1. Indian Response to Hamlet Shakespeare’s Reception in India and a Study of Hamlet in Sanskrit Poetics Sangeeta Mohanty (Thesis)

The Indian Response to Hamlet:

Shakespeare’s Reception in India and a Study of

Hamlet in Sanskrit Poetics

Dissertation

zur Erlangung des Würde einer Doktorin der Philosophie,

vorgelegt der Philosophisch-Historischen Fakultät

der Universität Basel

von

Sangeeta Mohanty

von

Baden/ Kanton Aargau

Basel 2010

Genehmigt von der Philosophisch-Historischen Fakultät der Universität Basel, auf Antrag

von Prof. Dr. Balz Engler und Prof. Dr. Ananta Sukla

Basel, den 15. Dezember 2005

Der Dekan Prof. Dr. Kaspar von Greyerz

The Indian Response to Hamlet:

Shakespeare’s Reception in India and a Study of

Hamlet in Sanskrit Poetics

Sangeeta Mohanty

Dedicated to my Parents

Basel, July 1st 2005

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I owe my sincere gratitude to several persons whose invaluable guidance, help

and support have made the completion of my thesis possible.

It was my guide, Prof. Dr. Balz Engler who planted the idea of choosing such a

topic as I have done. I thank him profusely for supervising this study with meticulousness

and critical insight, and for patiently bearing with my shortcomings. To my co-guide,

Prof. Dr. Ananta Charan Sukla, I am immensely grateful for showing me the way out of

the jungle and for patiently explaining to me certain critical concepts in Indian Poetics.

I am highly indebted to my father, Prof. Dr. Rebati Charan Das, without whose support, I

would have never reached this stage. Since it wasn’t easy to travel to India too frequently,

he spared me a lot of hassle, by collecting a major part of my study material and

information, from various sources and different parts of India. He has also been

responsible for introducing me to several distinguished scholars in India, including Dr.

Sukla. Dr. Sasank Sekhar Mohanty, my husband who has always stood by me through

thick and thin; I deeply value his constant encouragement, for having confidence in me,

for being there whenever I needed him and for his unfailing support during the trying

times of my study. And my dear mother, Manasi Das Kanungo, I wish to thank her for

her sacrifice and for giving up her own interests and pursuits, for extended periods of

time, in order to relieve me of certain responsibilities. To my two girls, Sarina and Priya;

I thank you for your understanding and for coping with my moods, odd hours and periods

of absence. To my brother, Dr. Sanjoy Das; I appreciate your brotherly concern and

encouragement, especially at the beginning stages of my manuscript.

I express my appreciation to my friend, Sanjay Sarangi, for his concern and for

helping me acquire useful research materials. I thank my colleagues, Dr. Manuela

Rossini, Dr. Ladina Bezzola and Dr. Regula Hohl for responding to my requests and

trying to help me in whatever way they could. I wish to extend my warm thanks to all the

participants in the department colloquium for lending me an ear, and for their helpful

ideas and suggestions.

And last but not least, the generous financial contributions of FAG

(Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft) and BLKB Stiftung (Basellandschaftliche

Kantonalbank), I thoroughly acknowledge.

CONTENTS

1 Introduction

1

2 English Language and Literature in Colonial and Postcolonial India

9

2.1 Education in Pre-colonial India

9

2.2 Orientalism versus Anglicism

12

2.3 The Role of Christian Missionaries

16

2.4 The Establisment of English and Shakespeare in India

25

3 The Reception of Shakespeare in India: Shakespeare in Indian Languages

and in Performances

31

3.1 Shakespeare in Bengali

31

3.2 Shakespeare in Marathi

40

3.3 Shakespeare in the Parsi Theatre

47

3.4 Shakespeare in Hindi

53

3.5 Shakespeare in Tamil

54

3.6 Shakespeare in Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada

57

3.7 Hamlet in Mizoram

60

3.8 Shakespeare in Sanskrit Translations

61

3.9 Some Problems in Intercultural Experimenting

62

3.10 Shakespeareana and the Decline of Shakespeare

66

3.11 The Revival of Shakespeare

67

4 The Popularity of Shakespeare in India

4.1 The Causes of Shakespeare’s Popularity

4.2 The Causes of the Popularity of Hamlet

5. Basic Theories of Sanskrit Poetics: Rasa and Dhvani

5.1 The Theory of Rasa

5.1.1 Specific Number of Emotions

5.1.2 Accessory or Transient Emotions

5.1.3 Durable and Transient Emotions

5.1.4 Friendly and Opposing Emotions

5.1.5 The Direct Perception of the Rasa Experience

5.2 The Theory of Dhvani

5.2.1 Types of Dhvani

6 A Classical Indian Interpretation: Hamlet in the light of the Bhagavad

Geeta, Sanskrit Dramaturgy and Poetics

6.1 Hamlet and the Bhagavad Geeta

6.2 Hamlet and the Dramatic Structure in Classical Sanskrit Plays

6.3 Hamlet and the Rasa theory

6.4 Hamlet and the Dhvani theory

7 Conclusion

Notes

Works Cited

Works Consulted

1. INTRODUCTION

Today Shakespeare is one of the most admired poets in India. He came to the

country through the introduction of the English language by the colonial masters and was

later naturalized. His plays have been widely adapted both on the stage and on screen in

almost all the Indian languages (including English). The Indian response to Shakespeare

has been very aptly described in a recent article by Sisir Kumar Das as:

not only widespread, stretching over a vast region conspicuous

by its linguistic and cultural diversities, but also of the longest

duration so far as any other foreign writer is considered. The Indian

engagement with Shakespeare that began almost from the initial

phase of the Indo-British encounter and which continues still to-day, fifty

years after the end of the Raj, is not simply an issue of literary history

involving the problematics of influence and impacts, reception and

survival, but an integral part of larger questions of politics and culture

in a colonial situation.1

Of all the dramas of Shakespeare, Hamlet appears to be the most popular in

India.2 The popularity of Shakespeare in India makes it interesting to study the dramatist

in general and Hamlet in particular. From the scholarly point of view, it might be

particularly favourable to study Hamlet or any Shakespearean play for that matter, in the

light of classical Sanskrit poetics. Such a novel interpretation would not only widen our

scope of interpreting drama but would show that Hamlet which is normally typified as a

tragedy, could fall into a different category altogether, from one of the seven categories

of drama as delineated by Sanskrit poetics. The warm reception of Hamlet in India has

motivated me to choose this particular play as a model for interpretation.

India and Shakespeare are correlated with a bond of colonialism as much as with

a genuine aesthetic taste. Emily Eden wrote in her Letters from India, "the native

1

generation who have been brought up at the Hindu College are perfectly mad about

Shakespeare. What a triumph for this dear creature!"3 For Eden, Shakespeare’s warm

reception by the colonial intellectuals is a triumph for Shakespeare himself. This

"triumph" suggests not merely Shakespeare’s popularity in a foreign land; it also suggests

the aesthetic qualifications of an Indian audience unwittingly acknowledged by an

English lady.

The aesthetic qualifications of an Indian audience in the mid-nineteenth century

might have been triggered by the cultural elements of a non-Indian (British) tradition. But

the inherent aesthetic base of this Indian audience that must have been shaped by prior

exposure to classical Indian/Sanskrit drama must also be acknowledged. Indian theatrical

tradition was strictly dictated by the norms of Sanskrit dramaturgy delineated in the

canonical theories of rasa and dhvani (to be discussed from chapter 5 onwards). So the

aesthetic sensibility of Indian theatregoers, the majority of whom were not familiar with

the canons of their own theatrical tradition was largely formed through exposure to the

latter in an indirect manner. It is this passive influence of Sanskrit poetics and active

influence of Sanskrit drama (their products) that created and nurtured this aesthetic

sensibility in Indians. And because of this dramatic genius an Indian actor named

Baishnav Charan Adhya could excel in playing the role of Othello with an English actress

named Mrs. Anderson playing the role of Desdemona.4 This event is unique in the

cultural history of the British colonies in Asia at that time. The basic aesthetic

qualifications of Indians are therefore unquestionable.

But what remains to be acknowledged is much more than the sensibility of

Indians displayed in the theatrical performances and other appropriations. The

2

intelligentsia of modern Bengal, the students of the Hindu college (founded in 1816) were

attracted by D.L. Richardsons's (who was also the founder of the Chowringhee Theatre)

style of teaching Shakespeare, reciting and acting scenes from his plays along with

critical appreciation, not because the style was anything novel to them but because it

suited their inherent age old dramatic sensibility displayed in the great literary and

theatrical tradition of classical India.5 Thus, Bankim Chandra's comparison of The

Tempest with Kalidasa's (4th century A.D.) Shakuntala, eulogizing the narrative skill of

both the plays was an expression of a cultural confidence that in India the intellectual and

aesthetic traditions are no less glorious than those of the British.6 But none of them were

aware of a great theatrical tradition of Sanskrit literature evident in the work of Bharata's

Natyasastra (4th century B.C.) and the various commentaries written on this text between

the 8th and the 10th centuries A.D. A literary or aesthetic culture becomes self-contained

and full-fledged only when it formulates its own literary theory that evolves out of the

prevailing practices as well as determines the standards and criteria of these practices by

formulating norms and canons. Culture and canon are therefore reciprocal in the growth

of an intellectual tradition.

Bankim Chandra's appreciation of Shakespeare in comparison with Kalidasa was

based on his literary sensibility without any knowledge of the Indian tradition of dramatic

criticism, particularly belonging to Bharata. Pioneering research was done by S.K. De

and P.V. Kane on the history of Sanskrit criticism during the nineteen twenties, and other

scholars like R.K. Yajnik continued their efforts in highlighting different aspects of this

area since then.7 During the nineteen fifties, Ramakrishna Kavi edited Bharata's

Natyasastra with Abhinavagupta's commentary, several volumes of which were

3

published in Baroda.8 At the University of Rome, Raniero Gnoli worked on two

significant portions of Bharata's text with Abhinavagupta's commentary that contained

the definitions of drama in the first chapter and the nature of the dramatic experience

technically called rasu in the sixth chapter.9 Thereafter, university professors in English

wrote on different aspects of Sanskrit literary criticism viewed in the perspectives of

English literary tradition. S.C. Sengupta is one of such pioneering scholars who published

his book Toward a Theory of the Imagination where he juxtaposed chapters on Sanskrit

critical theories with English ones.10 His was the first attempt at appreciating Hamlet in

the light of the rasa-dhvani theory, which is a pivot in Sanskrit critical tradition.

Sengupta's pioneering scholarship opened a new avenue for interpretations of world

literature in general and Shakespeare in particular, from the perspectives of Sanskrit

traditional criticism. The cultural value of this approach is not confined to non- English or

Indian audiences. It is equally valuable for the English audience in providing a critical

insight that refreshes traditional readings, widening the scope and relevance of their own

literary practices. This approach also encourages the critics of other traditions for an

aesthetic reciprocation without any political prejudice.

But the avenue opened by Sengupta has so far, not been traversed as one might

have expected. During the last three decades since his rasa-dhvani approach to Hamlet,

no critic has ever tried to read other tragedies of Shakespeare in the light of this Sanskrit

theory, nor has anybody tried to re-read the same play in the light of some other aspect(s)

of Sanskrit dramatic criticism. Sengupta considers the emotion of aversion as the primary

one, but it does not close the possibility of any other critic or audience to exercise his

own sensibility. The present dissertation deviates from Sengupta's approach not so much

4

theoretically as hermeneutically. The tools handled are similar to those of Sengupta’s i.e.

the rasa-dhvani theory, but the workmanship differs. Using the same tools a different

structure has been built. Agreeing with Sengupta that like any other drama viewed in the

Sanskrit perspectives, Hamlet projects an emotion, I differ from him that this emotion is

not aversion, but courage generating final sorrow.

Obviously, the present study requires a larger reach of imagination than what is

needed in a monocultural literary practice. The gain from this intellectual study is

undoubtedly profound; it avoids taking the local for the universal, the momentary for the

constant and the familiar for the inevitable.

A comparative study of literature of different cultures promotes true

multiculturalism. Translation of one culture into another (transculturality) is basically a

desirable cultural practice that promotes human understanding. This, in turn requires the

knowledge of the inter-relationship(s) amongst cultures (cross culturalism) and the

examination of issue(s) common to human experience in the perspective of different

cultural traditions. But it has been observed that in some cases, the principle of

multiculturalism has been adopted hypocritically, as a policy necessity, in order to

accommodate people of different cultures and races who are required to live together as a

consequence of colonization or otherwise, but their cultures are not equally respected.

Sukla in one of his recent papers observes how a comparativist gets involved with the

problems of multiculturalism:

The problem of a comparativist in translating a culture now gets involved

with the problems of multiculturalism and secular criticism. The question

of transculturality now depends upon the question of multiculturalism

which has been associated recently with the question of ethnicity and

Eurocentricism . Multiculturalism is basically a cultural policy adopted as a

response to the evident multi-ethnic nature of contemporary Western societies

which introduce their communities to the different belief systems, customs,

arts and crafts of their nations’ heterogeneous population. The policy of

5

tolerance and respect for difference that this idea of multiculturalism implies,

partially disguises an assumption of the centrality and dominance of the culture

of the white ethnic groups. The recent origin of the idea refers to the relationship

of English culture with those of Scotland, Wales and Ireland with particular

reference to the status and funding of the Welsh language and culture. In their

reaction to the values of English ideas of cultural pluralism and liberal humanism

underlying the idea of multiculturalism, Jordan and Weedon propose different

principles of culturality -those of antiracism, genuine dialogue and participation.

The issue of multiculturalism thus is involved with the issue of transculturality,

which in turn is involved with the interpretation of cultural terms, and as Edward Said

has recently observed "culture has always hierarchies, it has separated the elite from

the popular, the best from the less than best, and so forth."11

Thus, transculturality tends to disguise cultural domination. Erich Auerbach's

belief that European culture could be viewed coherently and importantly as

unquestionably central to human history is one of several instances of the attempts of

Eurocentric culture to dominate over other cultures and of racial arrogance.12

Multiculturalism can, however, be used healthily by way of negotiation, appropriation

and reciprocation where the demarcation between the dominant and the dominated is

abolished. Literary criticism from another culture should be "secular" as might be

understood in the light of Edward W. Said as "a critical consciousness that attempts at

founding an inherently representative and reproductive relationship between a dominant

culture and the domains it rules."13

Any author or work of any culture can be appreciated by an "other" culture

exercising freely its negotiative relationship. Comparative methodology, understood and

accepted in the light of this view, opens vistas of critical approaches and aesthetic

sensibility that will promote true multiculturalism. The present thesis is based on the

ideals mentioned above, with no culture trying to dominate any other culture. Indian epics

like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and other literary works of poets and dramatists

like Kalidasa of the classic period (till 12th century A.D.) have gained less prominence in

6

world literature than those of Shakespeare. These works have not been adequately

exposed in Western literary circles due to historical asymmetry. A true multicultural

approach will result if those literary works are also analysed critically in the light of

Western aesthetics in the manner I will analyse Shakespeare through classical Indian

aesthetics in the present project.

Any intercultural study of Shakespeare will be rewarding in the present secular

literary environment in India and in view of his popularity. The approach in this

dissertation, as that of Sengupta, has nothing to do with any colonial politics. The

political popularity of Shakespeare in India apart, Hamlet has been treated as a model for

world literature. Therefore, this approach rests primarily upon a critical foundation that

does not concern India’s political relationship with Britain although this relationship has

been instrumental in getting the play and its author acquainted with the Indian audience.

Notwithstanding the centrality of the critical foundation, therefore, the dealing of this

dissertation with political backgrounds has been peripheral.

In the second chapter, I take into account the introduction and growth of the

English language and literature in the education system of India, during and after the

colonial period, with special reference to Shakespeare. This account draws heavily upon

the research done by Gauri Viswanathan and Jyotsna Singh. The introductory description

shows that Shakespeare was an intellectual imposition upon, rather than a willing

acceptance by the traditionally educated native Indians. This acceptance was

subsequently naturalized as the British and Western values gradually dominated the

attitude and activities of the educated Indians. The third chapter deals with the complex

reception of Shakespeare in the theatrical and subsequently cinematic performances. It is

7

noted that Shakespeare was relatively more popular in the adaptations, than his original

versions. The reasons of Shakespeare’s popularity, particularly of Hamlet’s are discussed

in the fourth chapter.

In the fifth chapter, the Sanskrit theories of rasa, dhvani and rasa-dhvani are

outlined. In the next chapter (chapter six), which forms the central part of this

dissertation, I dedicate a short section to a Geeta interpretation of Hamlet. I also present

the theme and the structure of Sanskrit drama with illustrations from some of the

principal texts such as Kalidasa’s Shakuntala. Here, I consider it necessary to briefly

sketch the plots of these Sanskrit plays, for my non-Indian readers, who might be

unfamiliar with the Indian epics and legends. Simultaneously, I apply the Sanskrit

theories of rasa and dhvani in studying Hamlet, where I dispute the earlier thesis of Prof.

S.C. Sengupta. The concluding chapter examines the scope and limits of the comparative

method followed in the present work.

2 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN COLONIAL AND POSTCOLONIAL INDIA

The reception of Shakespeare in India, particularly in academia, is intertwined with the introduction and growth of English language and literature in India. The role of traditional Indian education in the reception of the Bard is speculative, and I find scant material to suggest any striking correlation or to produce any conclusive evidence.

Nevertheless, before entering a discussion of English education, I would like to give a short account of the existing education system in pre-colonial India, as a rightful contribution to my cross-disciplinary project.

2.1 Education in Pre-colonial India

A singular feature of ancient Indian or Hindu culture is that it has been moulded and shaped in the course of its history more by religious than by political or economic factors. “The fundamental principles of social, political and economic life were welded into a comprehensive theory which is called Religion in Hindu thought. The total configuration of ideals, practices, and conduct is called dharma1 (Religion, Virtue or Duty) in this ancient tradition.”1 This dharma or religion played a vital role in all spheres of national life for ancient Indians. The Hindu view of life has always focused on the

1 The word dharma is one of the most intractable terms in Hindu philosophy. Usually dharma has been translated as religious code, righteousness, a system of morality, duty, charity, virtue etc. but none of these renderings can capture that special connotation in the original Sanskrit term. It means that which sustains or holds together different aspects and qualities of an object into a whole. It means not merely righteousness or goodness but the inherent nature of anything. As heat and light are the dharmas of the sun, a cold dark sun is impossible. Similarly in order to continue our existence as truly dynamic people of this world, we have to stay in the right path by remaining faithful to true natures. To avoid ambiguity I will adopt the most commonly used English translation of dharma i.e religion.

9

spiritual and the ideal as against the physical and temporal. Contrary to general belief, the

Hindu thinkers have been eager to convert "nebulous ideals into determinate concepts,

vague social attitudes into specific rules of conduct, and to envisage the group-life not as

an indefinite aesthetic or romantic reality but as a system of laws."2 The mode of adapting

to group-life is not left to take its own turn through the raw impulses of every individual

or through changing fashions. The ideals and values that the group conceives as supreme

have to be clearly carved in the mind of the individual, and the aim can be realized

through appropriate training of the bodily and psychic functions of each individual. This

constituted learning in ancient India and continued through the ages until the British

intervened and eliminated the entire system.

Learning in ancient India was cherished and pursued not for its own sake but as a

part of religion. It was sought as a means to the highest end of life i.e. mukti or

emancipation. The idea is that it is useless to grasp the knowledge of the whole through

parts, through the individual objects making up the universe. Since the right way is

directly to seek the source of all life and knowledge, the pursuit of objective knowledge is

not the chief concern of this kind of education. Learning took place in a hermitage in the

midst of sylvan surroundings, away from the din and bustle of urban life. The pupil had

to leave home at a tender age and live with his teacher or guru and was treated by him in

every way as his son.ii "The pupil was to imbibe the inward method of his teacher, the

secrets of his efficiency, the spirit of his life and work as these things are too subtle to be

taught."3

.ii While girls were allowed to receive education during the ancient period, their status gradually fell

during medieval times and only the girls belonging to rich and aristocratic families had the privilege of

receiving a sound education.

10

Education was free from the interference of the state as rulers who were not directly

involved in educational matters but supported it through land and money grants.

Learning or education was by and large caste-oriented. The Brahmanas or

Brahmins (highest in the caste hierarchy) studied the four Vedas (Hindu scriptures) with

their auxiliaries: astronomy, astrology, materialistic philosophy, literature and the

sciences. A Kshatriya (one belonging to the princely or warrior caste) studied the Vedas

and learnt the arts of managing horses, elephants and chariots, of writing accounts and of

waging wars. The Vaishyas (traders) learnt the arts of husbandry, merchandise and taking

care of the cattle. The Sudras were expected to serve the upper three castes and to

perform menial tasks. There was however, some scope for receiving education not

prescribed for one's own caste by which one could change vocations and enter a different

caste. While the immediate objectives of education, included preparation of individuals

for their caste-based vocations, the ultimate objectives were self-realization and liberation

of the soul.

There were advanced seats of learning or seminaries for students who wanted to

pursue higher study after completing their basic education. The most famous among these

were Varanasi, Taxila, Nalanda, Kanchi, Vikramshila, Vallabhi, Nadia, and Pushpagiri.

Courses were offered in a wide variety of subjects like the study of the Vedas, sciences,

medicine, surgery, archery, agriculture, philosophy, grammar, linguistics, rhetoric, logic,

history, mythology, mathematics, political science, astronomy, fine arts, yoga and so on.

Sanskrit poetics was a separate field of study but it received this special status at a period

impossible to locate by historians.4

11

Such was the state of education in pre-colonial India. While this system was

admired by some of the British colonialists, it drew severe contempt from others and was

rejected as impractical and non-utilitarian.

2.2 Orientalism versus Anglicism

The British had first entered India through the East India Company, which was

perhaps the world's first multinational corporation, having a wide global reach from

Great Britain to China through India and the East Indies. Its focus of activity was in

India. From trading, the company eventually entered into the direct administration of the

whole country, which it had gradually acquired through various methods of intrigue and

ploy. In the course of time, the company servants had become steeped in corruption and

moral degradation and ruthlessly exploited the native material resources. They were

prone to vices of all kinds and had amassed huge amounts of illicit fortunes in India.

Consequently, the administration suffered. Their avarice and shameful misuse of power

caused Britain to question the morality of its presence in India. The attitude and

behaviour of the early administrators of the East India Company made some people

worry about the permanence of the British rule in India. According to Charles Grant:

The primary objective of Great Britain, let it be acknowledged, was rather to

discover what could be obtained from her Asiatic subjects, than how they could

be benefited. In process of time, it was found expedient to examine how they

might be benefited in order that we might continue to hold the advantages which

we at first derived from them….[Their] happiness is committed to our care.'

Thus self-interest gradually merged with a degree of idealism and the guiding force

became political. Thus, Viswanathan writes, "however much parliamentary discussion of

12

the British presence in India may have been couched in moral terms, there was no

obscuring the real issue, which remained political, not moral"6.

This commingled sense of guilt and a strong desire to increase territorial control

led among other things to the introduction of English literature in India through the

important Charter Act of 1813. According to the 13th resolution, it was the moral duty of

England to uphold the "interests and happiness" of Indian natives and to take steps "as

may tend to the introduction among them of useful knowledge, and of religious and moral

improvement."7

Since as early as the mid-eighteenth century the British parliament had

reservations about a commercial company constituting an independent political power in

India. The Company was not answerable to the Crown according to Pitt's India Act of

1784. Nevertheless, as more and more reports of the misdeeds of the Company officials

came into light, Parliament gradually curtailed the powers of the Company through

several bills and the paramouncy of the Crown was slowly established. The total power of

administration was finally taken over by the Crown at a much later date when the first

organized rebellion of 1857 against the British Rule was suppressed. This rebellion,

described by the colonial historians as the "Sepoy Mutiny" but by the subsequent Indian

nationalists as the "First War of Independence", was a serious jolt to the colonial rule in

India and led to a re-organization of the administrative system.

It may however be admitted that the administration under the East India Company

was not totally insensitive to the welfare of the native subjects. Troubled by the depravity

of their own administration which might have loosened their hold on the natives, Edmund

Burke had recommended taking measures to "form a strong and solid security for the

13

natives against the wrongs and oppressions of British subjects resident in Bengal" in the

year 1773.8

It was presumed by many that the key to an efficient administration lay in the

proper understanding of Indian culture. Warren Hastings, the Governor General from

1774 to 1785, was quick to acknowledge this, and made efforts to re-awaken Indian

culture and learning, and to make the natives aware of their own cultural heritage. This

led to the unforgettable phase of the British rule known as the "Orientalist Phase."

Warren Hastings candidly acknowledged that, "every accumulation of knowledge, and

especially such as is obtained by social communication with people over whom we

exercise a dominion founded on the right of conquest, it is useful to the state: it is the gain

of humanity."9

Whatever the underlying motive, the immediate effect of eighteenth century

Orientalism was beneficial. It revitalized the low morale of the Indians and produced

literary scholars like William Jones, Henry T. Colebrooke, Nathaniel Halhed and Charles

Wilkins who helped a great deal in reviving the ancient wisdom of the East.

Conspicuously, the leadership of this movement was mainly in the hands of

Western scholars. The Indian Sanskrit scholars, by that time, had already retreated into a

self-created shell of superstition and dogma as a means of protection against the

onslaught of strong Islamic culture in the past several centuries. Any scholastic

discussion was mainly confined to the Brahmins in certain religious centres like Varanasi,

Puri, Kanchi and Dwaraka. Interaction with outside culture was positively discouraged.

Muslims and Christians were treated by the Brahmins almost as "untouchables" and

described as mlechas and javanás. This was somewhat parallel to the Christian concept of

14

heathenism with the difference that, while the Christian Evangelists tried to bring the

"heathens" into the fold of Christianity, such conversion into the Hindu religion was not

considered. The few native scholars in the aforesaid centres had no influence on the

policy making process at the central level.

The Orientalist phase did not last long. The next Governor General was Lord

Cornwallis, who took over in 1786. At that time the Government was facing a financial

crisis and degenerated moral standards. It was convenient on the part of Cornwallis to

accuse the previous Government's policies including the policy of cultural assimilation.

He tried to bring about a radical change in the whole set-up and imposed English

principles of administration and public behaviour. This gave birth to the "Anglicism"

movement as opposed to Orientalism. Corwallis removed Indians from all-important

positions and the easy contact between the rulers and the ruled was no longer possible.

There rose an impenetrable wall of distinction between the colonialists and the colonized.

