visits Kitayama, a rural hilly area north of Kyoto, where he finds a beautiful ten-year-old girl. He is fascinated by this little girl (Murasaki no Ue), and discovers that she is a niece of the Lady Fujitsubo. Finally he kidnaps her, brings her to his own palace and educates her to be like the Lady Fujitsubo, who is his womanly ideal. During this time Genji also meets Lady Fujitsubo secretly, and she bears his son, Reizei. Everyone except the two lovers believes the father of the child is the Emperor Kiritsubo. Later the boy becomes the Crown Prince and Lady Fujitsubo becomes the Empress, but Genji and Lady Fujitsubo swear to keep the child's true parentage secret.

Genji and his wife, Lady Aoi, reconcile. She gives birth to a son but dies soon after. Genji is sorrowful but finds consolation in Murasaki, whom he marries. Genji's father, the Emperor Kiritsubo, dies. He is succeeded by his son Suzaku, whose mother (Kokiden), together with Kiritsubo's political enemies, take power in the court. Then another of Genji's secret love affairs is exposed: Genji and a concubine of the Emperor Suzaku are discovered while meeting in secret. The Emperor Suzaku confides his personal amusement at Genji's exploits with the woman (Oborozukiyo), but is duty-bound to punish Genji even though he is his half-brother. He exiles Genji to the town of Suma in rural Harima Province (now part of Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture). There, a prosperous man known as the Akashi Novice (because he is from Akashi in Settsu Province) entertains Genji, and Genji has an affair with Akashi's daughter. She gives birth to Genji's only daughter, who will later become the Empress.

In the capital, the Emperor Suzaku is troubled by dreams of his late father, Kiritsubo, and something begins to affect his eyes. Meanwhile, his mother, Kokiden, grows ill, which weakens her influence over the throne, and leads to the Emperor ordering Genji to be pardoned. Genji returns to Kyoto. His son by Lady Fujitsubo, Reizei, becomes the emperor. The new Emperor Reizei knows Genji is his real father, and raises Genji's rank to the highest possible.

However, when Genji turns 40 years old, his life begins to decline. His political status does not change, but his love and emotional life begin to incrementally diminish as middle age takes hold. He marries another wife, the Third Princess (known as Onna san no miya in the Seidensticker version, or Nyōsan in Waley's). Genji's nephew, Kashiwagi, later forces himself on the Third Princess, and she bears Kaoru (who, in a similar situation to that of Reizei, is legally known as the son of Genji). Genji's new marriage changes his relationship with Murasaki, who had expressed her wish of becoming a nun (bikuni) though the wish was rejected by Genji.

Genji's beloved Murasaki dies. In the following chapter, Maboroshi ("Illusion"), Genji contemplates how fleeting life is. The next chapter is titled Kumogakure ("Vanished into the Clouds"), which is left blank, but implies the death of Genji.

Chapter 45–54 are known as the "Uji Chapters". These chapters follow Kaoru and his best friend, Niou. Niou is an imperial prince, the son of Genji's daughter, the current Empress now that Reizei has abdicated the throne, while Kaoru is known to the world as Genji's son but is in fact fathered by Genji's nephew. The chapters involve Kaoru and Niou's rivalry over several daughters of an imperial prince who lives in Uji, a place some distance away from the capital. The tale ends abruptly, with Kaoru wondering if Niou is hiding Kaoru's former lover away from him. Kaoru has sometimes been called the first anti-hero in literature.
Le Dit du Genji a été écrit dans une langue de cour archaïque, et un siècle après sa complétion, il était difficile à lire sans une étude spécialisée. Des versions annotées et illustrées existaient dès le XIIe siècle. Ce n'est qu'au début du XXe siècle que Genji a été traduit en japonais moderne par la poétesse Akiko Yosano. Ces traductions en japonais moderne ont facilité la lecture, bien qu'elles aient modifié certains sens, et ont donné des noms aux personnages, utilisant généralement les noms traditionnels employés par les universitaires. Cela donne lieu à des anachronismes ; par exemple, la première épouse de Genji s'appelle Aoi parce qu'elle est connue comme la dame du chapitre Aoi, dans lequel elle meurt.

D'autres traductions notables ont été réalisées par les romanciers Jun'ichirō Tanizaki et Fumiko Enchi.

En raison des différences culturelles, la lecture d'une version annotée du Genji est très courante, même parmi les lecteurs japonais. Il existe plusieurs versions annotées par des romanciers, notamment Seiko Tanabe, Jakucho Setouchi et Osamu Hashimoto. De nombreux ouvrages, dont une série de mangas et différentes drames télévisés, sont dérivés du Dit du Genji. Il y a eu au moins cinq adaptations en manga de Genji. Une version manga a été créée par Waki Yamato, Asakiyumemishi (Le Dit du Genji en anglais), et une version actuelle par Sugimura Yoshimitsu est en cours de réalisation. Un autre manga, Genji Monogatari, de Miyako Maki, a remporté le prix Shogakukan Manga en 1989.
### Query ###
Comment expliquer que Genji puisse aimer simultanément Aoi et Murasaki tout en étant marié à la première ?

