SHAKUNTHALAM—A SYNOPSIS
The play is in seven acts, each act starting with an introductory section, serving as a bridge between the story hitherto and the the next incident, something similar to a prologue. The first act starts with a prayer, called Naandi, and a short scene where the name of the play etc. is indicated and paves the way for the main scene. (This is actually imitated by Goethe in his play Faust). The beginning of second act introduces the hero’s condition in the words of the court jester, Vidooshaka, and then the developments which enable the hero to stay on in the hermitage premises. In the third act, a disciple in a short scene tells how the king has accomplished his mission, leaving the king free to pusue his love affair.
These three acts can be grouped into a Part, forming the Beginning in the structure of the composition. The king’s meeting and falling in love ,in the 1st act; how he finds an excuse to prolong his stay in the second;andiIn the 3rd, how he searches for Shakunthala and finds her also in love with himself. The act ends with the sudden interrupton to their privacy by the ashram’s grandmother figure, Gauthami.
The second Part, which can be called the Middle, has two acts, Fourth and Fifth. The Fourth starts with an introductory scene, where we come to learn that, though the the king promised to send his army to escort her to his kingdom as soon as he reaches home, he has not done it, and that Shakunthala is worried and anxiously waiting for him. Then it leads to the curse of Durvasas, after which Kanva the foster father arrives from his travels and in stead of being angry, as was feared, blesses her and sends her to the king. In the Fifth there is no special introductory scene, but the king is shown as a person having several love affairs. Then when Shakunthala comes, he, ostensibly having forgot her because of the curse, repudiates her harshly and on the advice of his spiritual
advisor directs her to be kept in the priest’s house till her delivery. Shakunthala is however taken from there by a fairy at the behest of Menaka, her mother.
It is clear that even before the curse, he was not ready to take her to the palace, since he did not keep his promise.
The 3rd Part, THE END, narrates how the king, apparently freed from the curse, falls into remorse. Act 6 is the story of how he spends time by blaming himself for having treated her badly It ends with a call from help from the gods in a war with their enemies. This wakes him up from the stupour and he readies for the adventure. The final act 7 concludes with the king meeting Shakunthala and and
getting reconciled. So all ends well.
The story is significantly different from the story as told in Mahabharatha, where the king does not come off so morally sound. He deliberately rejects her for fear of public opinion, and forced to accept her by heavenly intervention. Shakunthala also is not a shy simple maid as pictured here, in the first act but a strong person capable of looking after her interests. However Shakunthala in Kalidasa's version is not a dumb person, but but quite able to assert herself when challenged.
In a way, it is a critique of how the seemingly godlike figures created by sycophants of our heroes hide their foibles The king here is capable of lying even to his mother in order to further his selfish affairs. So it would not be correct to picture this as an attempt to whitewash and curry favour from the
masters by a court poet. Kalidasa's greatness is not only that he is a great poet, but also a social critic who does not shout and vilify, but points out the failings in a gentle sympathetic manner.
The purposes of writing, according to Sanskrit critics is , along with earning fame and wealth, is to advise, gently like a beloved . This might have been a good comparison in the days of "Malearchy",
But not in these days of "femalearchy , camouflaged under "gender equality" ?
l
The play is in seven acts, each act starting with an introductory section, serving as a bridge between the story hitherto and the the next incident, something similar to a prologue. The first act starts with a prayer, called Naandi, and a short scene where the name of the play etc. is indicated and paves the way for the main scene. (This is actually imitated by Goethe in his play Faust). The beginning of second act introduces the hero’s condition in the words of the court jester, Vidooshaka, and then the developments which enable the hero to stay on in the hermitage premises. In the third act, a disciple in a short scene tells how the king has accomplished his mission, leaving the king free to pusue his love affair.
These three acts can be grouped into a Part, forming the Beginning in the structure of the composition. The king’s meeting and falling in love ,in the 1st act; how he finds an excuse to prolong his stay in the second;andiIn the 3rd, how he searches for Shakunthala and finds her also in love with himself. The act ends with the sudden interrupton to their privacy by the ashram’s grandmother figure, Gauthami.
The second Part, which can be called the Middle, has two acts, Fourth and Fifth. The Fourth starts with an introductory scene, where we come to learn that, though the the king promised to send his army to escort her to his kingdom as soon as he reaches home, he has not done it, and that Shakunthala is worried and anxiously waiting for him. Then it leads to the curse of Durvasas, after which Kanva the foster father arrives from his travels and in stead of being angry, as was feared, blesses her and sends her to the king. In the Fifth there is no special introductory scene, but the king is shown as a person having several love affairs. Then when Shakunthala comes, he, ostensibly having forgot her because of the curse, repudiates her harshly and on the advice of his spiritual
advisor directs her to be kept in the priest’s house till her delivery. Shakunthala is however taken from there by a fairy at the behest of Menaka, her mother.
It is clear that even before the curse, he was not ready to take her to the palace, since he did not keep his promise.
The 3rd Part, THE END, narrates how the king, apparently freed from the curse, falls into remorse. Act 6 is the story of how he spends time by blaming himself for having treated her badly It ends with a call from help from the gods in a war with their enemies. This wakes him up from the stupour and he readies for the adventure. The final act 7 concludes with the king meeting Shakunthala and and
getting reconciled. So all ends well.
The story is significantly different from the story as told in Mahabharatha, where the king does not come off so morally sound. He deliberately rejects her for fear of public opinion, and forced to accept her by heavenly intervention. Shakunthala also is not a shy simple maid as pictured here, in the first act but a strong person capable of looking after her interests. However Shakunthala in Kalidasa's version is not a dumb person, but but quite able to assert herself when challenged.
In a way, it is a critique of how the seemingly godlike figures created by sycophants of our heroes hide their foibles The king here is capable of lying even to his mother in order to further his selfish affairs. So it would not be correct to picture this as an attempt to whitewash and curry favour from the
masters by a court poet. Kalidasa's greatness is not only that he is a great poet, but also a social critic who does not shout and vilify, but points out the failings in a gentle sympathetic manner.
The purposes of writing, according to Sanskrit critics is , along with earning fame and wealth, is to advise, gently like a beloved . This might have been a good comparison in the days of "Malearchy",
But not in these days of "femalearchy , camouflaged under "gender equality" ?
l
No comments:
Post a Comment