Anglicism, however, failed to find a strong foothold in Indian society. The two

immediate successors of Lord Cornwallis, Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) and the Marquess

of Hastings (1812-23) rejected the harsh policies of their predecessor and were politically

astute enough to realize the beneficial effects of promoting native culture and oriental

learning. The English administration perceived the necessity of maintaining an alliance

with the Indian elite, partly to gain their favour and partly to rule the common Indian

people through them, thus filtering the effects of foreign rule.

While the Charter Act in 1813 was passed introducing the English language and

literature in public schools, the teaching of oriental languages and literature was also

promoted, albeit freed, as much as possible, of their "undesirable elements." Several

schools and colleges were opened for native Indians, which were devoted to oriental

language and literature. It was considered too early to introduce Western Science and

English as the medium of instruction. This situation more or less prevailed in India during

the first quarter of the nineteenth century. During this period, the Asiatic society based at

Bombay was established (1804), which in subsequent years did a commendable job in

projecting the cultural heritage of India.

Gradually the question arose of how Indians could be moulded to suit the British

administrative needs. The need to reform the attitudes of Indians became a basic concern

of the Government. Being firmly established in India by that time, the Government was

completely aware of its own authority over the natives. Orientalism became steadily

drowned by the huge wave of reform sweeping over the Indian multitude. Finally,

Anglicism prevailed almost totally over Orientalism.

2.3 The Role of Christian Missionaries

The British initiated Christian missionary activities during the first decade of the

nineteenth century through a group of dedicated missionaries called the "Clapham

Evangelists" who were equally responsible for the replacement of Orientalism by

Anglicism. The Government, however, always kept their activities in check because of

the apprehension that any interference with the beliefs of Indians (both the "religious

Hindus" and the "zealous Muslims") may provoke violent opposition impeding Britain's

commercial growth. The administration was quite conscious of the need to expose the

Indians to the basic tenets of Christianity, which was felt to go a long way in reforming

them morally and intellectually. Simultaneously, it was also realized that Western

16

sciences could not be imparted to the Indian people without tampering with their religious

convictions due to the belief that in Hinduism, all knowledge is incorporated in religion.

Thus, a delicate balance was to be maintained.

This dilemma was partially resolved by the introduction of English literature

through the Charter Act. This Act called for support to the "revival and improvement of

literature, and the encouragement of the learned natives of India."10

This declaration led to a controversy about the literature that should be promoted.

Although the term "revival" seemed to suggest, "oriental literature" there was widespread

discontentment amongst the colonial intellectuals about the usefulness of promoting an

apparently "non-utilitarian" system of education. These intellectuals were convinced of

the superiority and rationality of European knowledge. Classical Indian literature that was

cherished by the British in the early part of its rule, by 1820, drew only severe contempt.

This is exemplified by the famous remark of Thomas Babington Macaulay that:

a single shelf of a good European library is worth the whole native

literature of India and Arabia. It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say, that

all the historical information which has been collected from all the books

written in the Sanscrit language is less valuable than what may be found

in the most paltry abridgements used at preparatory schools in England.11

Macaulay was a great believer of the benevolence of British rule and was

considered the architect of English education in India. His following remark reflected the

thinking of the ruling class at that time:

English education will train the natives "who are Indian in blood and

colour" to become English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in

intellect. These people will constitute a class who would in fact, protect

the British interests and help them rule a vast and potentially unruly

land.12

17

Thus, English education was felt necessary to perpetuate the British rule with the

help of Indians, which otherwise would be difficult by a few British people in a vast

country.

The Government was, however, more cautious and allowed the oriental

seminaries to exist but removed the teaching of English from these institutions.

Simultaneously, separate colleges were set up where English was the sole medium of

instruction. The reason put forward was that, in the oriental seminaries, the students

failed to speak fluent English since they had to learn three languages (their mother

tongue, Sanskrit and English) simultaneously. Gradually, more and more funds were

diverted from oriental colleges to modern English institutions leading to a progressive

annihilation of native classical literature.

This development in the1830's triggered off criticism even amongst Englishmen.

Horace Wilson and many other orientalists openly condemned this repression of oriental

studies. Ironically, their voice was subdued by a group of Calcutta citizens led by Raja

Rammohan Roy and the English watchmaker, David Hare, who demanded the instruction

of English language and literature and requested a college imparting a European system

of education and morale. The underlying motive behind this appeal was obviously self-

advancement. A sound knowledge of English would make those Indians, who could

achieve this, eligible for lucrative Government positions. In this opportune situation,

Governor-General William Bentick proposed the English Education Act of 1835, on the

advice of Macaulay. This Act made English the medium of instruction in the Indian

curriculum, bringing about a radical change in the education system. It must, however,

not to be forgotten that English language studies had already seeped into Indian society,

though in rudimentary stages, long before 1835.

English literary study assumed a new meaning with the opening of organized

missionary activity in India. The famous Scottish missionary, Alexander Duff had arrived

in India in 1829. He was instrumental in the alteration of the direction of English study.

He and other Christian missionaries were of the view that mere British education, without

prior religious instruction in Christianity, would not be able to make Indian students

imbibe the British moral values. Duff went to the extent of ascribing the cause of the

1857 rebellion to the prevailing religious neutrality maintained by the Government. His

maxim ran as follows; "as Christianity has never taught rulers to oppress, it will never

teach subjects to rebel.",13

Duff established his own institution, the Mission College at Calcutta in 1830

under the patronage of the Free Church of Scotland. In due course, the following books

were introduced in his course of English literature: Poetical Reader, Cowper's Poems,

Pollock's Course of Time, Selections from Southey, Montgomery, Campbell and

Wordsworth, Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome, Akenside's Pleasures of Imagination,

Young's Night Thoughts, Bacon's Moral and Civil Essays and Advancement of Learning,

Whatley's Rhetoric, Schlegel's History of Literature, Hallam's Literary History of the

Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, Foster's Essays, Select Essays from the

North British and Other Reviews and several books from the London Tract and Book

Society. The books prescribed in the Department of Theology were the Bible, Paley's

Natural Theology and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and those in Philosophy were Mill's

Logic, Raid's Inquiry and Essays, Thomas Brown's Lectures, Abercrombie's Intellectual

19

and Moral Powers, Whewall’s Moral Philosophy, Bacon’s Novum Organon, Plato’s

Dialogues and Butler’s Dissertation on Human Nature.14

The Christian missionaries established many more English medium schools and

colleges in India, in subsequent years.

The Government schools, however, prescribed a different set of books in the

literature course. The syllabus included books like Richardson’s Poetical Selections

(Goldsmith, Gray, Addison, Pope and Shakespeare), Otway’s Venice Preserved,

Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth, Pope’s Iliad by Homer, Milton’s Paradise

Lost (the first four books), Addison’s Essays, Johnson’s Rasselas and Lives of the Poets,

Paley’s Moral Philosophy, Goldsmith’s History of England, Bacon’s Essays, Novum

Organon and Advancement of Learning, Malkin’s History of Greece, Horace Wilson’s

Universal History, Adam Smith’s Moral Sentiments, Abercrombie’s Intellectual Powers

and Whewall’s Moral Philosophy.15

Conspicuously Shakespeare’s works did not find place in Duff’s initial selection

of books, though he might have been represented to some extent in The Poetical Reader.

Perhaps he was not considered religious enough to promote Christian morals.

Prescription of his plays in the syllabi of Government schools may be considered as an

attempt of cultural imposition since he (Shakespeare) was a cultural icon of British

society.

Though the Government refused to yield completely to the pressure of the

missionaries, they were getting less and less certain of the policy they had adopted

towards the education of the Indian masses. The Marques of Tweeddale, Governor and

Commander-in Chief of Madras (1842-48) advocated the same education system for

20

India as the lower classes received in England. According to him, both the Hindus and the

Muslims in India had essential characteristics of immorality, sensuality, self-indulgence,

corruption and depravity as the working class in England. Hence it was deemed necessary

to impart more religious education (compared to the upper classes in England) to these

"fallen" people in order to reform and "rescue" them and for the British Government to

have control over them. The upper classes in England received a more classical education

from which the less privileged classes were excluded. Classical education, in this context,

meant a greater dose of literary and scholarly education, which would prepare them to fit

better to the upper privileged ruling class.

The parallelism drawn between the English working class and the Indians gave

rise to a fresh wave of doubt in the British administrative circles about their wisdom of

avoiding direct religious education and proscribing the teaching of the Bible in

Government institutions. It served to remind them of another English officer in the East

India Company in the late eighteenth century, Charles Grant, who had strongly advocated

introducing European education and Christianity as the only means of ensuring durability

of the British rule in India.

In another development, the military department started supporting the views of

the missionaries that mere study of European literature without the knowledge of

Christian morals and values did not create loyalty to the British Government. Major-

General Rowlandson summed up his opinion in the following words; "I have seen native

students who had obtained an insight into European literature and history, in whose

minds there seemed to be engendered a spirit of disaffection towards the British

Government."16

21

More and more reports came of young men developing the new spirit of enquiry

and showing contempt towards Christianity and their disbelief in the "great principles of

natural religion."17

Slowly the Government started yielding to increasing pressure from Christian

missionary and other lobbies. Missionary activities were encouraged and schools began

imparting religious instruction in an indirect manner, in the name of teaching English

literature and language. Officially, however, the policy of religious non-interference

remained and the Bible was proscribed from the school and college curricula.

It must be admitted that although there seemed to be an apparent difference of

opinion between the missionary and the secular Government institutions, both shared a

common goal of inculcating Christian values among the Indians. The belief of English

literature being a "vast repository of Christian values" helped the administrators to find

"an ally in literature in promoting the superiority of British/ Christian culture under the

guise of a liberal education."18

Although the missionaries would have preferred the introduction of the Bible in

all educational institutions, they could not overrule the Government by imposing a

fundamentally religious education. So, they were forced to compromise and concentrate

on the inherent religious and moral values propagated in English literature. In the words

of Reverend William Keane:

Shakespeare, though by no means a good standard, is full of religion; it

is full of common sense principles which none but Christian men can

recognise. Sound Protestant Bible principles, though not actually told in

words, are there set out to advantage, and the opposite often condemned.

So with Goldsmith... and many other books which are taught in the

schools.... [which] have undoubtedly sometimes a favourable effect in

actually bringing them to us missionaries.19

22

Though many missionaries rejected such arguments, the general consensus was in

favour of Shakespeare as a storehouse of Christian ethics and morals.

In the missionary seminaries native preachers were trained to spread the message

of Christianity amongst the masses. This proved to be more difficult than anticipated. The

native preachers were considered to be intellectually weak and failed to grasp the full

meaning and principles of Christianity. But the European missionaries found it difficult to

communicate with the native people because of their limited knowledge of native

languages and lack of understanding of their thinking. It was therefore suggested that

English education be given to the native preachers so that they gain access to

"wholesome literature" and thereby improve their morals. But it was observed that many

English educated Indian preachers were secretly hostile to these alien modes of thought

and their notion of science. English literature proved to be only partially successful as a

means of conveying the moral tenets and true principles of Christianity. There was a

painful realization on the part of dedicated missionaries who had spent their lives in

missionary work that any attempt of mass conversion to Christianity in India would prove

to be futile.

However, it became evident in the course of time, to the surprise of many

missionaries that English literature was more effective than Biblical instruction, in better

understanding and accepting of the Christian faith. Reading Milton, Bacon, Locke,

Abercrombie, Addison, Johnson and even Shakespeare, encouraged voluntary reading of

the Bible for better comprehension. It was even claimed that converts to Christianity from

Government colleges were no less than those from missionary institutions. Thus, English

23

literature provided a perfect symbiosis of two conflicting notions, religion and

secularism.

It was interesting to observe that English studies assumed a "purer" form in India

in the colonial period than in the mother country. Highbrow scholarly reading in England

was giving way to the more popular form of reading, due to the increased level of literacy

amongst the British masses. Reading no longer remained confined to the elite population

in England. It therefore brought qualitative change to literature. In contrast, Indian society

at that time provided an ideal setting for the cultivation of the "purer" form of English.

The upper class Indians, both Hindus and Muslims, were traditionally educated in

Sanskrit and Arabic or Persian respectively and the lower class was confined to the

vernaculars. The study of English was confined to the upper elite class in India, which

was influential and had full control over the lower classes. Thus educating the masses in

English was unnecessary, as it would not reap much benefit for the colonial rulers. In the

words of Charles Trevelyan, an eminent educationist, the educated Indians "speak purer

English than we speak ourselves, for they take it from the purest models. They speak the

language of the Spectator, such English as is never spoken in England."20 iii

iii Even today, one finds the colonial style of writing English, which is very pedantic in the courts and

offices of India. This is very often derogatively remarked as Baboo English by the modern writers.

2.4 The Establishment of English and Shakespeare in India

As already mentioned, the literary curriculum in the Government schools in the

mid-nineteenth century focused on Shakespearean tragedies like Hamlet, Othello and

Macbeth. Much emphasis was placed on the language and rhetoric of the plays.

Memorization and recitation of certain scenes were common methods of learning

Shakespeare for students. Shakespearean language and rhetoric were topics of discussion

in literary societies, which were predominantly mimicry of British cultural values. The

aristocratic Indians, while being encouraged to become surrogate Englishmen, were

nevertheless reminded of their limitations in fully comprehending the “truths” of Western

literature, owing to their cultural background. For the Indians, it was not simply the

literature of the colonial masters but a means to attaining a higher cultural identity and

breaking the shackles of obscurantist traditionalism. Thus, Jyotsna Singh notes:

English literature was idealized by elite Indian nationalists, imbued with

liberalism that saw “Bengal Renaissance” in the late nineteenth century

as a rebirth or rediscovery of a heroic Hindu age under the progressive

wings of English literature. Major literary figures like Iswarchandra

Vidyasagar and Michael Madhusudan Dutt imitated English models such

as Milton’s vernacular epic to produce the genre of a nationalistic epic in

a Miltonic cast, Dutt’s Ramayana being representative of this genre.

Some introduced Bacon and Hume to Indian students or translated

Shakespeare.21

Sudipto Chatterjee has explained this curious combination in the following way:

The Bengali Renaissance was the outgrowth of the grafting of a foreign

culture onto a more-than-willing native culture. For the Bengalis their

response to what was imposed by the British was a search for a cultural

identity that could, at some level, set them on a par with their European

overlords. It is in the wake of this endeavour; to assume/regain a

respectful self-identity that, in the 1840s, several theatres [among other

institutions] were spawned in the native quarters of Calcutta.22

English language and literature (Shakespeare included) were firmly established in

India by the last two decades of the nineteenth century, although, as the earlier

discussions reveal, their introduction were impositions by the colonial masters for good

governance and cultural domination with the main objective of perpetuation of their rule.

But it turned out that the English language became a unifying factor in the subsequent

nationalist movement and struggle for independence. This was the language through

which nationalists from different corners, speaking different languages, could

communicate amongst themselves.

In the later part of the nineteenth century many private schools and colleges were

opened by Indian philanthropists, which were not run by the Government or Christian

missionary organizations. Many such institutions had nationalistic and/or non-Christian

bias. Two Hindu reformist organizations, the Rama Krishna Mission and the Arya Samaj,

were pioneers in this. The schools and colleges run by these organizations had good

standards of education. While ancient Christian scriptures and thought were promoted in

those schools and colleges, the study of English language and literature were also

encouraged with a pragmatic approach because of the importance of this language in the

contemporary world. As expected, in the English curriculum, quasi-Christian religious

literature did not find a place whereas Shakespeare was a common item. The proliferation

of schools and colleges where English was taught continued well into the twentieth

century. By this time purely vernacular schools promoted in the early phase of the British

administration, where no English was taught, had almost disappeared (except in primary

schools).

The question of continuing English in schools and colleges and in the

administration was again seriously debated after India attained independence in 1947.

The post-colonial period witnessed rapid expansion in education. The anti-English

movement was championed by two otherwise antagonistic groups - the religious

revivalists and the backward class (dalits). They perceived English education as

promoting "un-Indian" cultural values and creating a vested elite class. The Hindi

language spoken by the majority of Indians was the natural candidate to fill in the space,

if English was removed. But the "angrezi-ratao" (remove English) movement, created

suspicion in the minds of many politicians from the non-Hindi speaking states as being a

ploy for the domination of the Hindi-speaking people over the non-Hindi speaking

population. The Southern state of Tamil Nadu (formerly the Madras Province) - the

birthplace of the anti-Aryan Dravidian movement, spearheaded the leadership in

opposing the anti-English movement. Many top leaders of India's independence

movement like Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr BR Ambedkar (the Champion of dalit causes)

were the products of English liberal education. Ultimately the pragmatic view of retaining

English while promoting Indian languages prevailed.

Today the minority population has a right to run its own schools under the Indian

Constitution. Taking advantage of this, many Christian organizations have opened their

own schools where the medium of instruction is English. Such schools are immensely

popular among the urban middle class and the studentship is mainly non-Christian. The

teaching is also predominantly secular. In fact the spread of English language in the post-

independence era is phenomenal. India ranks third, next to the USA and the UK, in the

publication of English books. English has come to stay in India permanently, in a state of

27

stable equilibrium, despite its foreign origin. But its status is ambiguous. It is not the

"first language" but is certainly not the "second language," as the terms are commonly

understood.

English is a compulsory paper of study in high schools beyond class VII

(secondary and higher secondary levels) in almost all the states. At the higher levels of

education (in colleges and universities) English is invariably the medium of instruction,

particularly for science, engineering, medicine, law and management studies in most of

the institutions. However, there is an option available for imparting education and

answering the examinations in Hindi or in the regional language (the main language of a

state).

The English departments in most of the universities are usually large. The old

classical English literature, which was zealously promoted by Christian missionaries and

colonial rulers in the nineteenth century, no longer finds prominence in the syllabi.

Instead, American literature and writings of Indian authors have been included. But

Shakespeare holds a special place in the Indian intellectual and literary circles. His

writings are considered secular, universal and eternal. In almost all the universities, at

least one play of Shakespeare is taught at the Graduate (English Honours/ Major) and

Post-Graduate (Masters) levels. Hamlet happens to be one of the most popular plays

taught.

The English language (along with it, Shakespeare) has been to a very large extent

"indigenised" in post-colonial India. It is neither considered by the majority of educated

Indians as an imposition of the "ruling class" nor is it felt necessary to cultivate the

language to attain "higher cultural identity" as was felt during the Bengal Renaissance.

"Indian English" has found greater acceptance in the world. Many Indian writings on

Indian themes in English have received international awards, e.g. Vikram Seth, (A

Suitable Boy), Salman Rushdie (Midnight's Children) and Arundhati Roy (God of Small

Things). V.S. Naipaul, the Nobel Laureate of 2002, is an ethnic Indian from Trinidad and

has written many books on India.

In both colonial and post-colonial India, English studies have been given much

importance in academia as a hallmark of progress and civilization, albeit for different

reasons. The reception of Shakespeare in post-colonial India can be perceived from the

following remarks of the noted critic, C.D. Narasimhaiah, during the Commemoration of

the fourth centenary of Shakespeare's birth, in 1964:

to us educated Indians, the coming of the British... meant among other

things, the coming of Shakespeare, of noble speech and brave deeds

and so Shakespeare must have a special significance for us in India.

Until recently, for hundred and fifty years or so [since 1835], we have

learnt English through Shakespeare, and thanks to him the learning has

been so pleasant and profitable. Indeed to most of us, English educated

Indians, Shakespeare's characters, the situations in his plays, and those

memorable lines of his have become almost as intimate a part of our

lives as those of the best of our own writers. Shakespeare, more than

the English monarch, seems to be the true and vital link between India

and England.23

Narasimhaiah's vision of colonial history that the loss of Britain's political hold

over India would be compensated by the everlasting presence of Shakespeare has proven

to be true. According to him, Shakespeare has been instrumental in creating a natural

bond between the British and the Indians in a way that occludes colonial history. It may

be noted here that a society named The Shakespeare Society of India located at Delhi

University, has been created by Indian Shakespearean scholars. The society holds

periodic discussions, workshops and seminars on Shakespeare, often supported by the

British Council. It also edits a journal entitled The Journal of Hamlet Studies. The

29

remarks of Narasimhaiah appear to hold true only for the elite minorities. But subsequent

discussions in this thesis will show that Shakespeare has been widely adapted/ translated

into various Indian languages and in performances through successful negotiations and

appropriations without any emotional attachment to England or to the English language.

In this sense the popularity of Shakespeare also remains high with the majority of non-

English speaking Indians.

Thus, Shakespeare continues to exist in Indian society and cultural life in two

distinct hierarchical levels: the Shakespeare in the English language and the Shakespeare

in its Indian versions. The first Shakespeare exists exclusively for the English educated

elite and the other Shakespeare that exists in the form of translations and adaptations

though often resisted and criticised, has penetrated into the different strata of Indian

society and eventually encompassed a much wider circle.

The forthcoming chapter discusses the reception of Shakespeare in the theatrical

and cinematic performances including those in different Indian languages.

3 THE RECEPTION OF SHAKESPEARE IN INDIA: SHAKESPEARE IN INDIAN LANGUAGES AND IN PERFORMANCES

While Shakespeare has slowly diffused into various regions in India, the mainstay

of his activity has been limited to a few centres like Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamil

Nadu, especially in the colonial period. While concentrating primarily on the theatres of

these regions, I include other theatres like Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam and Mizo

that have also significantly borne the Shakespearean impact.

3.1 Shakespeare in Bengali

During the late eighteenth century when the introduction of English literature in

India was a topic of intense debate, theatre going was a popular pastime among the

Bengalis. Jatra, the folk theatre, was popular in Bengali culture before the British came

to Bengal. But modern theatres were the introduction of the latter in the city life of

Calcutta (presently called Kolkota), which was the main centre of the East India

Company's activities. The upper class Bengalis, who came in social contact with the

British, gradually developed a liking for the theatre. The introduction of English literary

studies tacitly paved the way for Shakespeare, who occupied the most revered position in

English drama. In the words of Sushil Mukherjee:

When the English came to Calcutta they brought with them the plays of

Shakespeare. Early in the nineteenth century Shakespeare was a subject

of study in the Hindu College [in Calcutta]. Much before that

Shakespeare's plays had begun to be staged in the theatres that local

Englishmen had set up in the city for their entertainment and relaxation.

The names of David Garrick, the great eighteenth-century

Shakespearean actor, and Garrick's Drury Lane theatre… were familiar

in Calcutta among the readers of Shakespeare and the lovers of the

theatre.1

The building of the Calcutta Theatre in 1775 set off a trend of regular

performances of English plays. One of the first plays to be performed was Hamlet

followed by Richard III, Richard Sheridan Brinsley’s The School for Scandal and lesser

known plays like George Farquhar’s The Beaux Stratagem, and William Wycherley’s She

Would and She Would Not.2 It is believed that special instructions had been sent by David

Garrick regarding the construction of the Calcutta Theatre. The theatrical arrangements

and architecture of the playhouse naturally followed the pattern of the theatres of the

mother country, like Covent Garden, Drury Lane, etc. The Chowringhee Theatre, which

was opened in 1813, was noted for its performances of Shakespearean plays, some of

which were Henry IV, Richard III, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Unfortunately, a fire

gutted the theatre in the year 1839, when it was at its height of celebrity. Another theatre

called the Sans Souci was inaugurated in the same year, long remembered for its

Shakespearean productions, particularly for the Merchant of Venice in 1843. But

undoubtedly, the most memorable performance was that of Baishnav Charan Adhya as

Othello opposite Mrs Anderson as Desdemona in August 1848: “a Bengali youth in an

English theatre catering to an [largely] English audience in… the nineteenth century, is

certainly a memorable event in the history of Calcutta’s theatres.”3

The novel phenomenon of the appearance of an Indian in an exclusively English

playhouse created quite a stir in the local community, which is evident in one letter to the

Calcutta Star where Adhya is sneered at as “a real unpainted nigger Othello.”4 However,

the theatre, which was barred to the natives till then, gradually opened its doors to

aristocratic Indians, some of whom were associated with the later productions. That

32

theatrical activity in the Calcutta area, prominently centred on Shakespeare, is not

surprising. It was merely a reflection of Shakespeare’s popularity in England between the

late eighteenth and the end of the nineteenth century.

Shakespeare’s characters and plots had a profound influence on the artists and

writers of the Victorian period. This mimicry of Shakespearean works in colonial

Calcutta also aimed at the “civilizing mission” of the British rulers. Visiting troupes from

overseas like the Bandmann’s Company staged Hamlet, Macbeth and Richard III in

1882. Later, in 1909, another troupe with well-known actors like Matherson Lang and

Charles Vane performed in Calcutta.5 By the mid-Victorian period, the Bengali elite and

middle class had been fairly exposed to English theatrical conventions and ideas, and

particularly to Shakespeare.

Meanwhile, the Bengali elite had been seeking a cultural identity that would

elevate their status in the eyes of their colonial masters. An exposure to English theatres

and prominent literary giants like Shakespeare was a sure means of gaining access to the

rulers and acquiring the status of being cultured and refined natives. Taking this into

account, it is not surprising that Shakespeare’s works held a considerably revered position

in the colonial society. Singh testifies to this interest in the following words:

While the English playhouses by their production of English, especially Shakespeare’s plays created an appetite for theatrical performances, the foundation of the Hindu College in 1816, and the teaching of Shakespeare by eminent teachers like Richardson [who was also a founder of the Chowringhee Theatre] created in the minds of students – the intelligentsia of modern Bengal – a literary taste for drama as such, and taught them, not only how to appreciate Shakespeare criticism, but also to recite and act scenes from his plays. This fashion spread to every academic institution. In 1837 Bengali students staged scenes from The Merchant of Venice in the Governor’s house; in 1852 and 1853, the students of the Metropolitan Academy and David Hare Academy staged Shakespeare’s plays, while the old and new students of the Oriental Academy staged… Shakespeare’s Othello in 1853, The Merchant of Venice in 1854, and Henry IV in 1855. Shakespeare’s dramas became an indispensable part of English education and a popular item in all cultural

33

productions. The Bengali theatre, which made its mark in the later

decades, was the natural outcome of this new-found passion.6

Though somewhat amateurish, these performances were generally appreciated and

Shakespearean plays continued being performed by Indians.

Slightly deviating from the norm of reproducing Shakespeare in its original form,

a few Bengali translations were inclined towards Indianization to suit the native taste.

