319. THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 355

THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 355

planned out, the next stage will naturally be the actual beginning of the execution of the plan, (iii) This will naturally give rise to some hope of attaining the objective. These three stages are common to every action, whether it is going to be a failure or a success. (iv) After this stage there arises the difference between the tragic and the comic or non-tragic action. In the former case the ambitious reaches as near his goal as he ever can and then he meets some such obstacle or hindrance as he ean never get over and, therefore, begins to recede from it. This can be represented to be the fourth stage of action. (v) And then he meets his doom. But in the comic or non-tragic action, though undoubtedly the pursuant of the goal meets difficulties, yet they are not such as he cannot overcome; or, such are his inner and outer resources that he gets over all of them and becomes certain to achieve the objective. The final stage is naturally the realisation of what he set his heart on.

In a good drama, which has to present action as a unity, and the action of which has to be complete in itself, these five stages are clearly distinguishable. In all Shakespearian dramas, all these stages of action are clearly distinguishable. In fact, each of the five acts of a drama is intended to present one of the five stages of action, In is interesting to note in this connection that this is just the basis of division of the main plot into acts (Ankas) in Sanskrit drama. And a good drama (Națaka) can never have less than five acts. When there are more than five acts, each additional act presents an aspect of one of these five stages, which could not be well presented in one act. But more than two acts can never be occupied with the presentation of the same stage.