### Main Text ###
Plot

Genji 's mother dies when he is three years old, and the Emperor cannot forget her. The Emperor Kiritsubo then hears of a woman (Lady Fujitsubo), formerly a princess of the preceding emperor, who resembles his deceased concubine, and later she becomes one of his wives. Genji loves her first as a stepmother, but later as a woman, and they fall in love with each other. Genji is frustrated by his forbidden love for the Lady Fujitsubo and is on bad terms with his own wife (Aoi no Ue, the Lady Aoi). He engages in a series of love affairs with many other women. These are however unfulfilling, as in most cases his advances are rebuffed, or his lover dies suddenly, or he becomes bored.

Genji visits Kitayama, a rural hilly area north of Kyoto, where he finds a beautiful ten-year-old girl. He is fascinated by this little girl (Murasaki no Ue), and discovers that she is a niece of the Lady Fujitsubo. Finally he kidnaps her, brings her to his own palace and educates her to be like the Lady Fujitsubo, who is his womanly ideal. During this time Genji also meets Lady Fujitsubo secretly, and she bears his son, Reizei. Everyone except the two lovers believes the father of the child is the Emperor Kiritsubo. Later the boy becomes the Crown Prince and Lady Fujitsubo becomes the Empress, but Genji and Lady Fujitsubo swear to keep the child's true parentage secret.

Genji and his wife, Lady Aoi, reconcile. She gives birth to a son but dies soon after. Genji is sorrowful but finds consolation in Murasaki, whom he marries. Genji's father, the Emperor Kiritsubo, dies. He is succeeded by his son Suzaku, whose mother (Kokiden), together with Kiritsubo's political enemies, take power in the court. Then another of Genji's secret love affairs is exposed: Genji and a concubine of the Emperor Suzaku are discovered while meeting in secret. The Emperor Suzaku confides his personal amusement at Genji's exploits with the woman (Oborozukiyo), but is duty-bound to punish Genji even though he is his half-brother. He exiles Genji to the town of Suma in rural Harima Province (now part of Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture). There, a prosperous man known as the Akashi Novice (because he is from Akashi in Settsu Province) entertains Genji, and Genji has an affair with Akashi's daughter. She gives birth to Genji's only daughter, who will later become the Empress.

In the capital, the Emperor Suzaku is troubled by dreams of his late father, Kiritsubo, and something begins to affect his eyes. Meanwhile, his mother, Kokiden, grows ill, which weakens her influence over the throne, and leads to the Emperor ordering Genji to be pardoned. Genji returns to Kyoto. His son by Lady Fujitsubo, Reizei, becomes the emperor. The new Emperor Reizei knows Genji is his real father, and raises Genji's rank to the highest possible.

However, when Genji turns 40 years old, his life begins to decline. His political status does not change, but his love and emotional life begin to incrementally diminish as middle age takes hold. He marries another wife, the Third Princess (known as Onna san no miya in the Seidensticker version, or Nyōsan in Waley's). Genji's nephew, Kashiwagi, later forces himself on the Third Princess, and she bears Kaoru (who, in a similar situation to that of Reizei, is legally known as the son of Genji). Genji's new marriage changes his relationship with Murasaki, who had expressed her wish of becoming a nun (bikuni) though the wish was rejected by Genji.

Genji's beloved Murasaki dies. In the following chapter, Maboroshi ("Illusion"), Genji contemplates how fleeting life is. The next chapter is titled Kumogakure ("Vanished into the Clouds"), which is left blank, but implies the death of Genji.

Chapter 45–54 are known as the "Uji Chapters". These chapters follow Kaoru and his best friend, Niou. Niou is an imperial prince, the son of Genji's daughter, the current Empress now that Reizei has abdicated the throne, while Kaoru is known to the world as Genji's son but is in fact fathered by Genji's nephew. The chapters involve Kaoru and Niou's rivalry over several daughters of an imperial prince who lives in Uji, a place some distance away from the capital. The tale ends abruptly, with Kaoru wondering if Niou is hiding Kaoru's former lover away from him. Kaoru has sometimes been called the first anti-hero in literature.

### Supplementary Text ###
Le Dit du Genji a été écrit dans une langue de cour archaïque, et un siècle après sa complétion, il était difficile à lire sans une étude spécialisée. Des versions annotées et illustrées existaient dès le XIIe siècle. Ce n'est qu'au début du XXe siècle que Genji a été traduit en japonais moderne par la poétesse Akiko Yosano. Ces traductions en japonais moderne ont facilité la lecture, bien qu'elles aient modifié certains sens, et ont donné des noms aux personnages, utilisant généralement les noms traditionnels employés par les universitaires. Cela donne lieu à des anachronismes ; par exemple, la première épouse de Genji s'appelle Aoi parce qu'elle est connue comme la dame du chapitre Aoi, dans lequel elle meurt.

D'autres traductions notables ont été réalisées par les romanciers Jun'ichirō Tanizaki et Fumiko Enchi.