The first Bengali adaptation of Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice) by Haran Chandra

Ghose that is a rendering in prose and verse is named Bhanumati Cittavilas (1853).7 Not

only are the names of the dramatis personae Indianized but also the story has been

considerably changed with additions, deletions and alterations. Retaining only the main

plot of highlighting Portia’s cleverness in outwitting Shylock, this adaptation draws on

Shakespeare’s ideas but is given a Bengali garb. The second Bengali translation of The

Merchant of Venice entitled Suralata (1877) is a less Indianized version but it focuses

more on the heroine than on the ‘merchant.’8 Another striking example of the exercise

towards Indianization is Bhranti Vilas, a translation of The Comedy of Errors (1869) by

Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar. “He took every care in changing the title of the play, names of

persons and places, eliminated all traces of foreignness, substituted all references to

Western customs and social behaviour by appropriate cultural equivalents. ‘The capon

burns; the pig falls from the spit’ (I ii: 44), for example, has been eliminated, being

offensive to both Hindu and Muslim sensibility, ‘Meat is cold’ has been replaced by a

non-descript vegetarian menu, ahar samagri (food), as a literal translation could have

given wrong signals”9 Another bold attempt was made by Haran Chandra Rakshit who

summarised all of Shakespeare’s plays into Bengali prose in twelve volumes (1896-1903)

in the form of a novel.10 This strategy towards indigenization however failed to catch

34

much interest from the upper class Bengali theatre goers, who in their anxiety to emulate

their colonial masters, were not yet ready for such interculturalisation.

However, there was a parallel development or a "Renaissance" of the Bengali

theatre caused by contact with vigorous theatrical activity among the English.

Shakespeare's plays have to a large extent influenced contemporary Indian theatre, which

is supposed to have originated in Bengal in the mid-nineteenth century. As there had been

no direct evolution of ancient classical Sanskrit drama, Indian theatre was in need of fresh

impetus. Centuries ago ancient classical Sanskrit theatre had gradually declined mainly

due to successive foreign invasions. The signs of decay are evident as early as the ninth

century and it is generally believed that the tenth century marks the end of Sanskrit drama

as a creative force in Indian theatre. So the practice of performing Sanskrit plays was

doomed to disappear over a period of centuries in all but a few isolated pockets around

the country, where it remained in a state of stagnation. Exposure to Shakespeare and to

other Western classical dramatists along with new stage techniques provided Indian

theatre the impetus it required. Sudipto Chatterjee remarks:

Concentration of wealth in the hands of the babus [the bourgeoisie] and

the rise of a Western-style educated middle class [Macaulay's subjects]

provided the right moment of pollination for the budding of a Bengali

theatre... Close contact with the British inspired both classes to create

their own theatre in the European mould. With the coming of economic,

political, and social stability [for these classes] - with a mean being

struck between traditional Bengali culture and the ... British cultural

imports - a system of patronage was born that was to keep Bengali

theatre alive for sometime.11

Shakespearean drama brought fresh impetus for further growth of Bengali drama.

Tagore clearly supported this interest; "Shakespeare's plays have always been our ideal

of drama. Their complexity due to multiple branches of plot... clash and conflict have

attracted our mind from the very beginning."12

35

It was Shakespeare who gave the great lead in introducing the tragic form to the

Bengali stage. It would, however, be incorrect to say that Sanskrit drama entirely

excluded tragedy. What it really excluded was the visual representation of death,

considered to be an undignified spectacle inimical to aesthetic pleasure. Tragedy or tragic

pathos did occur but only at the beginning or the middle of the play but never at the end.

It is the underlying optimism in the Hindu philosophy of which Sanskrit drama was a

product that did not allow pathos to dominate its total impact. So there was no question of

a tragic dénouement. The first tragedy to be acted in Bengal (even India) was Dinabandhu

Mitra's Nila Darpana (1860), which deals with the merciless exploitation of the indigo

planters in India.13 It was this play with which the first public stage of Bengal, the

National Theatre, opened in December 1872. The story depicts the suffering of a native

family and ultimately the death of each family member caused by the greed and tyranny

of the European planters. The play follows the five-act Shakespearean technique, the

crisis being reached in the middle of the third act. This five-act technique became

immensely popular in the Bengali stage replacing the ancient mode of seven or ten acts.

Dramatists heavily borrowed certain Shakespearean passages and ideas. To cite a few

illustrations; the play Sahajahan (1910) by Dvijendralal Ray reflects strong reminiscences

from King Lear. The story is based on the life of the Moghul Emperor Sahajahan whose

son Aurangzeb overthrows the three brothers, usurps the throne and imprisons the aged

father. "The theme is altogether different from that of King Lear, but the spirit of the

tragedy, the mode of treatment, and the occasional turns of speech and the expression of

sentiments certainly recall the great English tragedy."14 On hearing of the vile deeds of

his son, the Emperor utters in a state of frenzy "Oh, let me not be mad! O God, I shall go

36

mad!"Again he raves like Lear in the famous storm scene of King Lear: "Oh Earthquake,

arise with a terrible noise Tear the bosom of this earth into a thousand pieces...."15 There

are several other lines in the play distinctly resembling passages in King Lear. The Fool

or Dildar at the court of the Emperor is a partial echo of Lear's Fool. Also there are

striking resemblances with other Shakespearean plays. "The courtiers behave in the

manner of the fickle crowd or the giddy multitude of Julius Caesar or Coriolanus."16

Like Brutus, Jahanara (the Emperor's daughter) pleads for her father. She speaks many

home truths; and the courtiers are converted (in favour of the Emperor). However she is

no match for Aurangeb's wit who in the manner of Antony sways the crowd in his favour

with a powerful torrent of words. Again there are echoes of certain passages of The

Merchant of Venice and the gravediggers' scene of Hamlet in Ray's second masterpice

entitled Candragupta (1911).17

Several playwrights began following Shakespeare's practice of mixing comic

elements in tragic plays. The Shakespearean wit-combat has influenced Bengali dramatists

who frequently pun on vernacular words to entertain the audience. Budding playwrights

and critics were drawn to his concept of tragedy, his tragi-comic effects and multi-faceted

characters.

The Bengali adaptations of Shakespeare of the late nineteenth and early twentieth

centuries were clearly distinctive in terms of their cultural synthesis:

Popularly known as company nataks (or company productions), these

Bengali adaptations reproduced Shakespeare's plays in the context of the

pictorial realism of Victorian theater (touched up by nineteenth-century

French melodramas) quite removed from the stylised conventions of

their Elizabethan origins.18

37

In 1893, a Bengali version of Macbeth was produced by prominent stage figure

Girish Chandra Ghosh at the Minerva Theatre in Calcutta.19 Though the setting was

European, the performance was quite unique in character. Ghosh added five songs to his

version, omitted most of the allusions and avoided place names. But he tried to retain the

original dialogues to recreate the Elizabethan world on the Bengali stage. A

contemporary issue of The Englishman declared: “A Bengali Thane of Cawdor is a living

suggestion of incongruity, but the reality is an astonishing reproduction.”20 This

adaptation considered to be a masterpiece in poetic translation, however flopped on the

stage. On June 21, 1897, Hariraja, a popular adaptation of Hamlet was produced by

Nagendra Chaudhry in the Classic Theatre.21 Directed by Amarendra Dutta this was a

somewhat carefree adaptation and did not have much of Hamlet in it. Not considered to

be a model of artistic ingenuity, this play however, was a runaway success and held the

stage for years. What indeed appears strange is the roaring success of this much inferior

version of Shakespeare compared to the lukewarm response of its earlier counterpart, a

refined version created painstakingly and meticulously. One is inclined to agree with

Ghosh that the Bengali audience’s preoccupation with lurid fare interfered in the

appreciation of a higher work of art.22

Other adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays followed. On December 4, 1915,

Saudagar, an adaptation of the The Merchant of Venice, was staged by Bhupendra

Bandopadhya; and on March 18, 1919, Othello, translated by Devendranath Basu was

also performed at the Star Theatre.23

With an increased number of Bengali productions, the number of Shakespearean

adaptations gradually started dwindling from the Calcutta stage between the second and

38

the fourth decades of the twentieth century. However, the playwright’s profound

influence on the Bengali theatre, scholars of literature and theatre people is evident from

the fact that Shakespeare has been translated into Bengali far more than any other foreign

author.

Shakespearean adaptations in the Bengali theatre were distinctive in character in

postcolonial India compared to their earlier versions in the colonial period. Jyotsna Singh

explains this gradual transition of indigenous drama quite explicitly:

Prior to independence, the discourse about Shakespeare was framed

within a colonial trope of civilisation, the assumptions of which were

eagerly accepted by the native elites. In contrast, postcolonial

Shakespeare theater, in most instances, self-consciously attempted to

acquire an indigenous identity, free from the British criteria of cultural

value. One aspect of these hybrid productions of Shakespeare meant that

they undermined the colonial binaries of tradition and modernity. As

Indian translators re-cast canonical Western plays within indigenous

dramaturgical traditions [melodrama, songs and dances, romantic

sentimentalism, depiction of religious fervour, sudden shifting of scenes

between earth and heaven, lofty ideals of heroism, free use of space and

time dimensions etc.] while often commenting on contemporary

postcolonial social realities, they forced their audiences to re-examine

their historical bearings in the past, present, and future - as well as

among colonial and native cultural forms and their differing social

functions.

The new, postcolonial drama movement of the mid-1940s had a two-fold

purpose: of introducing the plays of famous dramatists, ancient and

modern, to Bengal, and of making drama more responsive to the social

and political realities of the Indian masses. And Shakespeare figured

prominently in this hybrid endeavor of applying contemporary concerns

to Western canonical texts.24

Utpal Dutt, prominent actor, director and revolutionary took an active role in

bringing about such a revival of Shakespeare. After his theatrical training in 1947, with

Geoffray Kendal’s company, Shakespeareana, he began his own Little Theatre Group in

Calcutta to produce Shakespeare’s plays in English. Dutt aimed at bringing Shakespeare

to the masses and producing a new political theatre. According to him, the classics were

not the prerogative of an elite. They would cease to exist unless they were brought to the

people.25

39

He tried to incorporate Shakespeare into Jatra, the vigorous folk theatre of

Bengal. His Bengali translation of Macbeth, which toured several villages, created quite a

sensation. Bringing Shakespeare to the masses meant an inevitable rejection of the

Victorian proscenium stage and working with native theatrical traditions. According to

several critics, Dutt's rural production of Macbeth had closer affinity with the

Elizabethan theatre than many recent Western revivals. In fact, it has been commented

that his earlier performances of Shakespeare in rural India were far more successful in

reviving a sense of the original Elizabethan popular drama than his later proscenium

production [Macbeth] in Calcutta, where the play becomes another nineteenth century

melodrama.26 Such intercultural experiments in reproducing Shakespeare have been

continuing in private companies like the Little Theatre Group and in the National School

of Drama in New Delhi.

3.2 Shakespeare in Marathi

Apart from Bengal, the former Province of Bombay (presently the Maharashtra

and the Gujarat State of India and the Sindh Province of Pakistan) was another centre of

intense theatrical activity related to Shakespeare. Shakespeare came to Bombay in the

middle of the nineteenth century. The Marathi intelligentsia began focussing on English

literature with the same underlying motive like the Bengalis. In their adaptations, Marathi

dramatists expressed a spirit of revolt against British rule and simultaneously tried to

highlight contemporary social problems. They mainly tried to portray the difference

between contemporary Indian society that was by and large traditional compared to the

more liberal West. Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, one of the renowned social reformers and

distinguised playwright writes that "one of the objectives of reading plays of different

cultures is to realize the limitations of one's own society."27 V.J. Kirtane first triggered

off this cultural movement with his Thorale Madhavrao Peshwe in 1861, the first

historical tragedy in Marathi.28 This was followed by active nationalist and revolutionary,

Nanasaheb Peshwa's translation of Hamlet into Marathi in 1862.29 While social reform

was not the primary aim of Shakespearean translations, it is evident that the new wave of

changing social norms in terms of caste hierarchy and gender relations drew some of its

fortifications from Shakespeare. Unfortunately there are not enough sources to indicate

the storylines of these plays that might have made interesting discussion. The latter part

of the century witnessed a splurge of Shakespearean translations and adaptations. Several

teaching institutions also played a major role in spreading this vogue. The University of

Bombay was founded in 1857. Professors of Bombay and Pune universities became pre-

occupied in translating Shakespearean texts.

Mahadev Govindshastri Kolhatkar first adapted Othello in 1867.30 Well-known

Marathi dramatist Govind Ballal Devlal first staged this version of Kolhatkar where he

himself played the title role. This was followed by a spate of translations/ adaptations like

The Tempest (1874), King Lear (1881), Romeo and Juliet (1882), A Midsummer Night's

Dream (1882), The Winter's Tale (1882) and many others.31 Romeo and Juliet proved to

be immensely successful on the Marathi stage. Among other things, the success of this

play lies in the fact that "despite its tragic ending, it provided much closer approximation

to the Indian experience of love and passion, social authority and individual frustration

within the rigidities of caste and marriage rules. The twin lovers became a part of the

Indian inventory of love legends that include Radha and Krishna, Laila and Majnu, Shirin

41

and Farhad, Heer and Ranjha, Sohini and Mahiwal and Devdas and Parvati."32 The

restructuring of the text is another criterion for success. D.A. Keshkar's translation of

Romeo and Juliet entitled Tara-Vilasa (1908) closely followed the lines of the original

story and failed to receive much applause but another adaptation, Mohan-Tara by K.R.

Chapkhane drew in the crowds. Here Rosalini, who is a trivial character in Shakespeare's

play assumes a major role and is forced to marry Tybalt but retains her affection for

Romeo. Her secret infatuation for Romeo serves as an interesting subplot in this version.

However the success of Hamlet on the Marathi stage reached scintillating heights,

unparalleled by any other Shakespearean play. The most memorable adaptation of this

period was that of Hamlet (Agarkar's Vikara Vilasit in 1883) where the legendary actor

Ganpatrao Joshi struck waves amongst the audience with his vivid acting. While its

success on stage is mainly attributed to this renowned actor, the secret of its popularity as

a translation and as a play lies in the strategies adopted by Agarkar.33 The play is

Indianized to a large extent. All the proper names (of the characters and the places) have

been replaced by Sanskrit words that their European identity is completely erased.

Allusions to European myths and legends have been cleverly replaced by Indian

equivalents. For example, the death of Priam within the play scene is replaced by a

familiar and touching episode (the Ashwathama- Dron episode) of the epic Mahabharata.

In Act I scene ii, Shaleya (Polonius) pours forth didactic Sanskritiv verses in profusion.

Yet the translation as a whole does not deviate from the original in its narrative sequence

and arrangement of materials.

iv It is interesting to note that Sanskrit figures prominently in Vikara Vilasit often replacing Marathi. Only a

reading of this Marathi version of Hamlet would explain the status of Sanskrit in the play that is otherwise

left unexplained in the available sources in English.

42

The famous passages like "to be or not to be....." (III i: 58- 92) and "Frailty, thy name is woman....." (I ii: 146-159) have been directly translated retaining their original flavour and implications. Certain lines with suggestions of obscenity are either eliminated or neatly twisted to stay within the lines of Indian stage decorum but without appearing meaningless. One such instance is the following dialogue between Hamlet and Ophelia in Act III, ii 101-107:

Hamlet. Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

Ophelia. No, my lord.

Hamlet. I mean, my head upon your lap?

Ophelia. Ay, my lord.

Hamlet. Do you think I meant country matters?

Ophelia. I think nothing, my lord.

Hamlet. That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.

Suggesting the same meaning as the original Agarkar rewrites these lines in a different manner:

H.Will you allow me to sit beside you?

O.What is this, Maharaj (King / Prince)?

H. Don’t fear. I am not going to do anything inappropriate.

Shall I keep my head on your feet?

Agarkar removed the most offensive line. “That’s a fair thought to lie between maiden’s legs.”

A second illustration of a different kind can be cited here. Agarkar totally changes the following passage to suit the Indian cultural milieu while creating the same effect as the original:

Hamlet. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables

Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven

Ere I had ever seen that day, Horatio!

(I ii: 179-182)

In his version he writes, "Only to reduce the expenditure. [An exchange between] the Brahmin (priest) for the last rite ceremony and the Brahmin for the wedding. Has he

43

done intermarriage [intercaste/religion]?"

Finally, special embellishments to the richness of this translation are Mallika’s (Ophelia)

sad but sweet songs beautifully rendered in mellifluous Marathi lyrics.

Among the innumerable translations, Nana Joag’s three-act adaptation of Hamlet

in 1957 deserves special mention. Damu Kenkare who also played the lead role directed

it. Here all the characters including Hamlet have been Indianized, yet the book is entitled

Hamlet:

The admirable part of this exercise was that Joag had created a

Marathi parallel of the Bard’s blank verse. No pains were

spared in an authentic visual and aural impact of the Court of

Elsinore, the costumes and of the rhythmic spoken verse.34

A play which posed problems was Othello. The first revival of Zunzarrao (the

first acting edition of Kolhatkar’s version of Othello) in 1950 did not appear to be too

successful. A decade later, V.V. Shirwadkar’s rendering of Othello also flopped. Another

Shakespearean adaptation that evaded success is Macbeth. Shirwadkar wrote an

adaptation in 1954 called Rajmukut; well-known British director, Herbert Marshall, was

commissioned to direct it and seasoned thespians like Nanasaheb Phatak and Durgabai

Khote were given the lead roles:

On the stage of the Sangh’s open-air theatre Marshall created

the mock-up of an Elizabethan theatre. There was a big apron

stage, which, unfortunately, jutted out beyond the essential

microphones. In their soliloquies neither Phatak nor Durgabai

could be heard! And what does one make of the powerful

banquet scene? Does one ask the guests to sit on wooden planks

on the floor and serve them laddoos [Indian sweets]? The entire

frustration of this trans-cultural effort came tumbling down on

the heads of director and actors. The debate has since then been

going on whether Shakespeare should be adapted or

translated… In the latter case Macbeth’s guests will at least eat

at the dining table – more stageworthy, more dignified!35

In later years, a few other directors grappled with this adaptation but failed miserably. There have been other sporadic attempts to present Shakespeare as S.N. Oak’s

Gadya Apula Gaon Bara (The Comedy of Errors), Vidyadhar Gokhle’s Madanachi Manjiri (Twelfth Night), Dilip Jagtap’s Chetukw (The Tempest), Subhash Sonawane’s

Shakespearearche Natak (A Midsummer’s Night Dream) and Dilip Pardeshi’s Nishpaap (Othello) which fared relatively better.

One conspicuous feature of Marathi adaptations of Shakespeare is that tragedies were often turned into comedies, which, according to Moharir was because the Sanskrit

dramatic tradition generally lacked the ‘tragedy form.’36 For example, the Marathi adaptation of King Lear and Romeo and Juliet ended in happy notes. Moharir’s

interpretation appears to be rather sweeping and general. Unlike Western dramas which are invariably classified as comedies and tragedies, Sanskrit dramas have several

classifications based on rasas, which will be discussed in detail in subsequent chapters.

Like the Bengali stage, the subtle influence of Shakespeare is evident on the Marathi stage. Eminent dramatist K.P. Khadilkar has been profoundly influenced by the

Shakespearean tragedies of Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth. In the historical tragedy Savai Madhavaraowancha Mrityu (1896), he has presented characters in the nature of Hamlet

and Iago. Although the theme is totally different and he doesn't imitate scenes or passages from the originals, he has subtly drawn on certain ideas. Certain devices and

expressions are reminiscent of Shakespeare. There is a selfish priest in the play who resembles Iago. The female character Yasoda reflects the innocence and charm of

Ophelia. Her husband Madhavarao for some inexplicable cause gets fits of lunacy and when she tries to console him he exclaims that the touch of her hand is like the stings of

45

thousands of scorpions on one spot. This expression recalls Macbeth’s "O, full of

scorpions is my mind, dear wife!"37 Another historical play of Khadilkar entitled

Bhaubandki (1904) carries strong influences of Macbeth.The female lead Anandibhai

closely resembles Lady Macbeth and instigates her husband to murder his nephew for the

sake of gaining power and honour. The royal priest Ramasastri resembles Macduff and

fights for the cause of truth and justice. Having committed the deed, Anandibhai’s

husband, Raghoba is not easily reconciled and remains haunted by the ghost of his

murdered nephew.38 In yet another play Premadhvaja (1924) Khadilkar has borrowed the

Shakespearean device of a disguise on the stage, which is revealed only at the end as in

The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Merchant of Venice.39 Another Marathi tragedy

that bears a distinct impress of Shakespeare is Ram Ganesh Gadkari’s Ekaja Pyala (Only

a Glass of Wine, 1919), which draws the structure, characters and motivation from

Othello but where jealousy is replaced by the evil of drink.40

Like the Bengali stage modern Marathi theatre has drawn the five-act

Shakespearean technique and the ancient practice of seven or ten acts has fallen into

disuse. The ancient Indian mode of a prologue has vanished, and many plays start without

any formality or ceremony and proceed straight to the plot. Again unlike traditional

drama, many short explanatory scenes are introduced in the style of Shakespeare.

Ironically Shakespeare through his Chronicle plays, especially Henry V, played a

significant role in instilling a public spirit of nationalism in colonial India:

Shakespeare pointed the way towards the glorification of

great national heroes and of the motherland. The soil being

thus admirably prepared by the English example, the patriotic

beginning of the century assumed an attractive form on the

stage. Great nation-builders like Pratap and Shivaji [Marathi

pride than Henry V had been by Shakespeare.41

46

According to the bibliography of Shakespearean dramas in Indian languages

published by the Theatre and Television Associates in 1989, there have been seventy

three and eighty one translations/ adaptations of Shakespeare in Bengali and Marathi

languages respectively till that date. There have been seven adaptations of Hamlet in

Marathi and nine adaptations of the same play in Bengali.42 It is worth noting that the

popularity of Hamlet on the Marathi stage surpassed that of any other Shakespearean

play. On reviewing the various stage versions of this tragedy, Yajnik remarks, "It may be

recorded that no Shakespearean play, most faithfully rendered, has evoked such

unbounded enthusiasm and admiration in India as the Marathi Hamlet."43

3.3 Shakespeare in the Parsi Theatre

Another prominent theatre that burgeoned in India during the mid-nineteenth

century was the Parsi theatre. The Parsis are Zoroastrian émigrés from Persia who have

been long settled in Western India but still remain culturally distinct as a community

never having blended with the mainstream of Indian culture. The Parsi theatre flourished

mainly in the former Bombay province and owes much to Shakespeare. This enterprising

community was quick to discover the commercial potentialities of Shakespeare and of

Western theatrical techniques. "Their productions were acclaimed by the audience all

over India mainly for their flamboyant manner of acting, grandiloquent speeches, loud

and titillating music, gorgeous backdrops, dazzling costumes and illusion-creating stage

props."44 The original company of Pestonji Framji - a Parsi, started in 1868. Many other

Parsi-Urdu theatrical companies also sprang up in other cities. The Shakespeare plays

performed by these companies included The Merchant of Venice (Dilfarosh), The

47

Comedy of Errors (Bhoolbhulayya), The Winter's Tale (Muraadshoak), Cymbeline (Zulm Naza), Measure for Measure (Husnaara), Romeo and Juliet (Bazme Phani), Hamlet (Khoon-e-Nahak), Othello (Shahid-e-Wafa), King Lear (Har Jeet) and Anthony and Cleopatra (Kali Nagin).45 Of these, the Urdu Hamlet entitled Khoon-e-Nahak (1900) by Ahsan Lucknawi enjoyed tremendous popularity. Although referred to as a translation, it is actually a free adaptation. The events and incidents are curiously jumbled and altered.

There is hardly any close verbal resemblance, songs appear needlessly destroying the continuity, beautiful scenes are distorted and comic relief is replaced by vulgar farce. Most of the soliloquies are absent and Hamlet does not delay due to any philosophical reasoning but simply because of a vague suspicion about the authenticity of the Ghost. His relations with Gertrude and Ophelia are not delicately handled and the Prince merely becomes a melodramatic hero. Horatio has no strong role as Hamlet's friend. Fortinbras and the gravediggers do not figure at all. Ophelia commits suicide by jumping into the sea from a bridge. Additional underplots are attached to the main plot where Marcellus is in love with Rahana, a friend of Ophelia who is also wooed by Anwar, Horatio's brother.

Mansur, son to Cornelius is attracted to Ophelia. The love intrigue takes a sharp turn when Hamlet kills his rival Mansur who was trying to force himself on the unwilling Ophelia. The play within the play is not called the Mousetrap but the Unjust Murder where the Queen instigates the murder. On watching the play, Claudius loses his composure and wants to run away but is prevented by Hamlet. Laertes challenges Hamlet for a duel where they fight and wound each other. The Queen in panic runs for help and asks for a drink for her wounded son. Cornelius who is the father of Mansur (killed by Hamlet) passes her a poisoned chalice in order to avenge his son's death. When Hamlet

48

refuses to drink the Queen drinks the cup of poisoned syrup and dies. Cornelius runs

away and Laertes makes his confession. Hamlet finally shoots his uncle before dying. So

while the main line of the original story is preserved, the atmosphere is lost. Yajnik calls

this intermeshing an utter ruin of the great tragedy.46 However the phenomenal success of

this stage version can be attributed to a sensational tale backed up by refined theatrical

techniques, spectacular stage effects and titillating music.

One of the most prominent figures of the Parsi theatre was Agha Hashr Kashmiri

(1879–1935) remembered for his innovative power and dramatic ingenuity. The title of

Shakespeare-e- Hind or the ‘Indian Shakespeare’ was bestowed upon him. His major

plays Safed Khun (King Lear), Said-e-Hawas (King John) and Khawab-e-Hasti

(Macbeth) were successful on stage.47 All his productions of Shakespeare plays carried

both musical and comic interludes that struck a clever balance between traditional music-

dominated Indian drama and the modern theatre that emerged under European influence.

This technique introduced by him appealed to the Indian audience and continued to be

imitated by other dramatists for a long time.

In Urdu, Shakespeare has been the most translated foreign author.48 There have

been 46 renderings of Urdu plays based on Shakespeare out of which 7 are on Hamlet.49

Most of these translations were mediocre and Urdu was the predominant language. They

were mainly farcical representations aiming at the box office, without much regard for

literary artistry. Though they failed to satisfy the elite audience, their influence on later

Hindi playwrights has been profound.

