Murasaki Shikibu gave us an excellent overview of the ideal man and woman at court in his work The Tale of Genji. Although in the abridged version we read there are no concrete physical descriptions, the depth of the personality of certain characters shows us the ideal being one should be in the Heian court. Compared to the ideals perceived today, the ideal man and woman seem to have changed solely due to the influence of the media. First, the ideal man seems to have been the one under whom Genji was portrayed throughout the book. For example, it has been repeatedly described as "beautiful", with some sort of metaphorical phrase attached most often - for example, at the beginning of Momiji no Ga, Tō no Chūjō is compared to a "common mountain tree", while Genji is compared to a "flowering cherry tree" despite Tō no Chūjō's beauty (128). Genji is also described as a talented writer; in a note he sends to Wakamurasaki's nun, he writes in "a youthful handwriting so attractive that all the ladies urged [Murasaki] to put it directly in his notebook", which I took as a gesture of great admiration and an example of his writing. as an example for everyone (112-113). Then, in addition to his devastating good looks and superb writings, he was also well versed in the arts, such as music, dance, and painting. In this same scene at the beginning of Momiji no Ga, Genji had danced and sang so well "His Majesty was sufficiently transported with delight to wipe his eyes, and all the nobles and senior princes wept" (129). Genji was also capable of playing a variety of instruments, such as the sō no koto, fue, and kin (the first two mentioned in Momiji no Ga, the second played with Akashi Novice's daughter... .. middle of paper .....ions makes it perfect in the end (because no one can have any imperfections), while women like Aoi and Murasaki seem to be the prototype of the ideal woman (whether for men or for women) today Equerry in Hahakigi seems to sum up how one should properly find a lover, and his observation should apply to everyone, not just men looking for women, I think. 'with the advent of media and making the ideal too idyllic, we have come to completely dismiss great people in search of "the one", like Genji and Tō no Chūjō, and we must realize. that everyone has imperfections and we need to accept people as they are and bring out the best in them instead of waiting. that they are ideal before meeting them. Works Cited Shikibu, Murasaki (Translated by Royall Tyler) The Tale of Genji. Abridged. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 2006. Print.