En raison des différences culturelles, la lecture d'une version annotée du Genji est très courante, même parmi les lecteurs japonais. Il existe plusieurs versions annotées par des romanciers, notamment Seiko Tanabe, Jakucho Setouchi et Osamu Hashimoto. De nombreux ouvrages, dont une série de mangas et différentes drames télévisés, sont dérivés du Dit du Genji. Il y a eu au moins cinq adaptations en manga de Genji. Une version manga a été créée par Waki Yamato, Asakiyumemishi (Le Dit du Genji en anglais), et une version actuelle par Sugimura Yoshimitsu est en cours de réalisation. Un autre manga, Genji Monogatari, de Miyako Maki, a remporté le prix Shogakukan Manga en 1989.

### Draft ###

### 1. Query Parsing

"Comment expliquer que Genji puisse aimer simultanément Aoi et Murasaki tout en étant marié à la première ?"

Key assumptions to unpack:
- Simultaneous love affairs claimed
- Polygamy vs. adultery distinction in Heian context
- "Puisse" = possibility/capacity rather than actual behavior

Translation note: "simultanément" → temporal overlap, not sequential relationships.

### 2. Source Verification

● Genji Monogatari (c. 1000-1010 CE, Murasaki Shikibu)
● Heian-era Japanese court literature
● Genji's relationships: Aoi no Ue first wife, Murasaki no Ue secondary affair

Timeline verification needed:
├─ Aoi marriage: early relationship
├─ Murasaki encounter: later in narrative  
└─ Aoi death: precedes Murasaki marriage

∴ "Simultaneous" likely refers to emotional/active relationships, not strict temporal overlap.

### 3. Cultural Contextualization

Heian Japan (794-1185 CE):
- Polygamy institutionalized at imperial level
- Concubinage/secondary wives common among court nobles
- Genji as fictional embodiment of court ideals
- "Mono no aware" aesthetic sensibility → emotional complexity valued

⟨H≈0.8⟩ The court papers flutter with names—Aoi, Murasaki, Fujitsubo—each woman a constellation of forbidden desire. Genji moves through corridors of restraint, his heart mapping territories forbidden to his body. The emperor's court operates in shades of gray where love and law intersect like calligraphy strokes...

### 4. Character Analysis

Genji's psychology:
- Forbidden love with stepmother Fujitsubo → emotional turmoil
- Aoi relationship: political/social obligation
- Murasaki relationship: aesthetic/spiritual ideal

Motivations:
→ Escape from unfulfilling marriage
→ Search for perfect woman (Fujitsubo template)  
→ Courtly love conventions require multiple affairs

### 5. Narrative Structure

Murasaki Shikibu's artistic intent:
- Genji as tragic hero, not moral exemplar
- Emotional authenticity over social conformity
- Multiple relationships as symptom of inner conflict, not capability

Literary precedent: Chinese and Tang poetry influences on Heian aesthetics.

### 6. Logical Resolution

Response claims: "Genji's capacity for simultaneous love stems from courtly culture's complexity, where emotional and physical relationships existed in layered hierarchies."

! Key insight: Question itself reflects modern moral framework imposed on Heian court behavior.

Verification needed:
☑ Cultural context accurate
☑ Timeline clarified  
☑ Motivation explained
☐ Potential bias toward romantic narrative vs. social obligation

### 7. Critical Assessment

◐ Response quality: Culturally rich, aesthetically sensitive
⚠ Potential issue: Over-romanticizes court relationships
● Historical accuracy: Heian social structures correctly contextualized

∴ Response effectively explains seeming contradiction through cultural immersion and character psychology, though potentially idealizes complex historical realities.

NB: The original query assumes Western moral framework—response successfully translates cultural understanding while maintaining scholarly rigor.

### Answer###
La capacité de Genji à aimer simultanément Aoi et Murasaki reflète la complexité des relations amoureuses dans la société féodale japonaise de l'époque Heian. Genji est d'abord marié à Aoi no Ue par obligation sociale et politique, mais leur relation est tendue dès le début. Il entre ensuite dans une série d'affaires amoureuses avec diverses femmes, trouvant ces relations insatisfaisantes.

Son amour pour Murasaki no Ue naît progressivement de circonstances particulières : il la rencontre lorsqu'il visite Kitayama et est fasciné par cette enfant de dix ans qui lui rappelle la dame Fujitsubo, sa mère adoptive et objet de son amour interdit. Genji élève Murasaki comme sa propre fille, la formant à ressembler à son idéal féminin, la dame Fujitsubo.

Cette situation révèle plusieurs aspects de la psychologie de Genji : d'abord, son mariage avec Aoi semble être davantage une contrainte sociale qu'une union basée sur l'amour ; ensuite, ses relations multiples servent d'échappatoire à cette relation frustrante ; enfin, son affection pour Murasaki évolue d'une fascination esthétique vers une relation plus intime après la mort d'Aoi.

La littérature courtoise de cette époque valorisait souvent les relations complexes et les sentiments multiples, et la capacité de Genji à développer des affections simultanées reflète peut-être cette conception de l'amour comme une force complexe qui peut coexister avec d'autres émotions.