The Parsi dramatists were also active in producing Gujarati adaptations of

Shakespeare. Dinshaw Talyarkhan first translated The Taming of the Shrew and staged it

49

in 1852.50 This Gujarati version was the first Shakespearean play to be staged in India in

an Indian language and was entitled Nathari Firangiz Thekani Avi (A Bad Foreign

Woman Brought to Sense). The translator apparently faced difficulty in translating the

word 'shrew'and contextualising it within contemporary Indian social situation:

Kate goes against the Indian woman stereotype,

almost revolutionary in her refusal to marry—this

is something inconceivable in Indian society, marriage

being the ultimate dharma [duty] of a woman. But at

the same time she presents a type of woman that the

male audience delights in watching being tamed. The

use of the title Nathari Firangiz is a clever device to

appropriate the story that satisfies the Indian male

chauvinism without demeaning the Indian womanhood,

but underlining the Indian criticism of the European

female. It was important for the translator to remind

his reader that Kate was not an Indian but a Firangi.51

No less then twenty Parsi companies had sprung up in Bombay in 1860. Parsi

actors, being well versed in English, tended to imitate the technique of the British

companies performing in Bombay. Translations of other Shakespearean plays like

Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Cymbeline, The Comedy of Errors and The Taming

of the Shrew, followed in quick succession. One of the major companies, which

flourished during the end of the nineteenth century, was The Victoria. This company

toured several places in Asia as well as in London. Among Gujarati writers, Dayabhai

Dhoshalji showed much promise. He founded the Deshi Natak Samaj (Society of Indian

Drama) in 1890, which took a lead in staging plays roughly patterned after Shakespeare.

Well-known among these are Ashrumati and Veenaveli, which carry distinct traces of

King John, The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth and King Lear.52 Dhoshalji translated

twenty-five Shakespeare plays, all of which reflected his literary prowess.

One of the best-known adaptations of the times was Soubhagya Sundari that was

an adaptation of Othello, which made huge profits at the box-office. It transformed

Shakespeare’s tragedy into a three-act tragi-comedy with the usual farcical additions and

amorous songs. Othello is a handsome prince who is unaware of his own identity.

Desdemona dressed as a boy, escapes with Othello and the couple ultimately find their

way to the kingdom of Othello’s father. The King, not recognizing his own son appoints

him as the commander of the army, removing Iago from the post. Thus the motive for

revenge is estsablished. Othello doesn’t murder Desdemona in a fit of rage but throws her

into the river after half-strangling her. In the last act she is however rescued by Othello’s

mother and all misunderstandings get cleared up. The final scene is sensational with the

dramatic exposure of Iago’s guilt, the King’s recognition of Othello and the coronation of

the hero.53 Other important translations include All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for

Measure, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, As You Like It, Macbeth and Cymbeline.

There are about thirty-one translations of Shakespeare in the Gujarati language out of

which two are of Hamlet.54

The Shakespearean influence is easily discernible in the indigenous Gujarati

theatre as well. M.N. Dwivedi’s Kanta and Ramanabhai’s Raajino Parvat, both of which

followed Sanskrit dramatic structures (the classic seven-act technique and a prologue),

carried strong influences of Hamlet and Macbeth.55 Well-known Shakespearean

quotations like “Frailty, thy name is woman!” or “All the world’s a stage…” are strewn

in Gujarati plays which have otherwise no link with Shakespeare.

The Marathi adapters’ and the Gujarati-Parsi adapters’ approach to Shakespeare

hinges on two basic differences:

51

None of the Marathi writers or artists ever had a chance to go to

England; but they were informed by a deep reverence for the Bard's

plays. On the other hand, the Gujarati-Parsi entrepreneurs were more

interested in borrowing the externals of Shakespeare's plays, including

the plots, and presenting fairly garbled versions of the original.56

This is one reason why modern day Marathi translators and adapters like Shirwadkar,

Nana Joag and Arun Naik have taken serious interest in the authenticity of their

translations compared to their Gujarati counterparts. Apart from a staging of an

adaptation of Richard III in the fifties, the Gujarati theatre doesn't show much promise as

far as Shakespeare is concerned. On the other hand, flooded with new experiments and

reinterpretations, Shakespeare continues to thrive on the Marathi stage.

The Parsi theatre has been accused of debasing the Bard in its extreme

Indianization and thorough commercialisation.

It was not the poetry of Shakespeare, nor the psychological conflicts

that interested the Parsi theatre which was keen to appropriate the

story with its emotional turbulence and violence of action. In Parsi

theatre versions of Shakespeare, one finds Portia singing passionate

songs, Viola and Sebastian escaping in the opening scene of the play

(Twelfth Night) in a railway train which during a thunder-storm crashes

into a sea; Antony continues to live while Cleopatra goes to her violent

death; King Lear is turned into a comedy and the plots of Richard III

and King John are fused into one single play. In a recent article Mr. K.K.

Khullar mentions that in Khoon-e-Nahaq (The Unjustified Murder)

-an adaptation of Hamlet...the prince of Denmark is so thoroughly

Indianized that his court was converted into a medieval Indian one where

Princes performed Kathak dance and begums[wives] chew betel leaves

and nuts.57

The contribution of the Parsis, a miniscule minority group, in the Indian theatre

(and later cinema) in the province of Bombay during the nineteenth and early twentieth

centuries, needs to be specially recognized. Though they borrowed little from

Shakespeare beyond the general outlines of the plot, their theatre companies have ensured

the biggest and most widely circulated presence of Shakespeare ever within the Indian

theatrical scene. The Parsis established many theatres in Bombay in which plays,

52

including Shakespearean ones were performed mainly in Gujarati and Urdu (or

Hindusthani) and even briefly in English. Many travelling theatres, established by them

performed Shakespeare in various cities of British India, even going as far as Rangoon

and Singapore. So, in a way the Parsi theatre was not only modern India’s first

commercial urban theatre but also India’s first national theatre. Such travelling theatres

were very common in the British colonies all over the world. These theatres often

performed Shakespeare in the colonies to “civilize” the “natives” and the “savages” and

had tremendous cultural impact in the colonies. The theatre financed by the Parsis

embodied colonial negotiation, theatrical transformation and cross-cultural adaptations.

According to Loomba the performances of Shakespearean plays on Parsi stages

(including the travelling theatres) over the whole colonial period:

literally transformed both Shakespeare and the idea of public Indian

theatre….The stories of Shakespeare’s imperial travels are tales of

colonial formations, of decolonisation, national culture, post-colonialism

and even the new world order.58

3.4 Shakespeare in Hindi

While the maximum impact of Shakespeare was felt in the theatre world in

Bengal and Bombay (Maharashtra), it was not limited to those two regions. In other

areas, Shakespeare arrived only towards the end of the 19th century or early 20th century.

Ratnachandra adapted The Comedy of Errors as Bhramajalaka in Hindi in 1879. The

other major translations in Hindi during the nineteenth century were: The Merchant of

Venice as Durlabh Badhu Ya by Harishchandra (1880), The Merchant of Venice as

Venice ka Byapari by Gokulchandra Sharma (1888), Macbeth as Sahasendra Sahas by

M.P. Choudhury (1893), The Tempest as Tuphan by J.P. Chaturvedi (1897), As You Like

53

It as Manavaran by Gopinath (1897), Othello as Othello by Gadadhar Sinha (1894) and

Romeo and Juliet as Premlila by Gopinath (1898). The translations and adaptations of

Shakespeare’s play in this language continued well into the twentieth century. About 49

Shakespearean dramas have been rendered in Hindi (till 1989) out of which 7 are of

Hamlet. Renowned Hindi writer and poet, Harivanshrai Bachhan translated Hamlet in

1969, Macbeth in 1957 and King Lear in 1972. The original names of the plays were

retained in these translations. A Hindi stage performance of Hamlet written by Amrit Rai

was done as late as in 1988.59 There have been 5 screen versions of Shakespeare’s plays

in Hindi and Urdu (the two languages are closely similar but different in script) out of

which two are of Hamlet, two of the Comedy of Errors and one of Romeo and Juliet. The

two films based on Hamlet were produced by two well-known film personalities, Shorab

Modi (Khoon ka Khoon, 1935) and Kishore Sahu (Hamlet, 1954). The films are highly

rhetorical in style, more akin to Parsi theatrical style:60

The influence of Shakespeare on creative writings in Hindi, is, in fact,

rather slight and fitful. There is hardly any writer whose works give

evidence of a deep and sustained creative engagement with

Shakespeare… Broadly speaking, the tragic vision of Shakespeare, even

though it has frequently been the subject of rapturous critical adulation,

has not had the kind of creative impact on Hindi literature, drama and

film that its comedies and romances have had… Thus it appears that

popular Hindi culture, as reflected in the Parsi theatre and the Bombay

film industry would endorse Dr Johnson’s verdict that Shakespeare’s

tragedy, ‘seems to be skill, his comedy to be instinct.’61

3.5 Shakespeare in Tamil

The English language entered Madras (recently renamed as Chennai, situated in

the southern state of Tamil Nadu) at the same time as in Calcutta and Bombay.

Shakespeare’s entry into the then Madras Presidency was in the late eighteenth century.

After the establishment of Madras University, along with the Universities of Calcutta and

54

Bombay, the ground for full-fledged translations of Shakespearean plays into Tamil was

prepared by the introduction of prose extracts or songs from the plays in the school and

college texts in English. This subsequently led to the entry of minor episodes and brief

passages from the plays in Tamil textbooks and finally, to their full-scale translations and

adaptations in the Tamil language. A strong motive force for this was the desire to make

up for the absence of drama, particularly realistic drama, in Tamil literature.62 And what

could have been considered better in those days than introducing Shakespearean dramas?

The earliest of such works was in 1893 (Midsummer Night's Dream by S. Narayana

Swamy Aiyar).63

It was however, Pammal Sambanda Mudaliyar (1874-1964), a playwright,

translator and actor who mainly brought Shakespeare into the Tamil stage. In fact, he

brought respectability for the Tamil theatre through an amateur dramatic society, called

the Suguna Vilasa Sabha, established in 1891, of which he was a founding member.

Mudaliyar adapted and acted in five plays of Shakespeare staged by the Society: As You

Like It, Cymbeline, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth.64 Amongst all the

Shakespearean adaptations in Tamil, it was Mudaliyar's version of Hamlet, which won

accolades and proved to be the most successful on stage. Like Agarkar's Marathi

adaptation of Hamlet (page 42), this faithful Tamil version closely follows the lines of the

original but is cast in an Indian mould. It is primarily meant for Tamil theatregoers.

Befitting southern India, Dravidian names chosen with meticulous care have replaced

English names. Hence Hamlet is the "spotless sun," Ophelia is the "helpless damsel" and

Polonius the "protector." It is curious to note that certain ancient Dravidian practices like

the modes of burial closely resemble Danish ones and didn't require much change.

55

Mudaliyar’s portrayal of the hero has earned tremendous applause but his depiction of

Ophelia has invited criticism. Critics have been especially caustic about the scene of

Ophelia’s death that has been transformed into an occasion for amusement by

“reproducing all the grotesque realism associated with a class of funerals in the streets of

Madras.”65 However setting aside a few glaring defects, it was Mudaliyar’s ingenuity and

sincerity, which made this play a rollicking success on stage.

Swami Vibhulananda (1892-1947), a missionary of the Ramakrishna Mission in

Sri Lanka contributed a great deal towards scholarly study of Shakespeare in Tamil. In a

series of articles Vibh under the title, Matanga Choolamani (A Gem Amongst the Dramatics)

published from July 1924 onwards in the Tamil journal, Centamil, he analysed twelve

plays in the light of the eight-fold theory of emotions set out in ancient Tamil treatise,

Meyppatu which is analogous to the Rasa theory of Sanskrit aesthetics.66 Meyppatu (mey

meaning ‘body’ and ppatu meaning ‘the acts based on body’) is the term used to refer to

those manifestations which appear on the body of an individual as a sign of what goes

inside the mind. The Tamil aesthetic theory of emotions has been discussed in the section

on poetics in Tolkappiam (3rd century B.C.) that is a book on phonology, grammar, and

poetics. The author of this book Tolkappiyar speaks of eight meyppatus or emotions like

the Sanskrit aestheticians (to be discussed later). There are slight deviations in this theory,

for instance, the emotion of love or sringara in Sanskrit poetics is called uvakai or

happiness in Tolkappiam and is more extensive than its Sanskrit counterpart. According

to the theory of Meyppattu each of the eight bodily manifestations is related to four

moods or feelings. These moods or feelings may be causative mechanisms or

consequential results. In other words, the major eight manifestations are related to thirty

56

two different types of moods/feelings. The implications of this theory of Meyppattu are

yet to be worked out in detail by further research. Evidently this theory has been partly

borrowed from the rasa theory of Sanskrit dramaturgy that is supposed to have been

compiled a century earlier (Natyasastra, 4th century B.C.).

Some of the famous names in the world of translations of Shakespeare into Tamil

are T.N. Seshachalam, A.C. Chettair, Narayanaswamy Naidu, Pulavar Ekambaranathan,

Justice Mahajan, and Aru Somasundaram. However, considering the fact that the entry of

the English language into Madras was very early and its use is widespread, the number of

plays of Shakespeare in Tamil is surprisingly small. It is about thirty-four till 1989. The

Merchant of Venice is the most frequently translated play with as many as seven versions

followed by Hamlet and Macbeth (six each). King Lear and Romeo and Juliet have been

translated/ adapted five and four times respectively.67

3.6 Shakespeare in Telugu, Malyalam and Kannada

In the remaining three South Indian languages (other than Tamil), viz. Telugu,

Kannada and Malayalam, translations/ adaptations of Shakespeare were mainly done in

the twentieth century. There were about ten renderings of Shakespeare in Telugu but

Hamlet does not seem to have been attempted by any Telugu writer at least upto 1989.68

Despite the limited number of translations in Telugu, modern Telugu theatre has derived

much from Shakespeare. The true Shakespearean legacy to this theatre lay in the general

dramatic form as in Marathi and Bengali rather than specific translations or adaptations.

Modern Kannada literature is considered to be a rich one. The first extant

Kannada play, belonging to the seventeenth century was a translation of Sriharsha’s

57

Sanskrit play Ratnavali. Traditionally, Sanskrit had considerable influence over Kannada literature. The English language started influencing the latter from the middle of the nineteenth century. The first translation of Shakespeare was The Comedy of Errors in 1871. Till about 1920, renderings of Shakespeare in Kannada were usually prose adaptations with some verse or freer appropriations of the original and promising translations started appearing only from 1930 onwards. The reason for this according to Vijaya Guttal is the “caution taken to preserve one’s own identity and come to terms with a predominant alien culture. Writers started translating Shakespeare faithfully when our own language and culture had become strong enough to accept Shakespeare on the basis of equality.”

Thirty-six Kannada plays of Shakespeare have been written between 1890 and 1978. Out of these five are on Hamlet (by Ananda Rao in 1905, Y.M. Shanmukhayya in 1954, Masti Venkata Ayyangar in 1959 and Ramachandra Deva in 1978). Worth mentioning here may be Raktaksi (Blood Stained Eye) written by Kuvempu (Dr K.V. Puttappa), the winner of the prestigious Jnanapith Award in 1932. This has run into 10 reprints so far. This work can be considered as an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a broad sense and is an excellent example of cross-cultural dialogue. Kuvempu has very ably transplanted:

the British and Christian culture into Indian, Hindu and especially Lingayat, culture by borrowing the historical characters belonging to the royal family of the Bidnur kingdom in the Shimoga district in mid-Karnataka. Likewise, Kuvempu finds parallels with the major events of Hamlet in the royal history of Bidnur and their relationship with Hyder Ali of Mysore.

More recent years have witnessed a frequent staging of the bard’s well-known tragedies like Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear, in order of popularity.

58

Two adaptations by Ekbal Ahmed have won wide acclaim. Gombe Macbeth proclaims

his consummate skill in the art of visual effects which are richly imbued with suggestion.

Like all his Shakespearean productions, Gombe Macbeth is an ingenious amalgamation

of the East and the West. One particular scene which amply demonstrates a stunning

piece of visualisation of Macbeth’s guilt is when he returns after Duncan’s murder with a

lump of red wool clinging to the end of his dagger.He desperately tries to remove the

blood stain but fails to do so. As he stands shocked and exasperated going through a

series of emotions Lady Macbeth enters and removes it easily with one clean sweep. This

episode is a striking imitation of an art from the popular Yakshagana (a south Indian folk

theatre form) episode that depicts the severing of Lord Brahma’s fifth head by Lord

Shiva.ʸ The head clings to Shiva’s arm and begins to swallow it. As Shiva desperately

tries to get rid of the head, the artist who plays the role of Shiva passes through all the

nine rasas or emotions (to be delineated later) just as Macbeth does in his attempt to wipe

off the blood on his dagger.72

The Hamlet production of 1992 is another masterpiece of Ekbal Ahmed. He sees Hamlet

as a play on broken hearted relationships. As his Macbeth version the Hamlet version also

boasts of stunning visual effects and is a harmonious blending of the East and the West.73

For reasons difficult to trace, drama in Malayalam, the fourth chief language of the south

took relatively little from Shakespeare. Out of the eighteen translations of Shakespeare in

Malayalam, the most popular one was a free adaptation of The Midsummer Night’s

Dream in 1909, which has been converted into a musical. The four translations of Hamlet

have not come to the limelight.

ʸ Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the three supreme gods of the Hindu trinity. Lord Brahma is considered the

creator of the universe, Lord Vishnu its preserver and Lord Shiva represents the principle of destruction.

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3.7 Hamlet in Mizoram

One region where Hamlet has lately become immensely popular is the

northeastern state of Mizoram, which largely deviates from mainstream India in culture

due to its curious blend of "tribalism and Westernization." First translated into the Mizo

language about forty years ago Hamlet has in recent years become an obsession for the

Mizos. Ania Loomba notes:

Hamlet is today being performed in roadside theatres,

in tiny town halls, and in the open air. Even more popular are

tape recordings of the play, which blare out at little market

kiosks and are duplicated in large numbers….Players wear

T-shirts with "Hamlet" inscribed on them and claim that

performing the play has profoundly affected their outlook

on life. A man reads from a script to a crowd of children,

asking them, "Will you avenge your father's? The sword you

choose should not be pointed but blunt. It should be dipped

in poison. Do you understand? That's what a real king would

say."74

The reasons for this extreme fascination for Hamlet in the state of Mizoram have

not been explored so far. But responding to a few probings in this direction some Mizos

offered hazy explanations like, "we are a melancholy people, and that is why the play

touches us, that is why it is more popular than other Western dramas." When asked why

Hamlet is played in Western costumes they replied, "That's because we have no

theatrical tradition of our own. In fact, we have no traditions at all, we aren't like the rest

of India, you know. So we can make everything our own."75 I daresay a more credible

explanation behind this sudden rise in popularity could be an extremely successful Mizo

stage version of Hamlet. Or it could be the effect of one of the travelling companies of

the Parsi theatre that successfully aimed towards an extensive popularisation of

Shakespeare. These theatre troupes that had ventured as far as Burma and Singapore

60

could have easily passed through the border state of Mizoram. Unfortunately there is no

systematic record of Shakespearean plays in this region to provide valuable insight or if

there is one, it has successfully been hidden away from common view. Mizoram, still

struggling for an identity in the dominant mainstream Indian culture has, so far, failed to

draw serious interest from scholars and theatre historians.

Pankaj Butalia’s film When Hamlet Came to Mizoram (1989) tries to deal with the

Mizo euphoria for Hamlet. It is not interested why Hamlet is enacted by the Mizos but

merely offers random glimpses of a few Mizo performances. The Mizos have apparently

never or rarely enacted the full play. Mizo versions of Hamlet cut out the play within the

play, thus simplifying the revenge factor or often Horatio is called away to his job as

senior technician at the Aizwal hospital and Laertes doesn’t appear because of a fight

with his girlfriend. “The film constantly places the Mizo obsession with Hamlet within

the context of the Christianization of Mizoram, juxtaposing scenes from the performances

with the singing of hymns.” It ends neatly with Hamlet dying to the strains of “I long for

my Saviour’s Face.” 76

3.8 Shakespeare in Sanskrit Translations

There have also been several Sanskrit versions of Shakespearean plays, obviously

meant more for reading rather than for performance. The earliest of these was a

translation of The Midsummer Night’s Dream by R. Krishnamacharya in 1892. A

Sanskrit version of The Merchant of Venice was however staged in 1964.Targetted to a

very narrow section of the society it never aimed for popularity. Deserving special

mention is an interesting Sanskrit adaptation of Hamlet called Candrasenah:

61

Durgadesasya Yuvarajah (1980), done by a group of scholars. Here Hamlet is viewed not

as a prince with a philosophical bent of mind but as a seeker after Truth. Hamlet’s world-

weariness assumes greater proportions in this version. His mental make up is shown to be

predominated by the sattvic mode.vi It is his preference to turn inward revealed in his

introspective soliloquies, which speaks of his sattvic nature. Macbeth is an example of the

rajasik mode as King Lear of the tamasic. In this adaptation the famous soliloquy “To be

or not to be” acquires special significance in the sense that the question as “to act or not

to act” shows the insignificance of worldly activity. Hence what is considered a tragic

flaw becomes a philosophical virtue from this point of view. In keeping with the Sanskrit

tradition, the noble Prince does not die on the stage but it is suggested that he is leaving

this world of maya or illusion to a higher world not perceptible to the common man. The

whole play is reduced to three acts and is a perfect model of literary artistry.77

3.9 Some Problems in Intercultural Experimenting

The intermingling of Indian and European cultures and traditions has not proved

to be an easy task for many theatre professionals. It has been comparatively easy where

the story is changed to an entirely new one under Indian settings, as in the case of

Raktaksi (page 58). But translating Shakespeare into native language and dialects has

continued to be a challenging factor. Poet Raghuvir Sahay’s translation of Macbeth in

Hindi at the National School of Drama production in 1982, reflected subjective choices

vi According to the Indian psycho/philosophic theory each person is predominated by one of the three

basic natures; sattvic, rajasik or tamasic. The first kind aims at light and knowledge, the second kind is

active but its activities are limited by selfish desires and the third kind is dull and inert, its mind is dark

and confused and its every action is aimless submitting to external influence and environment.

rather than a sense of confrontation between the two cultures - a tendency that reflects his

own ease with the two languages.78

Other theatrical experiments like Utpal Dutt’s translations (pages 39-40) were a means of

bridging the gap between anglicised urban audiences and rural viewers.

Director Habib Tanvir vividly describes the problems of cultural transformation in

his adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a troupe of folk actors from an ethnic

community, in an area called Chattisgarh:

I did two little improvisations with my Chattisgarhi folk actors... One

episode was from A Midsummer Night’s Dream where the weaver, the

Tinker, the Tailor etc. act out the tragedy of “Pyramus and Thisby.” I

assembled the scene in a few days as a demonstration of sorts. I chose it

for the obvious reason that Shakespeare goes rural here and deals with

rustic actors. Even this little episode, with my illiterate rural actors, had

problems. This wasn’t because they couldn’t capture the vitality, the

robustness and the apparent coarseness of those very funny rustics of

Shakespeare’s play. The problem was the scene in its totality. Its depth

and dimension are experienced only through the comments and asides of

the Duke and Duchess and the genteel people who are watching the folk

performance... with comments and asides... I didn’t have the actors to

convey all this. Strangely, even to portray Shakespeare’s rustics, there

has to be somewhere a very refined actor... the important point is that

the urban refinement in the actor is an essential prerequisite for any

attempt at Shakespeare.79

In order to solve such problems of cultural translations, Tanvir took to multilingualism,

which was the most significant aspect of his production, as described in a review:

Ultimately Tanvir came back to the... Dream because it offered him the

best strategy of bilingualism. The Duke and his entourage would speak

English; the people of the woods would converse in Urdu and the

artisans would opt for their [Chattisgarhi] dialect. The harassment of the

artisans by Puck on a physical level would get reinforced by the use of a

foreign tongue and that could be fun.80

Such intercultural experiments have been a challenge for many Indian directors

adapting Shakespeare. Although The Merchant of Venice was the most popular of all the

comedies, its appropriation proved to be the most difficult. The real stumbling block is

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the racial hostility between the Christians and the Jews of which there is no Indian

equivalent. In his translation, Bharatendu has substituted the Christian by Arya (Hindu)

and the Jew by Jain (person belonging to the Jaina religion). There is indeed a history of

Saiva (one sect in Hinduism) and Jain hostility in Tamil Nadu in the sixth and seventh

centuries but it is long forgotten and had never acquired the proportions of the Christian-

Jew animosity. Due to this lack of a proper equivalent of the Christian-Jew issue, the

translation though commendable, does not lend much credibility to Shylock’s agony in

those famous lines in Act III iii: 46-47 (He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a

million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains...). That Bharatendu himself was

unsure of his substitution is revealed when the word “Christian” is retained in his

translation of Shylock’s aside “I hate him for he is a Christian” (I iii: 37). Besides the

Jew-Christian opposition “various allusions in it were also not easy to negotiate.

Bharatendu’s replacement of ‘Troilus’ by ‘Trvikram,’’Cressida’ by ‘Kamini,’ ‘Dido’ by

‘Jayalakshmi,’ and ‘Carthage’ by ‘Kanpur’ (V i: 1) in the dialogues between Lorenzo and

Jessica (The moon shines bright. In such a night as this) completely denudes them of all

traces of Greco-Roman association without creating a meaningful Indian alternative.”81

Later translators realized the futility of looking for Indian alternatives for such issues as

the Jew-Christian relationship and made no attempts in this direction.

To cite another example of intercultural experimenting, a presentation of King

Lear as a Kathakali dance drama at the Edinburgh Festival in 1990 has been a target of

much ridicule both for Western and Indian critics:

By refashioning a script into an idiomatic non-poetic language aligned to

Kathakali’s largely non-verbal tradition, the production rendered Shakespeare’s text, with its dense narrative and complex interweaving of

plots and sub-plots, thin and greatly reduced in power… the type-

denoting Kathakali make-up easily transformed Shakespeare characters

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into stereotypes, all either absolutely virtuous or… evil. Cordelia and the

King of France represented absolute virtue and Goneril and Regan

absolute evil, thus destroying the moral complexity of the play and the

equally complex psychological interplay within and between the

characters.82

More successful adaptations include Barnam Vana, a Hindi version of Macbeth

by B.V. Karanth in 1982 and a production of Othello in Bombay in 1990. Karanth

presented Sahay’s new verse translation in Hindi at the National School of Drama,

focussing more on the stylised form like the method of acting, lighting and music rather

than the structure of the Indian folk tradition, Yakshagana. He kept as close as possible to

Shakespearean language and plot, and for costumes he followed a different strategy:

[Karanth]… stated that Yakshagana characters, who are from Indian

mythology, have fixed dresses. In fact they are recognized from the

headgear they wear. So, in order not to replicate these customs and

confuse the audience, he has had to base them on the traditional theatre

costumes of Asian countries like Bali, Japan, Cambodia, Burma and

Indonesia.83

The language and psychological complexity of the Renaissance text was maintained

while being enriched with a stylized indigenous idiom, the total effect not being merely

decorative but leading to a process of transculturation. By transculturation is meant a

transformation of the whole cultural setting and background but plot remaining the same

as the original.

