“A novel is complete once it is written and then it leaves your hands, but a play begins the moment it is finished.”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
- He became a representative figure of postwar Japanese literature, and was highly acclaimed both at home and abroad. He pursued his own unique aesthetic with themes of beauty and death, and ultimately committed seppuku at a Self-Defense Forces garrison. His life, which combined literature with action, continues to have a strong influence today.
Japanese
「小説は書いたところで完結して、それきり自分の手を離れてしまうが、芝居は書き了えたところからはじまる」
English
“A novel is complete once it is written and then it leaves your hands, but a play begins the moment it is finished.”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima contrasts the nature of writing a novel with that of writing a play. He suggests that once a novel is written, it is essentially finished—it exists as a complete work and is released into the world, where it remains unaffected by the author’s influence. The novel, once completed, is a static entity, something that cannot be changed or interacted with after it has been published. In contrast, a play is a living entity that begins once the writing is finished. The written play requires performance—actors, directors, and audiences—to bring it to life, making it an ongoing process that evolves every time it is staged. Mishima is emphasizing that a play is not merely written; it is something that comes to life in the interaction between the script and its performers, and this interaction begins the moment the writing is complete.
Mishima’s distinction between novels and plays reflects his deeper interest in the dynamic relationship between creation and execution. While novels stand as final works that exist independently once written, plays are dependent on performance to realize their full potential. The novelist releases their work, but the playwright continues to influence the work through staging, direction, and interpretation. This makes the theater a more collaborative and evolving form of artistic expression, where the written word only represents the beginning of the work’s life.
In a modern context, Mishima’s quote touches on the distinction between the static nature of written works in an era of print and publishing, and the interactive nature of performance-based art forms like theater. While books are often consumed in a fixed form, plays and other live performances are subject to interpretation, change, and interaction with the audience. This idea can extend to the realm of cinema, television, and even digital storytelling, where authors or creators might influence their work’s evolution, but audiences and performers contribute to its ongoing life. Mishima’s insight into the nature of the play emphasizes how some forms of art remain alive and changing, while others, like novels, may become frozen in time once completed.
Would you like to share your impressions or related stories about this quote in the comments section?
