The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu illustrates the ideal man in the form of Captain Genji. According to the narrator, Genji was the son of the emperor of Kuritsubo. Due to the politics of court life, Consort Kokiden and her son become the favorites to be heirs to the throne instead of Genji. However, Genji remains the ideal Heian man as his mother was the emperor's favorite concubine. Yet the fact that Genji remained a favorite of the emperor demonstrated his physical brilliance. However, Genji remains only half of what the ideal standards of the Heian court represent. The ideal man needed an ideal woman to accompany him. The ideal man and ideal woman of the Heian period court revolved around the symbolism of Genji's Heian era physical perfection and codes of courtly elegance. The court in which Genji lives is mainly based on leisure, poetry and recreational activities of the court. The courts therefore do not reflect the views of the rural class or the working class of the Heian period. According to Tyler, “Composing poetry was first and foremost a matter of social necessity” (Tyler xix). Therefore, the courts of the Heian period revolved around poetry as a form of artistic communication and the practice of elegance or miyabi. Hierarchy, in reality, would have been a crucial factor in determining individuals' judicial opinions. However, Murasaki Shikibu uses The Tale of Genji to explore the possibilities of ideal individuals beyond hierarchy and position in society, but through factors regarding appearance and judgment. First, the concepts of the ideal woman are mainly discussed in chapter 2 between Genji, To no Chujo, and the head squire. The discussion begins with To no Chujo and Genji examining the love notes so naturally that their discussion continues... middle of paper... the whole hierarchy of court life, even military rank, position at court and political power itself. Genji throughout the story had a satisfactory rank and lifestyle in the Palace Guard, however he still had to respect the emperor or face normative consequences. However, the theme of the story expresses that nature itself reacted negatively towards those who punished Genji, especially the episode of chapter 14 after Genji's exile to Suma and Akasahi. Therefore it can be interpreted that hierarchy in the absolute sense does not shape who is considered an ideal mate, but the innate elegance and innate personal characteristics that make Genji and the handful of women he met in his life in The Tale of Genji Heian ideals. Works Cited Murasaki, Shikibu, and Royall Tyler. The Tale of Genji: Abridged. New York, NY: Penguin, 2006. Print.