The recent production of Othello in Bombay in 1990 drew in large audiences for

its glamour and novelty. Its popularity could partly be attributed to its cast of well-known

film stars. It did not focus on cultural divisions as in the original play and was typified as

a tragedy of jealousy and misunderstanding. Such culturally neutral English adaptations

are continuing to be produced in the contemporary theatre of urban India.

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3.10 Shakespeareana and the Decline of Shakespeare

No discussion of the reception of Shakespeare in Indian theatres and cinemas will

be complete without special mention of the travelling troupe of the Kendal couple

(Geoffrey and Laura), Shakespeareana which performed Shakespeare's plays in different

Indian towns in the nineteen-forties, fifties and sixties. This theatre troupe covered almost

the entire India from Himachal Pradesh in the north to Kerala in the south to Manipur in

the east to urbane Bombay in the west. The Kendals used many Indian artistes and

musicians in their performances in India. Many later famous film personalities in India

like Utpal Dutt and Shashi Kapoor are the products of Kendal's theatre. Shashi Kapoor

married the elder daughter of the Kendals, Jennifer who also acted in some Indian films.

In contrast to the Parsi theatre, which transformed Shakespeare into a melting pot of

ideas, glamour and sensation and spread it among the masses, Shakespeareana

represented a pure British Shakespeare presence within India, drawing admiration only

from the elite. When Geoffrey Kendal claims in his autobiography that, "my favourite

audience is Indian school girls... they always get thoroughly involved in the play" and

that the Indian audience, "really are the best in the world, nothing escapes their

attention," he refers to one class of Indians trained in the appreciation of Elizabethan

drama.84 The diary kept by Geoffrey Kendal provided the basis of the later famous film of

Ivory Merchant, Shakespeare Wallah (1965) that pits the decline of the Kendals

(Buckinghams in the film) against the growing popularity of Bombay films. In fact, the

performances of Shakespeare in Indian theatre and the cinema world showed a gradual

decline within a few decades after the Kendals.

66

The Theatre and Television Association of India have listed the plays of

Shakespeare in Indian languages, till 1989. The total number is 431 (Marathi 81, Bengali

73, Hindi 57, Urdu 46, Kannada 36,Tamil 34, Gujurati 31, Malayalam 18, Sindhi 16,

Punjabi 16, Telugu 10, Sanskrit 7 and Oriya 6). Hamlet has been attempted the most (50).

Next in number are Othello (47) and The Merchant of Venice (47).85 The popularity of

Hamlet in India is clearly reflected in these figures.

3.11 The Revival of Shakespeare

In the last few years Delhi has seen a "Shakespeare revival." The United Players’

Guild (UPG), an amateur group of dramatists and playwrights, has been exclusively

dedicated to reintroducing Shakespeare to the masses. Shakespearean who never wrote

purely for the Elizabethan aristocracy, has however been relegated to an "elitist position"

in India, which Roysten Abel and Lushin Dubey of the UPG wanted to reverse. They

wanted "to bring Shakespeare back to the common man by making it watchable,

entertaining and brief."86 The National School of Drama, New Delhi, has revived this

transculturation of Shakespeare. As mentioned earlier (page 64), Shakespeare has already

caught the imagination of Kathakali artists. Arjun Raina invented a form by fusing

Shakespeare with Kathakali, which he termed as Khelkali. According to him, Khel is

playing and Kali is dancing and this (Khelkali) leads to improvising freely while

interpreting old tales and creating old stories.87 He presented a scene from The

Midsummer Night’s Dream as The Magic Hour and performed his new style in the rural

areas of Himachal Pradesh.

67

This transculturation has also gone into films. A new television serial

Deewarein is a local adaptation of Hamlet. A 100 million plus dollar film based

on Hamlet has been planned by Tarsem Singh.88 The film named Aditya is about a

Rajput Prince who avenges his father’s murder even though it causes the downfall

of his own kingdom. It is during a hunting expedition that he kills his uncle and

stepfather. The role of the prince will be played by a much sought after actor in

India, Hrithik Roshan. The film is being shot at Jodhpur Fort in Rajasthan, India

and at different locations in England. It will be in English but the script prepared

has not used the Bard’s language. Another film, Mian Maqbool directed by Vishal

Bharadwaj has been recently released in the year 2004. It is an adaptation of

Shakespeare’s kaleidoscopic close-up of human frailties in Macbeth. Yet another

example is The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) that has been

performed by the Scene Stealers at Kamani Theatre in May 2000.

4 THE POPULARITY OF SHAKESPEARE IN INDIA

The Indian response to Shakespeare is not only widespread, stretching over a

vast region conspicuous by its linguistic and cultural diversities, but also of the longest

duration as far as any other foreign writer is considered. The popularity and growth of

Shakespeare in general, and Hamlet in particular to which I will turn later, is not difficult

to explain and forms the subject matter of this chapter.

4.1 The Causes of Shakespeare’s Popularity

As already mentioned, the growth of Shakespeare has been marked in the pre-

independence colonial period, particularly in Bengal and Maharashtra. There were socio-

political reasons. A subject race fired by nationalistic, reforming and revivalist spirits

wanted to catch up with the rulers in what was considered at that time as superior and

more civilized. This imperative no longer existed in the post-colonial period. But

Shakespeare as a cultural icon had already made his mark and continued to be revered by

the anglophile Indian elite even after independence. The contribution of the educational

institutions in the history of the Indian reception of Shakespeare has been largely towards

the construction of a canonical image of the playwright. The knowledge produced in the

academics has hardly penetrated into the larger literary community that responded to

Shakespeare in a haphazard manner but perhaps more creatively and with a greater

measure of freedom.

69

The Western infusion that was initially received with alacrity by academia was

later absorbed into the cultural mainstream of the Indian languages in a variegated

manner. This infiltration proved to be relatively easy due to to the “presence of unusually

receptive elements in the mother culture. The local culture of most states or regions could

absorb Shakespeare within its inherent structure and, in turn, be reshaped and

inseminated by Shakespearean influence.”1 Preissnitz calls this “the ubiquitousness of

Hinduism, which was adept at adapting to diverse regional and religious requirements.”2

Shakespearean drama continued to hold appeal for the Indians due to numerous other

factors. There are striking similarities with the theatrical conventions of Sanskrit drama

like invisibility, soliloquy, the existence of a fool, play within a play, off-stage voices,

pantomime, poetic diction, background music etc in spite of philosophical and cultural

differences between classical Indian and Elizabethan societies. Besides, there are

similarities of occult and astrology in Indian epics and Shakespearean dramas, which

have been analyzed in details by Shweta Sehgal.3

Another reason for the wide acceptance of Shakespearean drama by the Indian

audience is the parallels one finds between the plots of Shakespeare and the Indian epics.

Ancient Indian literature is full of epics, the two most widely known being the Ramayana

and the Mahabharata. Several Indian scholars have tried to draw similarities between

many characters in Indian epics and those of Shakespearean drama. Cordelia in King

Lear has been compared with Goddess Durga who killed the evil demon Maisasura

(buffalo-headed demon).4 Both were compassionate and loving but did not hesitate to

take arms against injustice. This is an accepted philosophy in Hinduism. In the discourse

before the great Mahabharata battle, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna how the Lord Himself

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comes in different ages in order to protect the virtuous and to destroy the wicked, to

remove adharma (immorality, impiety etc) and to establish dharma (morality) in the

following lines:

For the protection of the good, for the destruction

of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness,

I am born in every age.

(Geeta iv: 8)

Hindu ethics believes in compassion and tolerance towards evil but to a point and

does not hesitate to use violence for the establishment of dharma. Parallels have also

been found in Pericles and the character Shakuntala in the epic Mahabharata as

presented by poet Kalidasa in his famous play, Shakuntala.5 The central philosophy of

both plays is the affirmation of the transcendental principles of satyam, sivam and

sundaram (truth, beauty, and goodness). In the two plays, higher values like love, charity,

compassion, altruism, forgiveness etc have been pursued and inferior values like hatred,

anger, selfishness, revenge etc have been discarded. In Pericles, for example, the titular

hero feels a supreme kind of joy when he is united with his lost wife Thasia and daughter

Marina. In a similar manner, Dusmanta experiences infinite joy and bliss, i.e.

Brahmananda when he is united with his wife Shakuntala and son, Bharata. Gautam

Ghosal has made a useful collection of all critical appreciations by Indian scholars on

Shakespeare in the book Indian Thoughts on Shakespeare.6

Henry Wells and H.H. Anniah Gowda have collaborated in an extensive and

fruitful comparison of the likenesses of Shakespeare’s last plays and classical Indian

drama in the book entitled Shakespeare Turned East.7 A detailed study of this

outstanding piece of work will show that Shakespeare bears much closer affinity with

Sanskrit drama than with other major Asian theatres like the Chinese and the Japanese.

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And there are certain astonishing similarities between Shakespeare and Sanksrit plays,

not to be found in other Elizabethan or even in any other Western plays, for that matter.

Without delving into details it is pertinent to give a brief overview of the contents of this

book. The theatres of Kalidasa (4th century A.D.) that marked the pinnacle of Indian

drama and Shakespeare were highly stylized and must be acknowledged as among the

most essentially poetic and least prosaic that the world has ever known. The supple

imagination, abundance of images, variety of themes and the interestingly smooth style of

the language where meanings become less easy to decipher mark strong poetic elements

in Shakespeare like in The Tempest, Twelfth night, Measure for Measure, King Lear,

Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Henry Fourth plays and Antony and

Cleopatra as also in Kalidasa, especially in his most celebrated play, Shakuntala. Bhasa’s

(2nd century B.C.?) Swapnavasavadatta (The Dream of Vasavadatta), which is considered

as one of the world’s masterpieces in romantic pathos and Kalidasa’s Malavikagnimitira

have been vividly compared with Shakespeare’s romantic comedies, especially with The

Winter's Tale in their prevailing spirit and romantic outlook. The finest of Sanskrit plays

like Kalidasa’s Shakuntala and Bhavabhutti’s (7th century A.D.?) Uttaracharita (The

Later Story of Rama) boast of powerful scenes of reminiscences. Likewise it is to be

acknowledged that many of the most powerful scenes in Shakespeare’s dramatic

romances are those expressing the pathos of reminiscence, as Prospero’s account of his

early experiences on his enchanted island, Leontes’ recollections of Hermione, Belarius’

account of his adventures on the kidnapping of the British princes, and Pericles’

memories of his lost wife and daughter. The violent and sudden turns in incident and

fortune occur with striking similarity in both Sanskrit and Shakespearean plays. As in

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Sanskrit plays, one comes across frequent allusions to myths and ancient folklore in

Shakespearean drama like The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Midsummer Night's Dream,

Pericles and Hamlet. The garden and floral imagery, which abounds in Shakespeare,

especially in his sonnets is also found, even in greater abundance in the most exalted

Sanskrit plays. In the same way Shakespeare’s brilliant use of the pastoral elements

evincd in The Winter's Tale has been compared with the celebrated lyrical and dramatic

literature of the Gita Govinda by Jayadeva (12th century A.D.). Sri Harsha’s (7th century

A.D.) Ratnavali and Priyadarsika are found analogous to Pericles with common themes

of lost daughters, disguise, recognition and family union. Like Shakespeare “Harsha is

concerned with love both private and cosmic.”8 Pericles can also be aptly compared with

Kalidasa’s Shakuntala where after prolonged misery and suffering comes family union

and happiness. Another common element in Sanskrit drama and Shakespearean plays like

Cymbeline is the epic usage. Sanskrit drama is however more strongly marked by this

feature as a larger number of its plays have epic sources as their subject matter to create

literature singularly rich in poetic splendour. Again, the diversity of action and characters

in Cymbeline has been paralleled with Sudraka’s (period not known) Mrcchakatika or

The Little Clay Cart. The type of humour exhibited in both these comedies is surprisingly

alike. Cloten, who is the chief humorous figure in Cymbeline and his counterpart

Samsthanaka are strongly alike in character and unworthy of their princely position.

Furthermore, Bhavabhutti’s masterpiece Uttararamacharita (The Later Story of Rama)

presents an extraordinary parallel to Shakespeare’s story of the two princes, Guiderius,

Arviragus and their foster father, Belarius. The quality of melodrama depicted in

Cymbeline has been compared with the advanced form of melodrama depicted in

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Bhavabhutti’s Malatimadhava. Kalidasa’s Shakuntala and Meghaduttam (The Cloud Messenger) match the consummate mastery and suavity in dramatic verse of The

Tempest. The exceptionally keen awareness of nature is another common thread running through Shakespeare’s Tempest and three of Kalidasa’s extant plays which are considered

to be hymns to nature as Malavikagnimitra, Vikaramorvasiya and the supreme monument in dramatic art to the splendour and allurement of nature, Shakuntala. Such lavishness in

nature imagery is also observed in Bhavabhutti’s Uttararamacharita and Malatimadhava. The Tempest and Shakuntala are analogous in many respects. Both deal with common

elements like human relations with nature, the sanctity of parenthood, romanticism or love in its highest manifestations; both have idyllic settings, pastoral backgrounds and are

of great spiritual significance. One curious aspect is the surprisingly similar stage convention applied both by Shakespeare and Sanskrit drama. Magic invisibility, a

conspicuous feature in Elizabethan drama and most notably employed in The Tempest is also a leading feature in Bhavabhutti’s Uttararamacharita, accounts for one of the most

exquisite scenes in Kalidasa’s Vikramorvasiya and is further used in his Shakuntala. Another common theatrical device is stage music increasingly marked in Sanskrit plays

and in Shakespeare’s dramatic Romances as The Tempest, As You Like It, The Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as also in his tragedy, Coriolanus. Many other

similarities between the two theatres have been detected and the list becomes unending. Thus Shakespeare Turned East is a curtain raiser as one becomes increasingly aware that

classical Sanskrit theatre and Shakespearean drama have more in common than one might have initially expected. Such remarkable affinity between the theatres of two diverse

cultures facilitated the absorption of Shakespeare into the Indian cultural milieu.

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Some Indian scholars have a great adulation for Shakespeare so much so that he

has been described as a Brahmajnani in the Vedantic philosophy.9 The Supreme Being,

Brahman, is both the effect and the material cause of the visible Universe, the all

pervading soul and spirit of the Universe, the essence from which all created things are

produced and into which they are absorbed. Brahmajnani is the being that has acquired

the ultimate knowledge of Brahman.

4.2 The Causes of the Popularity of Hamlet

Among all the Shakespearean plays Hamlet has been ranked the most popular.

One reason is that the story of Hamlet has been a fascinating subject for Indians. Legends

of brother usurping brother’s kingdom and even his wife are not alien to the Indian

culture and heritage. In the Ramayana, King Sugriva usurps his brother Vali’s throne and

wife. Pushkar usurps Nala’s wealth in the tale of Nala and Damayanti. In Mahabharata,

Duryodhana usurps the title crown of the Prince of Pandavas after the latter goes into

hiding, following the dice game and the House of Wax incident. Similar situations are

also seen in the recorded history of India. Ashoka the Great (270 B.C. - 230 B.C.) killed

his brothers to ascend the throne. Centuries later many Moghul kings committed patricide

and fratricide to capture power.

The indecision and inner conflict of Hamlet against action as expressed in the

soliloquy:

To be or not to be, that is the question:

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune…

(III i: 58-60)

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has been a subject of many discussions and comments. It has been considered as a

reflection of the religious/political climate of the times, examined in terms of

anticatholicism and described as a "feigned private meditation" by different critics.

10

This

soliloquy can, to some extent, be compared with the similar inner conflict (dwanda) of

Arjuna in his hesitation to raise arms against his own kinsmen in the battlefield of

Mahabharata:

Therefore, Krishna, it does not behove us to kill relations,

the sons of Dhritrashtra. For how can we be happy after killing our own

kinsmen.

(Geeta i: 37)

Vikram Chopra tries to find out several notes of affinity between the values that

govern the tragic world of Shakespeare and the wisdom reflected in Indian scriptures and

literature. For example, the following passages of Hamlet bear close resemblance with

Sanskrit passages both in form and meaning.

11

The similarity between the passage:

Thou, know'st 'tis common--all that lives must die,

passing through nature to eternity.,

(I ii: 72-73)

and the following passage of the Geeta is striking:

Indeed, certain is death for the born,

and certain is birth for the dead;

therefore, over the inevitable,

you should not grieve.

(Geeta ii: 27)

Horatio's equipoise, praised by Hamlet in the following lines:

A man that Fortune's buffets and rewards

Hast ta'en with equal thanks;….

(III ii: 60-61)

is very similar to the stable mind of a sage described as Stithaprajna by Krishna:

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He who is not shaken by adversity, and who in prosperity

does not hanker after pleasures, who is free from attachment,

fear and anger, is called a sage-of-steady-Wisdom.

(Geeta ii: 56-57)

Hamlet’s reflection over:

What is a man,

If his chief good and market of his time

Be but to sleep and feed? A beast no more.

(IV iv: 35-37)

is an echo of popular thought:

A man is no different from an animal if he is only limited to food, sleep,

fear and sexual pursuits.

(Hithopadesa or Fables)

Chopra has gone to the extent of describing Hamlet as Sadhaka (somebody who

performs penance) and a Brahmajijna'su (a selfless ascetic having control over all

desire). In support of this, Chopra points out the description by Hamlet of himself, a

young man of thirty, as “man delights not me, nor woman neither” (I ii: 296-297). This

interpretation of Hamlet, is no doubt controversial.

Another interesting fact behind the enormous popularity of Hamlet is its plot,

which coincides with the plot of Hindi movies. The film industry in Bombay (now

Mumbai) has a strong grip over the Indian masses. Consider the plot; a boy and his

mother live with his uncle. The boy believes his father was killed in an accident and his

generous uncle gave shelter to him and his widowed mother, for which he is ever

grateful. But when he grows up, he starts getting serious dreams narrating that his uncle

had murdered his father. He is puzzled and does not know whether to believe his dreams

or not. He goes into a depression and even begins to neglect his girlfriend. His friends

stage a play in which they enact the scene, he sees in his dreams. From his uncle’s

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reactions, the hero realizes that his dreams have revealed the truth. His uncle also realizes

that his nephew knows the truth and sends him away for some kind of training. He sends

some of his men with instructions to kill the hero on his way. But the hero turns the tables

on his assailants and returns unscathed. The uncle then arranges another round of

treachery, but the hero’s friends learn of the plot and develop a scheme of their own. A

brawl ensues in which the uncle is killed and the hero and his girlfriend live happily ever

after. This is the basic plot of innumerable Hindi films like Suraj (in the sixties)

Dharamveer (seventies), Anadi (eighties) and Ashoka (nineties). In the swashbuckling

sixties the scene was set in some obscure village, which has now been replaced by

business empires. Whatever the case all India is crazy over Hindi films. With a few minor

variations, the plot narrated above could easily be that of Hamlet. Ophelia commits

suicide, but the heroine in Hindi movies lives on. And in Shakespeare’s play, the young

prince falls prey to the poisoned sword, but the other hero lives on. Indians love the hero

who surmounts all obstacles and ends up winning. So while following Shakespeare’s

narrative they relate the story of Hamlet to their favourite hero who experiences a similar

tale, except that he wins in the end. This close resemblance with the stereotyped film

formulas is what endears Hamlet to the Indian audience. And why should this be different

from, say, Macbeth or Othello? Because basically Hamlet is a good guy with a noble

spirit, who takes up arms to destroy only evil, whereas Macbeth kills his loyal friend and

Othello, his faithful wife. This, the Indian audience cannot identify with. The Indian

audience is accustomed to the protagonist or hero who purely embodies noble qualities

and has no trace of evil in him. Thus it is only Hamlet who can step into the shoes of the

Indian hero and is worthy of applause on stage.

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The contribution of the Indian playwrights/adapters towards the popularity of

Hamlet should not be downplayed. It is to be noted that amongst the most successful

adaptations of Shakespeare (from the popularity point of view) in all the major theatres of

India, it is Hamlet which clearly takes the lead. To remind ourselves, the playwrights of

these popular Hamlet versions were Dutt (Bengali), Agarkar (Marathi), Nana Joag

(Marathi), Lucknawi (Urdu), Mudaliyar (Tamil) and Kuvempur (Kannada). Of these the

Marathi version of Hamlet by Agarkar entitled Vikara Vilasit (pages 42-43), deserves the

highest credit. It is perhaps a sheer coincidence that the most successful appropriations in

the four major theatres of India (Bengali, Marathi, Parsi and Tamil) happened to be that

of Hamlet. Apart from the ingenuity of the playwrights another reason could be that the

story line of Hamlet appealed most to the Indian audience. Whatever be the reason the

remarkable success of these Hamlet adaptations encouraged future translators and

playwrights to continue experimenting with the play and produce further adaptations of

the same. In the process the audience got more acquainted and more fascinated with this

Shakespearean tragedy than with any other.

William F. Hansen has gone to the extent of indicating the possibility of the origin

of the story of Hamlet to India or Iran. He points out that the story:

.... may have spread within Europe by diffusion or descended among

Indo-Europeans by inheritance from the proto-Indo-European repertoire

or even been transmitted by a combination of these means. The

probability that the story is an old Indo-European legend would be

stronger if it could be shown that a variant of the story existed in India or

Iran.72

This conclusion of Hansen may be far-fetched but no doubt, there exist great similarities

between Shakespearean plays and Indian epics. These aspects have not been discussed in

greater details, as it is not the central theme of this thesis.

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In view of the popularity of Shakespeare in India, I consider it a worthwhile

experiment to appreciate one of his plays in the light of Sanskrit poetics. The glorious

stage history of the Indian Hamlet draws me to this particular play as an ideal beginning.

Also Lear, Macbeth and Othello are not heroes like Hamlet. They suffer from severe

deficiencies in character unlike their counterpart. Hamlet’s ‘deficiency’ is his sensitivity,

which does nothing to undermine his character as a hero, rather enhances it. His image as

a prototype of the Indian hero makes it a perfect model for interpretation. I will analyse

the play Hamlet with particular reference to the theories of rasa and dhvani as these

canons form the very pillars of Sanskrit Poetics and must have to a large extent

influenced the reception of Shakespeare/Hamlet in India, indirectly, if not directly.

Sanskrit canons and theoretical concepts, though unfamiliar to the majority of the Indian

theatregoers, have nevertheless, percolated through the masses, without their realizing it,

through their perception of Sanskrit classical dramas. Sanskrit theatre, obviously guided

by these canons has shaped the aesthetic sensibility of the Indian audience, which in turn

has influenced the reception of Shakespeare in India, through renderings, adaptations or

otherwise.

5

BASIC THEORIES OF SANSKRIT POETICS

RASA AND DHVANI

In Sanskrit poetics three critical concepts are central; rasa, dhvani and rasa-

dhvani. These theories were originally propounded by sage Bharata and sage Bhartrhari

in the 4th century B.C. and 7th century A.D. respectively and subsequently developed by

others till the 11th century A.D. V.K. Chari and A.C. Sukla have lucidly explained these

concepts in two recent articles, specifically aimed towards readers, alien to these modes

of thought.1 The materials in the present chapter are heavilly drawn from these two

articles.

5.1 The Theory of Rasa

Rasa is a term used in the Upanishads explaining the nature of the ultimate

Reality (Brahman), which literally means an all-pervading existence. According to the

Upanishads, "the ultimate Reality is the all-pervading existence (sat) the nature of which

is absolute consciousness (cit) and delight (ananda). Rasa is the synonym of this absolute

delight or ananda."2

Rasa, in Sanskrit literally means juice; it particularly refers to the juice of a

creeper named 'Soma' which is now extinct.3 This juice was noted for its delicacy,

sweetness and mild intoxicating value. Its application for explaining the delightful nature

of the ultimate Reality might have been metaphorical in the beginning of the Upanishadic

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age (4000 B.C. - 2000 B.C.), but subsequently it became a dead metaphor and in its

denotational use, it became a synonym for ananda (bliss).

The sage Bharata uses the term rasa for the first time as an aesthetic concept in

his treatise on theatrical performance called Natyasastra, which is supposed to have been

compiled in the 4th Century B.C., in order to explain the nature of the audience's

experience of the dramatic performance. He refers to rasa as the delight that the audience

derives from its experience of the generalized emotions presented in the drama. Bharata

compares this wholesome aesthetic relish to the ecstatic experience of the ultimate

Reality, which was otherwise possible through Vedic rituals, rigorous penance and

austerity. The Brahmins (the priestly class) believed that human experience is basically

emotion-oriented as all our actions and experiences are always indicative of an emotion.

So there is no action without displaying an emotion, or in other words, representation of

an action entails the display of an emotion. The experience of these emotions in their

individual forms is the cause of human misery. The remedy for this misery is therefore to

experience the emotions in their general forms (sadharanya). According to Bharata, an

emotion presented on stage is necessarily free from individual (personal) affiliation and

therefore attains a pure or general status. He calls this purified or unaffliliated emotion as

rasa in drama. Thus, the spiritual implication of the term rasa is that the nature of the

ultimate reality called 'Brahman' is at par with unaffliated emotion. The most precise

way of understanding this central point of Sanskrit literary theory is that the performance

of an action in the world of reality, in terms of man's emotional response, is always

personal and it causes unhappiness because of its individual affliction, whereas its

presentation (or representation) in a fictional form is free from this personal affliction and

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automatically elevates the experience of this emotion into an extraordinary delight

(camatcara). In dramatic performance, this presentation is complete in its audiovisual

form and therefore the directness of its experience is necessarily of a superior order, than

what appears in the narrative form of literature, where the audience has to visualize the

whole presentation mentally. So, dramatic performance necessarily manifests an emotion

as rasa.

Bharata’s Rasa-sutra (axioms of rasa) is basically a doctrine of dramatic

emotions and offers an analytical exposition of the logic behind them. The doctrine of

rasa, as originally formulated by Bharata in the sixth and seventh chapters of the Natya-

sastra, rests on certain assumptions. In the sixth chapter he describes the method of the

generation of rasa.

(1) Emotions are manifested in drama, as in life, by a combination of situational

factors.

(2) There is a specific number of emotions. According to Bharata there are eight

primary emotions (sthayibhavas or simply bhavas).

