In legends, shadows are connected with the spirit world or images of death.
The belief in purgatory or spirits in unrest is very popular in many cultures, and it is evident that it provides a sense of closure for Ugetsu.
Priests are assumed to have a connection with God and believed to be able to sense evil. The Priest's ability to recognize Genjuro's problem shows that this was not just a fantasy, but reality combined with the spirit world. His "cure" serves as a metaphor for an exorcism of the spirit from the soul.
Dead Father is another spirit in unrest due to his inadequacies in protecting his child. He now wants to see her complete her life in her second chance at life. Through this he can finally be at rest.
The kimono is what began his greed. His main intention was to buy his wife a nice dress, and this led him to his own destruction.
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