(3) These primary emotions or bhavas are permanent irreducible mental states. These

alone can be developed into rasas. The eight emotions thus correspond to eight

rasas. They are rati (love), hasa (laughter), soka (sorrow), krodha (anger/rage),

vesaha (enthusiasm/courage/herosim), bhaya (fear), jugupsa (aversion/disgust)

and ascarya (wonder). The eight corresponding rasas are sringara, hasya,

karuna, raudra, vira, bhayanaka, bibhatsa and adbhuta respectively.

(4) In the theatre, an organisation of various emotions is depicted, but the weaker

ones are subordinated to one dominant impression (emotion).

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(5) Emotions are brought together in the theatre, not indiscriminately, but according to

the logic of congruity and propriety.

Bharata says that rasa is generated in the theatre (natya) through the conjunction

(samyoga) of three factors that accompany the emotions.

(a) Determinants that are expressive of an emotion, such as characters and situations

(vibhavas).

(b) Physical gestures (anubhavas).

(c) Other transitory mental states of the characters (vyabhicarins/vyabhicaribhavs).

Determinants (vibhavas) -- The determinants of an emotion are those objects or

factors, which generate that emotion. They are of two kinds. The first is the primary or

the generative factor (alambana vibhava), which directly brings out the emotion in a

person. This could be an object, person, scene, or even thought which excites a particular

emotion e.g., a man may experience the emotion of love at the sight of his beloved. Here,

the beloved is the generating factor of the feeling of love. However, the mere presence of

the object is not enough to bring out certain feelings in us. Emotions, though object

oriented, may lie dormant in our natures and may not manifest themselves without the

presence of appropriate situational factors. This is called the exciting factor or uddipana-

vidbhava. To cite an example, the feeling of love between two people is fully evoked

with the presence of certain enhancing factors like privacy, moonlight, cool breeze, a

stream flowing by and so on. These circumstances are secondary in importance and only

help the emotion to exhibit itself.

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Physical gestures (anubhavas) -- Emotional states will become objects of

discourse only when expressed in an overt or visible manner, in speech, action or gesture.

"The Sanskrit term for such behavioural expressions is anubhava, etymologically

meaning that which follows or ensues from the feeling (as its effect)."4 In drama these

behaviourial expressions are the only means of presenting emotions and they are the

subject matter of the dramatic presentation or enactment (abhinaya). According to

Abhinavagupta (10th c. A.D.), expressing the emotions is leading others towards

knowledge of those emotions. Hence these (shrugs, sidelong glances, knitting the

eyebrows and so forth) are at once expressions as well as the actions exhibited

(abhinayas). Bharata delineates how the emotions are caused and how they must be

exhibited on stage. Grief arises from bereavement by death of a dear one, loss of

property, experiencing the sorrow of those who are near to you and so on. These are its

causes. It is exhibited by shedding tears, wailing, weeping, turning pale, a hoarse voice,

sinking of the limbs, stretching or rolling on the ground, crying aloud, long and heavy

breathing, trembling, numbness, loss of memory, going mad, becoming immobilized,

turning hysterical, swooning, dying etc. These are the expressions and physical gestures

of an emotion. From the various physical gestures and expressions mentioned above, it

can be seen that some like shedding tears, changing colour and trembling are bodily

conditions that directly emanate from certain psychic states whereas others like hitting

the head, wailing and so on are more voluntary gestures and are capable of being

controlled. Some gestures can also be acquired in the course of social experience. Bharata

draws a distinction between these voluntary expressions and involuntary reactions of an

emotion. Strictly speaking, tears, trembling, turning pale or fainting may not be called

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gestures since they are beyond human control. They are symptomatic reactions caused

directly by certain psychic conditions and are called sattvikabhavs or mental reactions as

they are a direct result of mental states. Bharata therefore treats them as a separate class

and lists eight of them; stupefaction or immobilization, perspiration, horripilation (goose-

pimples), change of voice, trembling, change of colour, tears and fainting. These

symptoms are exceedingly difficult to exhibit on the stage and can be accomplished only

through extreme concentration on the part of the actors or actresses so that they actually

bring themselves to feel these mental states or successfully simulate them.

Transitory Mental States or Moods (vyabhicaribhavs/vyabhicarins) -- The

primary mood portrayed in the drama attracts other ancillary feelings. No emotion,

however basic can appear in its purest state without involving other secondary feelings.

Thus, love-in-union is associated with a host of other feelings like bashfulness,

infatuation, agitation, eagerness, pride, cogitation, vacillation, gladness and many others.

Love-in-separation attracts self-deprecation, doubt, fatigue, jealousy, brooding, anxiety,

drowsiness, dreaming, malady, fits and so on. These feelings are transient and are called

vyabicaribhavs or samcarins. Without the reinforcement of the fleeting emotions, no

emotion is developed into an enduring mood. What we call a mood is a whole sequence

of different feelings that, intermingling and interacting with one another, emerge as a

single dominant strain or impression. Hence, dramatic performance consists not only in

presenting emotions through their objects and expressions, but also in developing an

emotion into a sustained mood by exhibiting an entire emotional sequence of alternating

strands.

However, the transitory feelings are not absolutely necessary for the development

or expressions of emotions -- they are only a means of reinforcing and enhancing it.

"Emotions are caused by their objects, manifested by their expressions and nourished by

other ancillary feelings."5 But Bharata lays emphasis on the introduction of other

secondary emotions in order to sustain or prolong the mood throughout the whole length

of the drama.

Their Conjunction (samyoga) -- For a situation to be portrayed as emotive there

must first be an object that excites an emotion in someone. That person should be aware

of the emotion and its cause. Second, the person must not merely feel the emotion, but

express it in outward behaviour. The ancillary feelings are not a necessary condition for a

situation to be emotive, only a factor in its development. Thus, the entire logic of

emotional discourse seems to hinge on the objects and expressions.

But, as seen before, emotions, objects and expressions are not necessarily bound

to each other in any constant relation. None of these factors stand in any fixed relation to

any particular emotion, each, by itself is common to more than one emotion. A lion might

evoke different feelings of wonder, fear, heroism or wrath in different persons. A

particular woman may be an object of love to her lover and cause indifference to a monk

or even cause aversion in another. Similarly, an overt expression like tears could be the

result of grief, fear or even ecstasy. Again, ancillary feelings, in different cases are not

always related to the same primary emotion. Anxiety could be the result of fear, sorrow

or love-in-separation.

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In order to determine a correlation Bharata introduces another condition called

samyoga or conjunction of the emotive factors. Abhinavagupta explains that "emotive

causes and expressions are in no fixed relation to the emotions singly, but when the

totality of conditions is given there is no inconstancy. Thus, where the death of a dear one

is the circumstance, lamentation and tears are the behavioural expressions, brooding,

dejection and so on are the other feelings, the emotion cannot be anything but grief."6

5.1.1 Specific number of Emotions

Bharata lists as many as forty-one mental states each defined by its objects and

expressions. Of these, only eight are regarded as basic or durable (sthayins) and can be

developed into full-fledged dramatic emotions (sthayibhavas or bhavas). The remaining

thirty-three can only function as subsidiary emotions. The eight basic emotions are love,

comic laughter, grief, rage, heroism, fear, revulsion and wonder. Later writers have

sought to include quietude or serenity as another distinct dramatic emotion. It has come to

be accepted as another basic criterion especially after Abhinavagupta's eloquent plea on

behalf of it. However, it still remains a subject of much controversy.7 By quietude is

understood a state of mental repose or serenity in which the mind is freed from all

passions and perturbations and rests in itself, as it were. This is the condition that wise

men and yogis are known to enjoy. Several critics have argued that such a state of yogic

detachment is a negative state and implies a termination of all mental activity and

perturbation and can hardly be called a bhava or emotion. Besides, they argue that such a

state of inner subsidence would be extremely difficult to portray. Abhinavagupta

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contradicts this line of thought and claims mental subsidence to be a positive state of

inner bliss and equanimity. He strongly asserts that anything that can be presented and

dramatised is perfectly capable of being dramatically interesting. It can be portrayed with

the help of its associate feelings like world-weariness, disenchantment, aspiration, quest,

thirst for knowledge etc. all of which ultimately lead to that supreme state of supernal joy.

To cite an example, the life of Buddha has been a very appealing theme for many

playwrights and choreographers. Finally, although this mental state of worldly

detachment cannot be physically expressed, the very absence of any expressive gesture

like intense and deep meditation may be taken as a kind of gesture.

5.1.2 Accessory or Transient Emotions

The remaining thirty-three emotions as listed by Bharata are discouragement

(self-disparagement), debility (caused by both physical and mental conditions),

apprehension (doubt, suspicion), envy, intoxication, world-weariness, indolence,

depression, anxiety (worry), distraction, rumination (turning things over in the mind),

contentment, shame, unsteadiness, jubilation, agitation, stupor, pride or arrogance,

dejection, impatience (eagerness), sleep (drowsiness), amnesia, coma, awakening,

indignation, dissimulation, ferocity, self-assurance (born of understanding), malaise,

insanity, death (the state of mind accompanying death or the dying experience), fright and

deliberation.

Certain conclusions can be drawn from the elaborate typology of emotions as

delineated by Bharata.

(1) All the emotions, both stable and transient are defined by their causes and expressions.

Some of the states listed by Bharata as mental states such as debility, intoxication, sleep and so on are only physical conditions and some of them may be caused by purely physical factors like sleep by fatigue, disease etc. But what is meant here is not the physical conditions as such, but the mental states they give rise to.

(2) Whether Bharata’s list of emotions is exhaustive enough to include all mental states, sensations and attitudes has been questioned. Feelings of desire like craving for a glass of cold water on a hot summer day or feelings like honour, hatred, jealousy, suspense etc. have not been included in his elaborate typology of emotions. Supporters of Bharata have defended this by pointing out that desire does not signify specific feelings and could mean almost any feeling—desire for water is thirst, desire for food is hunger, desire for a man or a woman is the sexual urge. Other feelings like hope, hatred, honour etc. are not clearly defined psychic states. Hate could be expressed as anger or disgust.

(3) Another subject of discussion is whether bhakti or the sentiment of devotion can be regarded as a legitimate aesthetic emotion. Theorists supporting this school of thought have claimed this to be a distinctive emotion far superior to other poetic feelings, which culminates in an elevated mental state of pure joy, unlike other human emotions.

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(4) Abhinavagupta however, does not assign any special status to bhakti and calls it

a substratum of santa or quietude. He also denies bhakti to be a removed psychic

state of man and asserts that like any ordinary human emotion, it can be

expressed outwardly in terms of human responses like happiness, pleasure,

sorrow and pain. “The devotional mystic can go through the whole gamut of

emotions in relation to his god, from erotic love to fear. He pines for his god,

enjoys union with him, laments his separation, suffers grief and despair over the

fallen condition of his soul, marvels at god’s grandeur, is afraid of his wrath, is

disgusted with his own body, by his sensuous attachment to worldly things, and,

finally rests in God realization.”8

(5) Some of the categories into which Bharata classifies the accessory emotions are

not strictly separable from each other. For example, depression and dejection

cannot be separated from each other. Despite minor inaccuracies, if any, in his

classification, however, his crucial distinction between the stable and transient

emotions cannot be disputed.

5.1.3 Durable and Transient Emotions

Bharata’s most original contribution to the aesthetics of emotions is his distinction

between the stable and the fleeting emotions. He never attempts a psychological

explanation of his typology but asserts that certain emotions are more powerful than

others and tend to dominate over them.

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Abhinavagupta, Bharata’s commentator has attempted a more logical explanation

of emotional human behaviour. He purports that the primary emotions that lie dormant in

the mind are brought to the surface only when the appropriate objects present themselves.

The objects merely serve to bring them to an active state and are called the instrumental

causes (nimita-karana) and not their inherent causes (samanya-karana). So when a man

feels a stirring in him, it is because of his latent sexual urge in him, which brings out the

feeling. It would be incorrect to say that the woman causes the sexual urge. In contrast,

transient feelings like agitation, shame or indolence appear and disappear when their

causes appear and disappear. But this explanation does not hold firm ground. It can be

easily argued that the transient feelings are as much embedded in human nature as the

basic emotions like love and aversion. Secondly, Abhinavagupta’s assertion that the basic

emotions can exist in their forms without the appearance of their objects can be disputed.

No emotion can be proved to exist without the presence of the objects and the

expressions. Again, if the basic emotions can lie dormant in human nature, so can

transitory ones. Both these emotions reveal themselves when appropriate objects and

circumstances present themselves.

A more convincing explanation, which has again been provided by

Abhinavagupta in favour of this distinction, is that, the transient emotions are not capable

of existing independently and are meaningless unless attached to one of the primary

emotions. As Abhinavagupta explains:

for that reason i.e., since the transient emotions are not independent,

when someone says, this man is wearied,’ the question arises, ‘Why is he

like that?’ This indicates the contingent nature of that feeling. But when

someone says, Rama is full of heroic fervour,’ the question ‘why’ is not

asked. In such cases, the only question that can be asked is whether the

given objects and circumstances are appropriate to the emotion indicated.

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"Similarly when we say two people are in love with each other, we do not question why—the condition is sufficient unto itself and is self-explanatory.9"

The same logic is applicable to all the primary emotions:

The transient states, however cannot find a resting point in their own nature or establish an independent context for themselves. Having no fixed identity or status, they move about with many different basic emotions, appearing and disappearing like bubbles and taking on the form and hue of the emotions they associate themselves with. A transient emotion is so called because ‘it goes astray in many different directions,’ with other emotions that are more powerful than itself.10

A fleeting emotion like agitation can appear in love or laughter, anger or revulsion. The emotion which is not swallowed up by other emotions whether friendly with it or unfriendly, which quickly dissolves the others into its own, a condition like the salt sea, which endures continuously in the mind, and which, in conjunction with other feelings and circumstances, attains to its fullest expression as rasa – that is the durable emotion.

Since the transitory states cannot result in any particular mood by themselves, the durable emotions alone can be developed into full-fledged aesthetic moods or rasas. They alone can be sustained through the whole length of the composition. The fleeting emotions only act as attendant feelings to the primary emotion helping to intensify and stabilize it.

The basic emotion rarely acts in a pure state without absorbing other major or minor emotions. One major emotion can assimilate another major emotion but only as its subsidiary. Thus, though love can momentarily occur in its pure form, it soon gets mixed up with feelings of wonder, laughter, even grief and with transient feelings like eagerness, bashfulness, envy, jubilation, anxiety, distraction etc. A transitory feeling can

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also lead to other transitory feelings but they emanate from one main emotion which is

the most powerful mood dominating all the other emotions. To sum up, we can say that

(1) Some transient emotions can emanate from more than one basic emotion.

(2) The basic emotion can lead to a number of transient, as well as, other basic

emotions, which are subordinated to it.

(3) Even when it appears in the midst of a combination of others, the basic emotion

does not change its form but proliferates, the other emotions lending it an effect of

variegation. Thus, when a basic emotion is nourished as a principal theme

throughout a composition by being exhibited repeatedly with its full paraphernalia

of objects, expressions and accessories, it becomes a dominant or presiding

emotion and this emotion in its generalized form is called rasa. This is the

substance of Bharata’s Rasa-Sutra (rasa-axioms).

Bharata advocates the introduction of various emotional strains in order to aid the

stabilization of the primary emotion by way of intensifying and prolonging it. He believes

that rasa is manifested through the conjunction of many different emotions. Sometimes

the interaction of conflicting emotions lends more intrigue to the plot. In the treatment of

love, for example, dramatists introduce quarrels between lovers and other elements in

order to sustain the emotion and to avoid the feeling of satiety. It should not be forgotten,

however, that only one of these emotions is to be established as the central theme. Two

parallel moods would undermine the unity of impression. When two or more basic

emotions are given prolonged treatment in the play, it depends on how the dramatist

handles his subject matter, which of these would overpower the other. The rasa chosen to

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be the dominant mood or emotion of the play spreads itself as a pervasive quality of the

work through all its parts, whereas the other major emotions, which are drawn into the

work by the force of the situation, powerful as they may be, are limited to certain parts of

the work and therefore cannot hurt the preeminence of the main rasa. In fact, they will

aid its intensification as well as spread it. V.K. Chari illustrates this by an example from

Hamlet, where Hamlet in his first soliloquy in Act 1, scene ii, says "O that this too too

solid flesh would melt...." The prevailing mood here, which is grief or sorrow, attracts

other related feelings like revulsion and anger. His sense of being tarnished by his

mother's adultery poisons his mind, which is reflected in lines 129--134, ".... How

weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!" He cannot

comprehend how the queen who asks him to stop mourning and return to normalcy, can

take his father's death so lightly. In this soliloquy Hamlet's attitude reveals

disillusionment and sorrow when he realizes the shallowness of his mother's love for his

dead father. "There is pity expressed for his dead father, anger at the thought of his

mother's hasty marriage and his own helplessness and muted anguish at the thought that

his heart must break in silence. But these other, intervening feelings only serve to

intensify Hamlet's tragic anguish and culminate in one dominant impression."11

Bharata, however, does not reject the possibility of creating a play in one

emotional pattern dictating the entire tone of the work. He also adds that the conclusion

of each drama is crucial for the final impression.

5.1.4 Friendly and Opposing Emotions

The various emotional strains running in a play have to be appropriately blended

in order to produce an artful presentation in a drama. Any given emotion does not go with

all other emotions. Certain emotions can be friendly towards or opposed to each other,

following certain logic and depending on their own intrinsic nature. A particular emotion

can sometimes consort with emotions opposed to its own nature, but only under certain

conditions; these have been called the 'opposing' tones or emotions. Bharata has laid

down certain guidelines for the combination of friendly and opposing emotions within

one single play.

Some mental states are mutually incompatible with each other and cannot coexist

whereas others can harmonize well at all times. Thus, one cannot be both attracted and

repelled by the same object at the same time, nor can one feel pity and rage, or pity and

fear, or love and fear towards the same person. On the other hand, certain emotions like

love and wonder, love and mirth, heroism and fury, fear and disgust etc. can coexist.

However, the congruity or incongruity also depends on situational factors. Sometimes

opposing emotions can come and clash with each other in the same situation, for

example, the feeling of love, pity and rage in the murder scene in Othello. Even opposing

emotions can cohabit with each other and cease to be opposite under certain conditions,

e.g. jealousy in love does not prove to be destructive all the time but may actually aid

love. An emotion expressed by one person may produce different reactions in different

persons. Thus, heroism in a warrior can produce wonder in his friends and dread in his

enemies.

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In determining mutual opposition between emotions the following factors must be

taken into consideration,

(1) whether the contradictory emotions appear in the same locus (person) or in

different loci;

(2) whether they appear in a locus at the same point of time and in the same

circumstances or at different times and in different circumstances;

(3) whether they appear in the same locus successively or with other intervening

emotions;

(4) whether they are caused by the same object or by different objects;

(5) whether they are treated as being equally powerful, or whether one of them is

subordinated; and finally

(6) whether the opposition is between two basic emotions, between two transient

ones, or, between a basic emotion and a transient emotion.

"Opposition between emotions is defined as the inability of two emotions, caused by the

same object, to coexist in the same substratum at the same time and, consequently, the

obstruction of one by the other, that is, one knowledge obstructing the other."12

Obstruction in this context means when one emotion is repelled by the other, For

instance, the knowledge that two people love each other will not allow the knowledge

that the same persons detest each other. Love and disgust are naturally opposed to each

other. Similarly, two transitory emotions can also be mutually incompatible, like satiety

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and anxiety, eagerness and deliberation, elation and dejection. There can also be a natural

repulsion between a stable and a transitory emotion like heroic feeling and depression,

sorrow and elation, mirth and apprehension and so on.

However, natural opposition is not the sole reason for the opposition between

emotions. The opposition actually occurs when two incompatible emotions directly

confront each other.

Sanskrit critics have attempted a broad outline of the different kinds of opposing

emotions. First, the emotions must arise in connection with the same object caused by

that object and directed at it. This type of opposition has been termed "opposition due to

the object being the same." Second, conflicting emotions must reside in the same person -

this is "opposition due to the locus being the same." Third, the emotions must occur in

quick succession, love and hate, pity and fear, wonder and revulsion etc. towards the

same object. This is "opposition due to the rival emotions occurring without interval."13

The lapse of time between two conflicting emotions may lead to the development of new

circumstances justifying the emergence of the opposite emotion. Othello's initial love for

Desdemona is not contradicted by his jealous fury at the end. Fourth, the opposite

emotions must be equally powerful, for if one of the themes dominates, it will soon

suppress its own opponent and establish its own tone. This may be called "opposition due

the rival emotions being equally important."14 Pity and wrath, both equally oppressing

like Othello's contention in the murder scene, could keep on alternating for a while, until

one finally succumbs to the other. In cases like these, it is always the so-called negative

emotions like fury, fear and disgust, which tend to suppress their opponents. Thus when

love and disgust of equal force are juxtaposed, disgust will supersede love. Love,

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appearing together with fear, will be extinguished by fear, the heroic by fear, wonder by

rage and so on. In any case, of course, opposition can happen only to an emotion that is

treated as the principal meaning of the text (vakyarthibhuta), namely, to the basic

emotion that is stabilised as the rasa. Further, it is possible within a single context of

meaning and in a sentence with a univocal meaning. In polysemous cases, there can be no

opposition since the sentence conveys two different meanings and should be treated as

two different sentences (vakyabheda).

Generally speaking, opposition between emotions is removed:

(1) by locating the conflicting emotions in different substrata,

(2) by directing them to two different objects

(3) by subordinating one of them

(4) by introducing another emotion that is friendly to mediate between the opposites,

and

(5) by not over displaying the emotion that is opposed to the dominant emotion of the

play e.g. comic episodes when introduced in a tragedy, should not receive extended treatment.

V.K. Chari has worked out certain tables to make a clearer demarcation between

the friendly and opposing emotions and their juxtapositon. These are illustrated below: 15

TABLE I: CONCORDANT [FRIENDLY] AND DISCORDANT [OPPOSING]

EMOTIONS

Basic Emotions Concordant Emotions Discordant Emotions

Erotic love Heroism, the comic, wonder, fury (demoniacal love, not normal) Disgust, tragic grief,a fear, fury (in normal cases), quietude (subsidence).

The comic Erotic love, rage, fear Grief, fear

Grief Fear Rage, the erotic, the comic, the heroic

Rage Disgust, the heroic, the comic Wonder, fear, grief, the erotic, quietude

The heroic Wonder rage, the erotic Fear, disgust, grief, quietude

Fear Grief, disgust Rage, wonder, quietude, the heroic, the comic

Disgust Fear Wonder, the erotic, the heroic

Wonder The erotic, the heroic Fury, disgust, fear, grief

Quietudeb Wonder Fury, fear, disgust, grief, the erotic, the heroic.

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a) Depression, despair, distraction, etc., which go into the tragic sentiment, appear in

love-in-separation. But tragic grief itself is incongruous with its tone.

b) No emotion in its turbulent form can coexist with this mood.

TABLE II: SYNASTHESIS, OR THE MIXING OF DISCORDANT EMOTIONS

Based on the substratum

Based on the object

Based on the moment of

apprehension

1. By placing the opposite

emotions in different

substrata, the opposition

is removed, e.g.,

heroism in the

protagonist and fear in

the antagonist.

By directing the opposite

emotions on different

objects.

1. Opposition between two

emotions is removed by

interposing a third, which

is friendly to both.

2. When two opposites are

located in the same

character, one is

subordinated to the

other: pity and rage in

Othello.

2. By introducing intervening

circumstances between the

rise of the one and the rise

of the other -

circumstances that would

warrant a change of

attitude in the character

towards an object.

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TABLE III: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OPPOSITES ARE COMBINED

WITHOUT REGARD FOR PROPRIETY?

1. Love + disgust = disgust

Love + fear = fear

Love + rage = rage

Love + pathos [grief] = pathos

2. The comic + pathos = comic

The comic + fear = fear

The comic + rage = rage

3. Pathos + rage = rage

4. Rage + wonder = rage

Rage + fear = fear

5. The heroic + fear = fear

The heroic +disgust = disgust

6. Fear + any other emotions, friendly or unfriendly = fear

7. Disgust + wonder = disgust

8. Wonder + pathos = pathos

9. Quietude + any other emotion would nullify that emotion

5.1.5 The Direct Perception of the Rasa Experience

The rules outlined above are simply broad principles set down by Sanskrit critics,

but there may be different ways of handling the treatment of emotions and controlling the

tone of the play. In any case, the prime concern of the dramatist should be to ensure that

only one unified tone or emotion prevails throughout the play and that all other emotions

and sub-emotions are subordinated to the principal mood (emotion), based on their

natural affinities. "Aesthetic unity can be described only as the functional cooperation of

all parts in the interests of a unified whole."16

The rules propounded by the rasa theorists are not merely arbitrary rules of

composition; they have a psychological reasoning behind it. In a play dominated by

diverse emotional strains, there is no place for two contradictory mental states. The nature

of our mental apprehension is such that the quality of one moment is lost in the

contemplation of a succeeding moment. So it is not possible for a variety of impressions

that are qualitatively different to subsist simultaneously in a single moment of

apprehension:

The mixture of diverse emotional tones does not produce a new compound in which the ingredients preserve their distinctive flavour or an altogether new synthesis different from its ingredients. It is always the stronger element that asserts itself. Therefore, the concept of rasa requires that there be a single dominant emotion. It rules out the possibility of a "cocktail" of emotions in which the mixture produces a new compound relish.17

What Bharata stresses in both the generation and experience of rasa by the

audience is the perceptibility or directness of its cognition. He, therefore, emphasizes the

sensible form of rasa by describing it in terms of a gustatory image, asvadana or

gustation. He writes:

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....just as when various condiments and sauces and herbs and other

materials are mixed, a taste (different from the individual tastes of the

components) is felt, or when the mixing of materials like molasses with

other materials produces six kinds of tastes, so also along with the

different bhava-s(emotions) the Sthayi bhava becomes a ‘taste’(rasa,

flavour, feeling).But what is this thing called rasa? Here is the reply.

Because it is enjoyably tasted, it is called rasa. How does the enjoyment

come? Persons who eat prepared food mixed with different condiments

and sauces, etc., if they are sensitive, enjoy the different tastes and then

feel pleasure (or satisfaction); likewise, sensitive spectators, after

enjoying the various emotions expressed by the actors through words,

gestures and feelings feel pleasure, etc. This (final) feeling by the

spectators is here explained as (various) rasa-s of natya [drama].18

Bharata’s commentators also have recommended the perceptibility of the rasa

experience. Sankuka (9th c. A.D) has distinguished between the linguistic function

(abhidhana) and the theatrical performance. It is one thing to read the dramatic text as a

form of poetry and another to witness its theatrical performance. He states that:

Acting (abhinaya) is itself a communication (avagamana). It differs

from the denotative function of language (vacake, abhidhana)….[What

is communicated by acting is ] not that (i) the actor is happy, (ii) the

actor is Rama (identified with the character of the drama), (iii) the actor

Rama is unhappy, (iv) the actor may or may not be Rama, (v) the actor

is similar to Rama; but other than any illusion, doubt and resemblance -

like a picture horse – [acting communicates] that this is that happy

Rama.19

Thus, according to Sankuka, communication by acting differs from verbal

communication. There is a great deal of difference between a reader’s reading the

dramatic dialogue and an actor’s performing or even reading the same. When the actor

reads, for example, a dialogue from Sriharsha’s drama Ratnavali, “This multitude of

droplets, fine rains of tears falling while she painted, produces on my body the effect of a

perspiration borne from the touch of her hand,” he performs as if his body is sweating

with a sense of thrill.20 A similar example could be taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet

referring to the famous soliloquy, “To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether ‘tis

nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of ourageous fortune, or to take arms

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against a sea of troubles and, by opposing, end them." (III i: 58-62) where only an actor

can bring out the full intensity of these words, pregnant with meaning. In any narrative

form of literature the reader has to imagine and visualise the whole presentation mentally.

But even the best form of visualisation by the most competent person cannot match the

completeness of the performance of a dramatic text. Therefore to witness a dramatic text

in its performance and to read dramatic texts are altogether two different experiences, the

latter being always inferior to the former. So, acting as a whole, including its four

constituents (pages 84-87) is a powerful tool of communicating emotions far more

effective than any communication by reading.

Abhinavagupta, the noted commentator on Bharata also acknowledges the

perceptibility of rasa and admits the superiority of the perceptual experience to all other

experiences. It is obvious that Abhinavagupta, too, is aware of the truth that in poetry the

reader does not enjoy the perceptual experience as the spectators in the theatre do. Thus

he writes:

Although the generalization can occur in mere tales (katha), nevertheless

there lacking a great impressive feeling (ranjana), as in the case of the

sentence, 'Such and such a thing happens to them who do such and such a

thing,' the corresponding state of mind is not well decided. In poetry, on

the contrary (and let us remember here that the body of poetry is made up

of words embellished by qualities and figures of speech, with Rasa as its

life, the Rasa of a non-ordinary nature) every state of mind is, so to say,

completely immerged, thanks to a consent of heart. This idea, to be

confronted with a kind of direct perception or experience

(pratyaksasatkarakalpa) does not arise, however, in every person

[who is hearing or reading a poem]. In drama this difficulty does not

arise....The relish of suitable vocal and instrumental music makes then

the spectator forget about his practical existence (samsarikabhava), and,

his heart consequently being turned as clear as a spotless mirror he

becomes capable of identifying himself with the mental states of sorrow,

delight, etc., sprung from the sight of the gestures and of the other species

of representation. Listening to the reciation makes the spectator enter into

the life of a character different from himself, and, as a result there grows

up in him a cognition whose object is Rama, Ravana and so on.... The

spectator is accompanied by the impressions of this cognition... for

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several days. These impressions are evidenced, in their turn, by other

ones, deposited within him by the direct perception of the various

pleasure-producing things—women, vocal and instrumental musics—

which accompanied the performance….21

The point that is repeatedly emphasized is the direct perception of the rasa

experience. It is the general consensus that the audience experiences the theatre directly

and rasa experience in theatre is necessarily one of direct perception. Since this kind of

diect perception is not available in other forms of art, eminent Sanskrit critics are

unwilling to grant the rasa status to them.

This delimitation of rasa experience, no doubt elevates the theatre to the highest

form of art according to Sanskrit critics. But it obviously and appropriately generates

disappointments in the readers of poetry. To resolve this crisis - to explain the

extraordinary delight in reading poetry, Anandavardhana (9th century A.D) explores the

source of such delight in a specific potency of the verbal composition of poetry. His quest

for the peculiar ontological status of poetry that is responsible for the reader’s delight

might be compared to the delight of the theatrical audience. He thinks that rasa is also

generated in poetry, if not due to the perception of the bibhava, anubhava, and

vyabicaribhava (pages 84-86) etc. that, is exclusively a prerogative of the theatre; there is

a source in poetry, which produces an experience in the reader that might be called rasa.

This source is the specific linguistic potency of the poetic language, which he calls

vyanjana, and the semantic ontology due to this potency is called dhvani. He also adds

that the meaning of the semantic ontology of poetry is experienced directly and not

indirectly. At least on this point, theatre and poetry are at par with each other, both of

them being directly perceived.

The metaphysical concept of dhvani, which is described in the following section,

will make it amply clear that the linguistic potency of poetry and other forms of literature

is of such specific character that it is equally successful in generating rasa as the

theatrical experience. While rasa is generated in theatre through the four constituents of

drama, vibhava, anubhava, vyabhicaribhava and its samyoga (pages 84-87); the same is

generated in literature through a specific potency of language.

5.2 The Theory of Dhvani

Anandavardhana’s formulation of the Rasa-Dhvani theory enjoys the advantage

of a rich philosophical tradition. He draws primarily upon the philosophy of language

advanced by Bharatrhari (7th century A.D.), who was a philosopher of great learning and

perception. A member of the Paninian school (followers of Panini,vii a noted ancient

linguist) and an ardent follower of Patanjali (2nd century B.C.), Bhartrhari also

extrapolates philosophical doctrines from Tantric mysticism. In his exploration of the

three levels of language such as pasyanti, madhyama and vaikhari (which will be

explained in the following pages) lies his great insight of viewing language as the

Supreme Reality. Following him Anandhavardhana also formulated three potencies of

language vyanjana, lakshana and avidha respectively. Bhartrhari discarded the

representational theory of language advocated by Wittgenstein,viii which has been the

vii Panini is supposed to have lived somewhere between 400 and 800 B.C. He was a Sanskrit grammarian

who gave a comprehensive and scientific theory of phonetics, phonology and morphology. A treatise called

Astadhyayi is his major work where he distinguishes between the language of sacred texts and the language

of communication. He gives formal production rules and definitions to describe Sanskrit grammar. On the

basis of circa 4000 sutras or rules expressed as aphorisms this great genius is supposed to have virtually

built the whole structure of the Sanskrit language.

viii See Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1922) where he claims that language mirrors reality

and the world. According to this view, language is a form of representation or Bild.

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table talk of modern Western philosophers. Instead Bhartrhari propounded a theory of

language, which might be called a theory of Revelation; language reveals reality and does

not represent it. In the Pasyanti level language attains the status of the Absolute Reality,

which is an object of indeterminate experience. Following him, Anandavardhana

observed that in the vyanjana level, language also attains the status of Absolute Reality,

which is pure consciousness, being the very soul of language in general and of poetry in

particular. At this level an emotion is generalized in as much as it is freed from all

individual affliations and attains the status of absolute (pure) consciousness, which is

otherwise called rasa. In what follows I have attempted at providing a brief account of

the dhvani theory.

The main literary theories that developed during the 7th and 8th centuries

considered different figures of speech (calamari) and styles of linguistic expression (riti)

as prevalent in the five different regions of ancient India, as the essential characteristics

of poetry. But during the later part of the 9th century, thinkers started questioning the

phenomenon from altogether a different perspective. They observed that poetry is not

merely figures of speech or linguistic styles, but had something more to it. Gradually the

question that came up was -- what is the soul or atman of poetry? Language with its

literal or metaphorical meanings and the different styles of expression was considered to

form the body of poetry, but not its soul or essence. The soul of poetry can be defined as

a meaning, which transcends the two meanings denotational (primary) and metaphorical

(secondary) while dwelling in these two. It is this tertiary or transcendental meaning

(dhvani) which reveals or manifests itself not to any or every addressee but only to a

qualified one who has the necessary sensibility and training that exceed any ordinary

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linguistic competence, as the experience of soul or charm requires distinguished ability.

But what kind of entity is this meaning which is the reality of poetry?

To provide an answer to this query, we need to go back to the yoga metaphysics

and psychology of Patanjali (2nd century. B.C.) and his commentator Vyasa (4th century

A.D.) in association with the dualistic metaphysics of Sankhya as expounded in the

Mahabharata (2nd century B.C.?) and Isvarakrsna's Sankhyakarika (2nd century A.D.).

The Sankhya-Yoga metaphysics presupposes the independent realities of two principles –

Purusa and Prakrti, the stuff of the former being pure consciousness and that of the latter

being matter. Further, there are three constituents of matter, which always coexist like

three strands of a rope. They are intelligence-stuff (sattva), energy-stuff (rajas) and mass-

stuff (tamas). The proximity of these two ultimate principles brings about creation and

their separation brings about dissolution. During creation, Purusa (pure consciousness)

and Prakrti are united and operative whereas during dissolution, the two remain dormant

and disunited. Creation is a multifaceted transformation of these three constituents of

Prakrti – a process that is due to the disturbance in the equilibrium of Prakrti; the

disturbance being caused by its proximity with Purusa. Prakrti is unconscious, but it is

like a prism on which the consciousness of Purusa is reflected and this reflection infuses,

as it were consciousness into the matter-stuff of Prakrti. As a result, the three constituents

start their evolutionary function. This proximity and separation form an eternal cycle of

creation and dissolution.

Since the basic stuff of Prakrti, the very locus of creation is matter, the entire

world is basically material, and its conscious element being a reflection of Purusa is only

a superimposition, not the real one. There are two lines in the course of Prakrti's

evolution (1) the preponderance of the intelligence-constituent in association with the

energy-constituent forms the subjective line of mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), the

individual ego (ahamkara) and the five cognitive senses, (2) whereas the preponderance

of mass-constituent in association with the energy constituent forms the objective line of

five subtle elements, five gross elements and five motor senses. The Yoga system counts

the three subjective evolutes of Prakrti--mind, intellect and ego under a single term citta

and states that it has five functions (vrttis), which are:

(1) valid cognition by three means such as perception, inference and testimony;

(2) cognitive errors like illusion and hallucination;

(3) linguistic cognition of the non-existent such as the horns of a hare or the son of a

barren woman;

(4) sleep, both sound and disturbed; and

(5) memory that refers not only to the impressions of the past and present, but also to

the root impressions (samskaras) and the tastes, instincts, passions and habits

(vasanas) of all the past lives. All our emotions such as love, laughter, sorrow,

anger, courage, fear, hatred and wonder fall under this last function or state of

citta (let us call it mind for our convenience).

Both the Sankhya and Yoga systems agree that the creation of the material world

(Prakrti) is the cause of human misery, because these individual souls, afflicted by

ignorance (owing to their material locus), fail to realize that their multiplicity is only a

reflection, whereas in reality they are one with the ultimate principle of consciousness

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(Purusa). While the Sankhya philosophy prescribes regular contemplation of the twenty

five principles (tattvas), for this realization, the Yoga system recommends certain

methods of systematic practices, basically being the control of the five mental states as

mentioned above. It maintains that these states are of two types afflicted by ignorance

(klista) and unafflicted by ignorance (aklista).22 Our ignorance is caused by our

awareness of the individual consciousness (asmita) leading to an afflicted mental state. It

is therefore necessary to exercise our willpower (abhinivesa) to rid our mental states of

this individual association. Gradually our habit patterns (vasana) will be purified until

finally our identification with the pure consciousness (caitanya) will dawn.

The Yogic practice introduces a means for such identification with our pure

conscious being, which is God or Isvara (the Sankhya philosophy does not accept this

concept of God). Isvara is not the creator of Prakrti but an element of it. “As such

although he is a creation or part of Prakrti, he is the best and highest of all the beings of

Prakrti so much so that he is said to be the best representation of the ultimate Purusa who

is consciousness in its purest form and is devoid of all the three constituents of Prakrti

(gunas).”23 The difference between Isvara and the other souls (both of them are creations

of Prakrti) is succinctly described in the Bhagavad Geeta where Arjuna (who is one of

the many souls) is distinguished from Krishna (who is Isvara).24 Isvara may assume a

physical form like any other soul. His mental states are completely unafflicted because of

the predominance of sattva (intelligence stuff) and by his purest intelligence, he is

omniscient, knows the past, present and future. But the mental states of the other ordinary

souls are completely afflicted by the predominance of rajas and tamas, which make them

incapable of controlling their births and deaths because of their ignorance of their real

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being of consciousness. As he is never afflicted by any bondage of action, the only

purpose of his existence is to grace the other souls by communicating to them that they

are also of his own nature i.e. consciousness and not matter, and they can also reach this

level by purifying their minds (citta) and freeing them from the predominance of rajas

and tamas (page 109). Though Isvara is a being of Prakrti, it has no control over him;

rather he controls it in exercising his free will. "He has no bondage of Samskara, no

attachment to any vasana."25

The role of Isvara is extremely significant in understanding the nature of

communication in Sanskrit critical theory. The fundamental questions that arise, are: (i)

What is the subject matter of this communication? (ii) How is it communicated? (iii)

What is the medium of this communication? (iv) What sort of experience is

communication?

Isvara communicates the highest knowledge that Truth is pure consciousness; this

consciousness means Absolute Bliss freeing oneself from all worldly miseries. He

(Isvara) does not communicate this knowledge to all the afflicted souls, but only to a few

qualified recipients who are capable of understanding and absorbing this divine

knowledge. Their qualifications also include cultivation of the intelligence constituent of

Nature (sattva guna) and the gift of grace and compassion of Isvara. This knowledge of

the Truth is communicated to them by way of ‘visualisation’ (it is a knowledge that can

be compared to direct visual perception). The recipients are, therefore called seers or

risis. However, since this knowledge is conveyed to them in the form of scriptures, the

nature of this communication should have been termed after auditory perception (the

scriptures are supposed to have been communicated to the risis through a verbal

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medium). The reason for comparing this communication to visual perception is that it is a

synaesthetic experience. The verbal cognition concerned is compared to the revelation of

objects in a dark room by a lamp. It is an instant flash (pratibhava). The point is that the

language medium, which Isvara uses, is not opaque or conventional where the signified is

different from the signifier. Since consciousness reveals itself (by its self-revealing or

self-expressing power), the language of this revelation is a transparent glass, which

identifies the signifier with the signified, and the addresser with the addressee. The lamp

is here self-lit and the object revealed is nothing other than the light itself.26

By this communication the qualified souls can expel their worldly sufferings

caused by their previous determinate knowledge. Finally, they touch Reality, the

indeterminate knowledge that there is only one soul, one Purusa, the Truth, the

consciousness that they are themselves. This is the state of nirvija samadhi or the state of

the highest seedless bearing.27

Verbal communication in its highest stage is then an indeterminate experience

desired by all truth-seekers. Similarly, verbal function in its highest is not signification,

but revelation by which only the absolute truth can be communicated and this function

therefore, is the paradigm towards which all language aspires. Taking this account

Mimamsa (Vedic Exegesis) critics and the grammarians have divided language into three

categories or levels. Mimamsa observes that language is a natural phenomenon and

except for proper names, all words have natural semantic potency i.e. the relation

between the signifier and the signified is not arbitrary or conventional, but natural. Words

are constituted by letters and do not have any meaning on their own. Sentences, which are

formed by words, are means of knowledge (not perceptual) and are of two kinds, human

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and divine (Vedic). The former is a means of knowledge only if it is uttered by

trustworthy men like sages and other authorities and the latter is valid in itself,

unquestionable on any point. The purpose of Mimamsa is to prescribe the rules for

discerning the meaning of the Vedic sentences in order to prove their self-validity. The

philosophy of language and linguistic communication propounded by the grammarians is

based on the Sankhya-Yoga metaphysics and Patanjali’s commentary on Panini’s

grammatical aphorisms (see footnote on page 107).

Patanjali holds that each term becomes a word provided it has a meaning. In other

words, when it is uttered by the agency of sound (dhvani), it reveals an object of the

natural world. All the words are meaningful although any addressee or listener may not

necessarily apprehend their meanings. According to Patanjali, language is a

psychophysical phenomenon. It has two aspects, (i) the permanent sound pattern of a

word which is called sphota and (ii) its revelation by a series of sounds called dhvanis.

The former is a mental state and the latter a physical act. Irrespective of the differences of

the sounds uttered by different individuals, the sound patterns remain the same and

therefore communication is possible. While uttering the sounds, the letters are obviously

separated physically, but their unity is maintained in the minds of both speaker and

listener. Patanjali, the grammarian who also propounded the yoga philosophy maintained

that language in its sphota aspect is essentially a mental state (citta vrtti) and it naturally

follows that it is afflicted or unafflicted. In its former form it reveals this phenomenal

world or Prakrti and in its latter form which is used by Isvara, it reveals the Reality

which is Pure Consciousness and it is the very form that is used by Isvara for

communicating or revealing the Truth or Pure Conciousness through scriptures. The

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Yoga-Vyakarana (grammar) system of Patanjali therefore admits of two levels of

language and communication; the natural that communicates the objects and events of the

world of phenomenal pluralities or the manifested Prakrti and the divine that

communicates through scriptures (Vedas). The latter level is the paradigm of the former.

The grammarian (next to Patanjali) who brought significant modifications in the

theories of language and communication is Bhartrhari (7th century A.D.) He was basically

a follower of Patanjali and a Sankhya metaphysician and believed in the Sankhya theory

of causality i.e. the effect is a modification or transformation (parinama) of the cause and

therefore the cause persists in the effect (satkayavada) so that from the nature of the

effect we can deduce the nature of the cause. The Sankhya philosophers believed in the

dualism of consciousness and matter because they observed that this world is constituted

by these two elements. Bhartrhari experienced that since our knowledge of the world we

live in-- the world which is the manifest form of Prakrti, is purely linguistic, or in other

words, the truth about the behaviour of objects of this world is manifested by words or

language, its cause must be also of this linguistic character.28 The idea may be interpreted

as an ontological relativism, which claims that what and how we perceive the world is

determined for us by the overt and covert structures of our language. Bharthari’s

language being Sanskrit, he then determines the structure of the world in terms of the

structure of the Sanskrit language. Or more appropriately, the structure of Sanskrit

language explains the structure of the world. But his ontology is not restricted to the

relativism of natural language. Following the principles of Sankhya metaphysics, he

observes that since the evolution of Nature (Prakrti) is due to the reflection of Purusa,

the ultimate principle of consciousness, the basic linguistic structure should be traced in

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this ultimate principle. Following the lines of Upanishadic terminology, Bharthari names

the Sankhya Purusa or Brahman and attributes two other Upanishadic characteristics of

Brahman to this Purusa. They are pure existence (sat) and pure bliss (ananda) along with

pure consciousness (cit). He further attributes another Upanishadic trait, the linguistic

character (sabda) to this ultimate Reality. The method of his procedure from the

phenomenal to the transcendental being set, he now formulates three levels of language,

purely physical or ordinary (vaikhari), purely transcendental (pasyanti), and the

mediation between the two (madhyama), the hierarchy of these levels being pasyanti,

madhyama and vaikhari.

Vaikhari is the level of our natural or phenomenal language where the words

(sabda) are separated from their meanings (artha) and grammar is relevant on this level

since it aims at directing the correct use of words. Bhartrhari maintains that by learning

the correct use of the words in the vaikhari level, one will attain knowledge of this

phenomenal world and the wisdom of the Vedas and other scriptures, including the ones

communicated by Isvara to the worthy recipients like sages or poets, which will lead him

to the pasyanti level of language where sabda and artha are identified. It is the level of

Pure Consciousness or pre-experienced consciousness, the object of this consciousness

(artha) being only itself. This is the state of sabdapurvayoga or the summum bonum of

human beings that is variously termed by several other Indian systems of thought, such as

mukti, moksha, kaivalya and nirvija samadhi. It is in fact, an elevation from the

discursive mode of linguistic existence as also an elevation from the afflicted

consciousness to the unafflicted consciousness.

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Bharthari explains the vaikharī level of linguistic experience as an object of

ignorance (avidyā). Though he accepts the reality of the vaikharī level of language he

repeatedly warns that in the vaikharī level, the word, its objects or meaning and their

cognition are all tainted with impurity since they are all the constructs of three elements

or constituents of sattva (intelligence), rajas (energy), and tamas (mass) which have a

corrupting influence on the Pure Consciousness. Bharthari systematically elaborates the

structure of language in terms of the structure of the constructs of these three constituents.

Evolution being an event or action, verb or action in a sentence is the major phenomenon

in Sanskrit grammar. Evolution (vivarta) involves two kinds of phenomena siddha or the

accomplished and sādhya or the process of accomplishment. The first group of

phenomena is arranged in a spatial sequence (occupying space) and is called Murti

vivarta (nouns including subjects and objects), while the second group is arranged in a

temporal sequence the process and actions of which accomplishment is called

Kriyāvivarta. Ultimately these two are the basic potencies (śakti) of Śabda Brahman or

consciousness, space potency and time potency operating through the three constituents

of Prakṛti. Skillfully enough, the items in Sanskrit grammar such as gender, number,

person and case etc. are all interpreted in terms of the combination of the three

constituents along the general scheme of Sāṅkhya evolution with the preponderance of

any one of the constituents in each construct. The grammatical structure therefore

perfectly matches the phenomenal structure in the vaikharī or ordinary language level.

The basic function of language in all the three levels is revelation, not representation or

correspondence, after the analogy of a lamp lighting the objects already existing.

Vaikharī reveals the objects of both siddha and sādhya groups of phenomena. Madhyama

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reveals the mental concepts including dream objects and metaphorical cognition, and

pasyanti reveals the Truth, the ultimate Reality that is Pure Consciousness. It is a self-

revelation.

The three levels of language are also interpreted as the three stages in the process

of the utterance of vaikhari. The first stage is the intrinsic form of speech where sattva

(intelligence) predominates, the second stage indicates the dynamism of the process that

is predominated by rajas (energy) and finally the third one is the physical sound

predominated by tamas (mass) and therefore, much more limited in its revealing capacity

compared to the previous two. It reveals the objects of Nature. Bharthari names these

three stages as sphota, prakrta dhvani and vaikrta dhvani and in doing so he slightly

modifies Patanjali’s concepts of sphota and dhvani. Sphota, for Bharthari, is not merely a

permanent sound pattern, it is a transcendental entity, over and above the sounds taken

either individually or collectively, which bears the meaning primarily of the sentences

and secondarily of the words. This modification promotes Bharthari’s ideas to an

organized system of metaphysics of language as well as of general linguistics.

Coming back to the question of the soul or ontology of poetry Anandavardhana

provides an answer that dhvani is the soul (atman) of poetry. Not being the first critic to

explore this soul he elaborates on this concept, already explored by the critical tradition

of India. The term is attributed a new concept connecting a kind of meaning called

pratiyamana artha which is due to a specific potency called vyanjana. The word is

derived from the root vyaj from which the word abhivyakti (revelation) is derived and is

used to explain the function of language in general in the systems of Sankhya yoga,

Mimamsa and grammar. Vyanjana and abhivyakti being synonymous, it is now a question

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how the former connotes a specific semantic potency, which is different from the latter and again, what is this pratiyamana artha, a specific kind of meaning that arises from this specific potency? The exact meaning of pratiyamana artha is “being known,” that the act of knowing is in the process and is not yet completed. It is different from pratita meaning “already known.” As the situation stands, it is difficult to understand the proposition that the soul of poetry is a kind of meaning that is not known already, but is in the process of knowing.

One explanation of such difference may be given by borrowing an insight from Bharthari’s doctrine of tense. According to him our knowledge of the present is pre-dominated by sattva (intelligence) and that of both past and future by tamas (mass), rajas being the very foundation of verb as the principle of energy (kriya). The present is always an illumination representing the quality of sattva, unlike the past and the future that are not immediately before us and hence unilluminated. That which is immediately present before us is the object of our indeterminate perception and that which is already known is determinate. Determinacy delimits the scope of our experience of the particular and it refers to our experience of the manifest Prakrti, the world of siddha and sadhya that is determined by time and space, two potencies of the ultimate consciousness or Reality or the primordial word Sabda Brahman. This world confined to time and space is experienced through the operation of vaikhari or ordinary language. Therefore the revelation or abhivyakti of vaikhari language is an act of determinacy. When the word jar is uttered (vaikyta dhvani) the object jar is revealed and, since this jar is an object of the material world of Prakrti and is therefore limited by time and space, its linguistic or cognitive experience does not continue indeterminately. Its apprehension is completed at

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once. In other words, vaikhari apprehension of the material world of Prakrti is of the

pratita (already known) type. The same applies to the madhyama experience. But the

pasyanti level of experience is completely different. At this level of experience, language

and its meaning and the subject and object of experience being the same eternal,

unending consciousness, the experience is of the pratiyamana (being known) type. Since

the apprehension of the eternal consciousness is itself eternally a continuous process and

since consciousness is self-luminous and is not delimited by time and space, there are no

events and objects needing determinate knowledge. Knowledge of pasyanti is therefore

indeterminate, an experience of continuous present. Scriptural communication of Isvara

and its reception by sages and poets are indeterminate apprehension of this experience of

eternal consciousness. Pasyanti experience or pratiyamana meaning is therefore

liberation from the bondage of the worlds of both vaikhari and madhyama, from the

bondage of the univocality of language. Reality is experienced by the pasyanti language,

which is the potency of Isvara through which he communicates this experience to the

sages and poets who are predominated by sattva, as is also Isvara.ix

Thus poetry is an experience of truth, which is pure consciousness. This

experience, indeterminate in character, is revealed to the poet in the pasyanti level of

language. But paradoxically, the poet has to reveal this experience in the vaikhari or

ordinary language level, which is for practical reasons purely referential and discursive in

separating language (as words and sentences) from its meaning, or in other words, the

physical sounds (vaikrta dhvani) from the objects (artha: images, events and facts) they

refer to. Anandavardhana founded this argument upon the relation of physical sound,

ix Vasugupta, a contemporary of Anandavardhana, has modified this dualism of Sankhya-yoga by

significant contributions, but it is not necessary to elaborate further.

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(vaikrta dhvani) and the transcendental entity of language (sphota) as propounded by

Bharthari; if the transcendental entity of language, the eternal, imperishable sphota, can

be revealed by the perishable physical sound, then in a similar way vaikhari language can

reveal the eternal consciousness. Therefore in its semantic extension, the word dhvani or

physical sound means (i) the phenomenon sounded or revealed i.e. Truth or Pure

Consciousness, (ii) that which sounds or reveals i.e. vaikhari language in the form of

physical sounds and (iii) the act of sounding or revealing i.e. the specific semantic

potency in its operation -- vyanjana. There obviously lies a difference between the

relation of sphota and vaikrta dhvani in grammar, and that of consciousness of Truth and

the vaikhari language in poetics; in the former case this relation is regular and in the latter

case the relation is irregular. Only in some cases the vaikhari language reveals Truth and

this is where this language is promoted to poetry.

What needs to be discussed now is what exactly happens in poetic communication

and how Truth is communicated through ordinary (vaikhari) language. Anandavardhana

cites an example of the event that was responsible for revealing the epic Ramayana to the

supposedly first poet-sage Valmiki (2nd century B.C). One day when the sage was moving

in the garden of his hermitage he spied a hunter shooting down a male crane engaged in

copulation. This incident along with the agonized shrieks of the female bird caused the

sage to curse the hunter for his insensitivity and for being unable to comprehend the

misery of the love-struck bird. The epic Ramayana begins with the following curse: “O

hunter, may you never find peace for everlasting years since you killed one of the mating

pair of cranes.” The sorrow of the sage is not caused by any selfish attachment since he is

not personally affected by the death of the male crane. It is due to his selfless sympathy

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(sahrdayata) and it is in such cases that the emotions as mental states attain the status of

Pure Consciousness, as they are not afflicted by personal attachment caused by avidya

(ignorance). Poetry, in other words, conveys this pure consciousness in the form of

unafflicted mental states or emotions. Therefore the dhvani experience in poetry is

basically the experience of this unafflicted mental state, which is otherwise called rasa or

rasa-dhvani. Rasa is that which is derived through the visual perception in the theatre

including its four constituents--vibhava, anubhava, vyabhicaribhava and its samyoga

(pages 84-87). In poetry, since the visual perception is missing, one experiences the same

rasa through dhvani (rasa-dhvani), the latter becoming a means of attaining the former. It

is through this dhvani experience that language becomes elevated to poetry. So in this

sense even a play can become poetry for its reader (not a theatre-goer).

Another example of a dhvani description in Sanskrit poetry can be cited. One such

is from Kalidasa’s Birth of Kumara, where Parvati, the daughter of the Himalayas, loves

lord Shiva. When sage Angira brings a formal marriage proposal, Parvati, who is

standing nearby lowers her face and begins counting the petals of the lotus she has been

holding in a playful gesture. Anandavardhana states that this simple gesture of Parvati is a

dhvani description. It flashes her love for lord Shiva and her eagerness to marry him. The

dhvani discourse is peculiarly different from other discourses in so far as it exemplifies

the indeterminacy of human experience of consciousness and its inexpressibility in

ordinary discourse. A woman’s love, for instance, in a practical context can be stated as

“she loves him.” But in the world of poetry where emotions are unafflicted as they have

no practical attachment with any character of a poem or with the poet, they cannot be

communicated exhaustively by any statement like “she loves him” or even by its

contrary. Since in its unafflicted state, the experience of love is indeterminate, the

language that communicates it must also be indecisive. Depending on various factors like

the character, cultural context, convention, environment and the addressee, the discourse

might vary unendingly. Although Valmiki’s curse was the immediate dhvani expression

of his sorrow, his emotion did not exhaust only with that curse. The entire Ramayana epic

is fact the dhvani expression of his sorrow.

Anandavardhana has classified dhvani into different categories but this

classification does not exhaust all the possible categories. The possibility of various other

categories in future poetry is certainly not precluded.

5.2.1 Types of Dhvani

Dhvani has been broadly classified into four main kinds.

Pertaining

(1) to the embellishable (Vastu-dhvani)

(2) to the embellishment (Alankara-dhvani)

(3) to the transient emotion (Bhava-dhvani)

(4) to the aesthetic configuration (Rasa-dhvani)29

Vastu-dhvani is the revealing power, which operates to arouse the revealed

meaning. This power (1) may arouse a negative meaning when the statement, in strict

conventional language, is positive or vice versa. (2) It may give rise to a meaning, which

is neither positive nor negative, when the statement is clearly positive or negative. (3) Or

when the statement is meant not for the one, to whom it is addressed, but for the other, to

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whom the situation, in which the person addressed is involved, has to be explained in

order that the latter may spare the former; it may give rise to a meaning quite different

from that which the statement has for the addressed.

Thus, depending on the situation, the skill of the speaker and the capacity of

understanding and visualization of the hearer, this power of revealing gives rise to

innumerable meanings. The constituents of the aesthetic configuration can be divided into

two classes, the objective and the subjective. By the objective is meant those, which

represent something that exists outside the mind. And by subjective is meant mental

states. The objective is further divided into two kinds; if it stimulates an emotion or if it

indicates any mental states by gestures or facial expressions. The former is called vibhava

and the latter anubhava, both of which have been discussed previously (pages 84-85). A

meaning that refers to what is objective of either kind is included in the vastu dhvani.

Alankara-dhvani is that linguistic power or capacity suggesting an idea, which is a

poetic embellishment (alankara).

Bhava-dhvani – The subjective constituents of the aesthetic configuration, the

mental states, are divided into two classes, the basic mental states or durable emotions

and the transient emotions, which have been discussed in this chapter (pages 90-94).

Accordingly, we have bhava dhvani when the idea suggested is a transient emotion.

Rasa-dhvani is considered to be the ultimate in poetic communication and is that

revealing power which floods the mind with a host of ideas, not always clearly definable

but necessary for the completion of an aesthetic image. It is also necessary for revealing

the basic mental state at a high pitch and for bringing about complete self-forgetfulness in

the hearer or reader.

What has been attempted is simply a broad classification of the concept of dhvani.

Dhvani can be further divided and sub-divided into different categories. In fact according

to Abhinavagupta there are 9940 varieties of dhvani and according to Mamata. 10,455.30

But such detailed categorisations are not relevant to our discussion.

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6

A CLASSICAL INDIAN INTERPRETATION

HAMLET IN THE LIGHT OF THE BHAGAVAD GEETA, SANSKRIT

DRAMATURGY AND POETICS

6.1

Hamlet and the Bhagavad Geeta

Among the innumerable spiritual treatises, Srimad Bhagavad Geeta (commonly

known as the Holy Geeta or simply the Geeta) occupies a distinct status in Indian society.

A philosophic handbook of practical living, the Bhagavad Geeta comprises eighteen

chapters (from the 25th to the 42nd) of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The two

legendary epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata hold a special position in the heart

of an average Indian. While a very small percentage of Indians may have a thorough

knowledge of the these two epics in their entirety, the general population is undoubtedly

well acquainted with the basic outline of the stories, the various plots and sub-plots, and

the morality and ethics they purport. Falling within the fold of the Mahabharata, Srimad

Bhagavad Geeta finds direct access into the mind of an average Indian. Though other

ancient scriptures and spiritual treatises like the Vedas, Upanishads, Shastras, Puranas

etc. form the rudiment of Indian society and are considered equally sacred, modern

Indians relate to them with an apparent disconnectedness, bowing to them as a part of

their heritage and of a glorious, but remote past. While the study, understanding and

interpretation of these scriptures are left to a handful of scholars, the Bhagavad Geeta is a

living symbol of edification continuing to survive through the ages. It contains an

understandable metaphysical concept of God, backed by an iconic presentation. And what

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endears it more to Indians is the perenniality of the Geeta philosophy combined with its

clarity of expression in expounding lofty ideals and unfolding core truths of life. The

Geeta is the single Indian dharmagrantha (religious scripture), which has the largest

number of scholarly explications in English and the Indian languages. In religious

meetings or congregations the Geeta is the most frequently discussed document. In view

of this, I believe that no Indian interpretation would be complete without any reference to

the Bhagavad Geeta. So, before moving on to pure dramaturgy, I deem it correct to

devote a short section of my thesis to a Geeta interpretation of Hamlet.

This inevitably leads us back to the general background of the Mahabharata epic.

This vast composition has invited a lot of speculation regarding its date and authorship.

However, what is for certain is that, the first version was composed no later than 1500

B.C and its authorship may be attributed to sage Vyasa. At other unspecified times,

additions were made by different narrators until about A.D. 400, when the epic came to

its present length of one hundred thousand stanzas making it the longest composition in

the world.

The apocryphal Mahabharata story takes up the original saga of the struggle

between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and weaves around it a mass of legendary lore

and tradition as well as ethical and philosophical material. The main heroes of the epic

are the five virtuous Pandava princes and their rival cousins, the Kaurava princes, who

were a hundred in number. Cheated in a decisive game of dice, the Pandavas lose their

kingdom and are banished to the forest for thirteen years. When Duryodhana, the eldest

Kaurava prince does not keep his promise of restoring the Pandavas their share of the

kingdom at the end of their exile, the great battle of the Mahabharata breaks out between

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the two parties. At the commencement of the battle, Arjuna, the invincible Pandava hero

loses his composure and his heart is wrenched in personal anguish at the sight of his

beloved friends, comrades and revered elders standing on both sides. When he wishes to

lay down his weapons in the battlefield, Lord Krishna who is acting as his charioteer

confers upon him the highest of knowledge, commanding him to rise to the call of his

duty and to destroy adharma or unrighteousness. This long spiritual discourse on life and

conduct, called the Divine Song of the Lord, comprises the Geeta philosophy.

The Kauravas, hundred in number, represent the innumerable ungodly forces of

negative tendencies within man’s bosom, and the Pandavas represent the divine impulses

in him which are seemingly less in number. A similar set up can be observed in Hamlet

where Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Osric etc. represent the

evil forces and Hamlet and Horatio represent the nobler aspects of human nature. The

Geeta would interpret the clash between Hamlet and Claudius as not merely one of

personal enemity but as a conflict between two ideologies as the Pandavas and the

Kauravas.1 While Hamlet stands for moral purity and justice Claudius stands for

covetousness and moral corruptionx and it is Hamlet’s duty as a Kshatriya (one belonging

to the ruling and warrior class) to oppose evil and fight for a just cause. The Geeta

declares “there is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than to fight a righteous war” (Geeta ii:

31). “To the leaders of people, there can be nothing nobler than to get a glorious chance

to fight for a righteous cause.”2 Like the Pandava prince, Arjuna, Hamlet faces a similar

x This dichotomical division of vice and virtue where the characters are personifications of good and evil is

also seen in medieval morality plays.The Geeta concept of a struggle between good and evil within each

person is a fundamental Christan idea that forms the basis of the morality plays.

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dilemma, although in a different context, culture and situation. Janaki Ram has analysed

the dilemmas of Arjuna and Hamlet. Though motivated by different forces,

both are reluctant to shed blood owing to their inner sensibility. However, in the case of

Arjuna, the motivation has a philosophical backing and the Mahabharata is an openly

declared war of wider consequences. Hamlet’s war is a private undeclared war.3 Arjuna, a

warrior and a man of action suddenly becomes unwilling to take up arms against his own

kith and kin when he comes to a full realisation of the tragedies of a fratricidal war. A

picture of dejection, Arjuna puts forth a series of pacifist arguments against the terrible

consequences of war. He discusses about unecessary bloodshed, the sin of killing one’s

own kinsmen, annihilation of cultural values, destruction of family units, moral

decadence and the general evil that creeps into society—all of these resulting in a total

chaos (Geeta v: 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 & 43). In Arjuna’s words one can detect “almost

the world’s first conscientious objector to war!”4 He proudly declares that he would not

slay his cousins and own kinsmen even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds,

much less for Hastinapura (the kingdom of the Kauravas and the Pandavas). He says he

doesn’t want to commit the grave sin of killing his own blood relations for the pleasure of

kingship and would rather die in their hands, unresisting and unarmed (Geeta i: 45 & 46).

In his intense state of mental confusion he misconstrues the Pandavas’ intentions for war

as greed for wealth and power. However, Arjuna’s apparent renunciation and

magnanimity has been declared as a misnomer in the Geeta, which expounds the central

idea of “active resistance to evil.”5 Arjuna’s hapless condition is in reality, a result of his

anxiety about the outcome of the battle. He urgently desired victory and glory. But

suddenly feeling intimidated at the sight of the mighty Kaurava forces and some of its

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great and eminent warriors he begins losing hope. Overcome by a feeling of desperation,

he loses his mental equilibrium. Failing to understand his own emotions he interprets

them differently and starts raving about peace and the futility of war. "In the human heart

there is always a great tendency to glorify one's own weaknesses with some convenient

angelic name and divine pose."6 Hence, Arjuna tries to cover up his negative emotions of

fear and despondency under the false guise of martyrdom and ethical goodness. His grief

at the prospect of fighting with highly honoured men like Drona (his Guru) and Bhisma

(his grand-uncle) stems from his egoism or the 'I' consciousness, latent in all of us. He

vehemently argues:

How,O Madhusudana,shall I, in battle,fight with arrows

against Bhisma and Drona,who are fit to be worshipped,O destroyer of enemies!

(Geeta ii: 4)

Better indeed in this world to eat even the bread of 'beggary' than to slay the most

noble of teachers. But, if I kill them, even in this world, all my enjoyments of

wealth and desires will be stained with blood.

(Geeta ii: 5)

This line of argument however convincing has been rejected in the Geeta doctrine. Here

Arjuna commits the error of confining himself within the bounds of his individual ego

and observing the situation from the same perspective. He misreads the problem as one of

personal rivalry whereas the forthcoming war is a conflict between two principles. Arjuna

recognizes himself to be the disciple of Drona and the grandnephew of Bhisma but they

feel no such compunction, having transcended their personal ego for the cause they are

championing. Hamlet being confronted with a similar situation should forsake his ego

and fight for the cause of dharma (righteousness) as against adharma (unrighteousness).

The following words of Hamlet are in conformity with the Geeta doctrine:

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Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pitch and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry

And lose the name of action.

(III i: 85-90)

The Geeta firmly advocates the 'Path of Action', which is a means to an end i.e. the 'Path

of Knowledge,' when the mind becomes trained for the absorption and assimilation of the

higher Truth.7 All creatures come under Nature and it is the very nature of Nature that it

always employs its creatures to perform action, whatever it may be, appropriate or

inappropriate, virtuous or vicious. Therefore, a man unwilling to perform physical action

will at times be forced by Nature to act. Arjuna's unwillingness to fight on the battlefield

is considered by Krishna as an infatuation, not the right sort of judgement (Geeta ii: 2).

Because Nature will compel him to do this action, it is better that he fights willingly,

irrespective of success or failure, victory or defeat (Geeta ii: 47). So like Arjuna the

Geeta would advise Hamlet to fight vigorously with the right attitude of mind, as running

away from the duty enjoined on him would only lead him to moral dissipation.

According to this Holy Scripture, life means activity. Inactivity leads neither to

progress nor to regress, rather to stagnancy. It is therefore periods of activity that create

man. Ancient philosophers classify activity into two kinds—constructive and destructive.

Constructive activities that contribute towards the evolution of the individual are termed

as karma and can be sub-divided into three main kinds; nitya—constant duties,

naimittika—special duties on special occasions and kamya--work purposeful and self-

determined for winning a desirable result or reward.8 Destructive activities are totally

condemned in the ancient scriptures, as they tend to degenerate the individual and are

called vi-karma. Lord Krishna in the Geeta completely rejects "inactivity" or a-karma

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and says, "he who, sits restraining the organs of action is a man of deluded intellect or a

hypocrite (mithyacarya)" (Geeta iii: 6). Like Arjuna, the Geeta is a call to Hamlet to

resort to positive action or karma and cast away his gloom, which can only result in a-

karma (inaction). The task assigned to both Arjuna and Hamlet falls under the specific

category of kamya i.e. work purposeful and self-determined for winning a desirable result

or reward. This is the highest kind of karma. Claudius’ vile deeds, on the other hand as

also his sycophants are obviously destructive activities or vi-karma.

The Bhagavad Geeta says that the absolute or ultimate Reality is pure

consciousness and bliss in nature that is changeless and beyond transformation. In its

pure form it is beyond time and space, but it also recreates itself as it were in a playful

state (lila) and this it does by assuming Nature (Geeta xv: 12 13 &16). The absolute

Reality is self-illuminating and as such it is knowledge itself. In its playful desire it

intends to recreate itself. Similarly, in case of human beings any action depends upon his

desire to perfom this act. Again, his desire to perform this act depends upon his

knowledge of the action. For example one cannot have a desire to write a book unless he

has the knowledge of a book and of writing a book. Once he has this knowledge he might

express the desire to write a book. So only the right knowledge can result in the right

action. Knowledge can be of three types: the pure or good, the passionate and the dull.

That knowledge by which one sees the one indestructible Reality in all beings, undivided

in the divided, is known as sattvic or pure (Geeta xviii: 20). Though different living

creatures have different forms the sattvic knowledge recognizes all of them as

expressions of one and the same Truth, which is the essence in all of them. Just as a

goldsmith recognizes the one metal gold in all ornaments and as we are aware of the

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same cotton in all shirts, the sattvic mind sees the same changeless entity in all existence.

But that knowledge which sees in all beings, entities of distinct kinds (and) as different

from one another, is known to be rajasic (passionate) in nature (Geeta xviii: 21). This

knowledge recognizes plurality and considers various entities as different from one

another. The rajasic person is restless and perceives the world as an assortment of various

living creatures and divides them into different classes—as the plant, animal and human

kingdoms. It also distinguishes men and women of different races, nationalities, religion

etc. The third type of knowledge which clings to one single effect, as if it were the whole,

without reason, without foundation in truth, and narrow, is declared to be tamasic or dull

(Geeta xviii: 22). This inferior knowledge is clouded in intellect and blocked with fixed

ideas. It fails to see things as they are, projects its own ideas upon the world and views

things all wrongly. The tamasic intellect sees the world as being meant for him and his

pleasures only. Its vision is narrow, perverted and egocentric.

This three-fold division of knowledge corresponds to a three-fold division of

action. An action which is ordained, which is free from attachment, which is done

without love or hatred, by one who is not desirous of the fruit, that action is declared to

be sattvic (pure) (Geeta xviii: 23). Such an action is performed in a spirit of inspiration

and elevates an individual to seek higher spirituality. It is an activity free from any

attachment and without any interest in enjoying the results thereof. It is an attitude that

work itself is worship and that action itself is its fulfilment. This action remains steady

and blissful. But that action which is done by one, longing for desires or gain, done with

egoism, or with much effort, is declared to be rajasic or passionate (Geeta xviii: 24). A

rajasic action involves heavy toil leading to mental and physical fatigue. These

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individuals work with arrogant egos under heavy strain occupied with their own anxieties

and fears if their goals will ever be reached. Such self-centred actions lead to high tension

and can leave an individual completely exhausted and shattered. The other kind of action,

which is undertaken from delusion, without regard for the consequence, loss, injury, and

ability, is declared to be tamasic or dull (Geeta xviii: 25). These actions are performed

without any consideration for the consequences thereof and without any regard for the

damage caused to others. Such reckless actions undertaken because of some delusory

misconception of the goal, fall under the tamasic type. It is the kind of action undertaken

that determines the individual character of a person i.e. whether it is of the sattvic, rajasic

or tamasic mode.

Claudius' and Gertrude's actions undoubtedly reflect their baser knowledge and

belong to the tamasic (dull) type. Hamlet's knowlege like that of Arjuna will fall into the

rajasic or passionate type. The knowledge they have gained in life does not belong to the

purest kind (sattvic); their intellects are somewhat confused and restless. However

Hamlet's actions are not guided by any personal greed or desire for achieving any

personal end. He desires neither power nor kingship though he is the natural heir to his

father's throne. He seeks Claudius' death only as a response to the Ghost's command and

to avenge his father's murder. In this sense, Hamlet's actions border on the sattvic (pure)

type of action. But he finds no joy in performing the duty assigned to him. It is his rajasic

(passionate) intellect, which stands in his way of accepting his duty with alacrity and

performing it with the correct attitude and right frame of mind. Not being endowed with

the clearest vision of the sattvic type, he acts under heavy strain, robbed of joy and ardour

resulting in complete mental exhaustion. This is a rajasic type of action. Arjuna, on the

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other hand is highly fortunate to have a divine mentor at his side in the form of Lord

Krishna to cleanse his egocentric mind and steer him to the path of sattvic (pure) vision

and knowledge. This awakening in Arjuna prompted him to rise to action and take up

arms against injustice resulting in the ultimate sattvic action.

6.2 Hamlet and the Dramatic Structure in Classical Sanskrit plays

Before entering into a comparative discussion of the structure of Hamlet with

that of Sanskrit drama, I will briefly sketch the classical conventions of the Sanskrit

dramatic structure. A classical Sanskrit play, or any play for that matter, is a

representation of action. The different stages in the plot of each Sanskrit play hence

presuppose a theory of action. The Sanskrit aestheticians hold that each action has five

stages in its fruition (1) the motive or arambha, subjectively expressed as desire, in which

all action begins; (2) the effort or prayatna, the first objectification of the motive; (3) the

hope of attainment or praptyasa, which presumes a response in the objective world

sustaining and furthering the effort; (4) the eventuation or niyatapti wherein the

subjective and objective phases of the action are brought together, promising a certain

outcome; (5) the attainment of the fruit or phalaprapti that is both the termination of hope

and realization of the original motive. An action represented through these five stages

corresponds to the five elements or components of a dramatic plot. These five

components of the dramatic plot are called Arthaprakrti in Sanskrit. They are Bija, Bindu,

Pataka, Prakari and Karya.9 Bija means seed; Bindu, the starting point or germination;

Pataka is the addition of subplots, Prakari is the expansion and Karya is the effect or

result. In addition there are five junctures or samdhis in the plot each of which formulates

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one of these moments of the main action. These can be described as the five critical

meeting points or links between the different stages in the plot. They are (1) mukha or

face; (2) pratimukha or reflection of the mukha; (3) garbha or womb; (4) vimarsa or

reconsideration; (5) nirvahana or dénouement. These junctures may be interpreted as the

five necessary sections of the main action.

A Sanskrit play is divided into several parts each of which is called an Anka or

Act. It may or may not correspond with the five different stages or components of the

dramatic plot. Each stage may run into several acts. An act may have a particular name

and sometimes all the acts may have definite names as in Vishakadutta’s (9th century

A.D.), The Signet Ring of Rakshasa (Mudra-Rakshasa), Bhavabhutti’s (7th century.

A.D.?) The Later Story of Rama (Uttararamacharita) and Harsha’s (7th century A.D.)

Ratnavali. An act should not have in its scope too many episodes and there should not be

such episodes as stand in opposition to the main events. Only those diversions that relate

in some way to the principal plot are admitted. A Sanskrit play may cover a period of

several years but any given act normally includes events not exceeding one day. Locale

however, may change as often as is required within a single act. So the unity of place is

entirely disregarded in Sanskrit drama. The number of acts in a single play may vary

between one and ten, but some plays called the Mahanatakas have acts numbering even

fourteen.10 An act sometimes contains a sub-act within itself but is not formally divided

into scenes. However, the entrance of one person and the exit of another can indicate

scenes. A benediction opens each play and generally, closes it.

Let us take the example of Kalidasa’s famous play Shakuntala that might be cited

as an illustration. The principal concern of the play is with the manifestation of sringara

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rasa or the emotion of love (page 82). The play opens in the forest where king Dushyanta

is out hunting. He accidentally comes across the hermitage of sage Kanva where he sees

Shakuntala, the sages’ foster daughter and her companions. Both of them fall in love with

each other and get married secretly, without the consent of her father, during his absence.

After spending a few days together, the king has to leave for the palace to resume his

royal duties and promises to send for her soon.

Meanwhile sage Durvasa comes to visit sage Kanva’s hermitage. Lost in deep

thought of her husband, king Dushyanta, Shakuntala is unaware of the sage’s approach

and despite his repeated utterance of her name, does not wake up from her reverie. The

sage feels offended at her disregard of an honoured guest and curses her that the person,

who she is thinking of, should forget her. Her friend, Priyambada, hears the sages’ curse

and pleads with him to take it back. Durvasa says that it is impossible to take back a

curse, but he can alter it a little. The person who forgets her will remember her again on

setting eyes on something, which he had given her. Priyambada feels reassured as

Shakuntala has the king’s signet, which Dushyanta had given her.

After a few weeks of waiting, Shakuntala hears no news from Dushyanta. When

her father Kanva returns from meditation, he makes preparations to send her to her

husband’s palace. On the way when she is drinking water from a lake, the ring slips off

her finger, without her noticing it. On reaching the palace, the king doesn’t recognize her

and disclaims her as his wife. Durvasa’s curse comes true. As a proof, the shocked

Shakuntala tries to produce the ring he had given her, only to find it missing. Being

disowned by the king, she cannot stay at the palace. The chief priest takes pity on the

pregnant Shakuntala and asks her to stay at his hermitage till her child is born. However,

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on their way to his hermitage, her mother, the heavenly nymph Menaka, carries

Shakuntala away.

In the meantime a fisherman is caught who is supposed to have gotten hold of the

king's signet. The fisherman claims innocence saying he found the ring in the stomach of

a fish. On seeing the ring, the king immediately remembers Shakuntala and is full of

remorse at having treated her so cruelly. He starts looking for her but finds no trace of her

whereabouts. Unable to find her, the king is plunged in sorrow at the loss of his beloved.

Several years pass by in this manner.

Meanwhile the gods and the demons wage a war against each other. King

Dushyanta is requested to help the gods and with his bravery and skill he wins the battle

for them. Indra, the king of the gods promises to reward him for his bravery. Dushyanta is

supposed to return home in a flying chariot owned by the gods, but the charioteer drops

him off in a strange land. Dushyanta wanders around and comes across a little boy who is

playing with a lion cub. Impressed by his courage, Dushyanta approaches the boy. During

his tussle with the lion cub, the boy's amulet falls off. Before the nursemaid could

prevent him, Dushyanta picks up the amulet. Astonished, the woman exclaims that he is

the father of the boy, Bharata. She explains that the magic amulet given by sage Maricha

was supposed to protect Bharata. If anyone else other than the parents touched it, it would

turn into a snake and bite the person. Since this didn't happen, Bharata must be his son.

The boy takes king Dushyanta to his mother Shakuntala and both are overjoyed to see

each other. Sage Maricha, under whose care Shakuntala was staying, explains to them

about Durvasa's curse. Being thus reunited, the three of them return to king Dushyanta's

palace and live happily everafter. The play can be analysed thus, in the following way:

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(1) The king happens on Shakuntala and conceives a passion for her, which is considered rightful from the beginning, conforming to social laws of the time. Act I is thus the “face” or mukha of the drama, in which the motive of the action occurs.

(2) The king engages the buffoon to work some contrivance whereby he can remain in the hermitage and pursue his beloved. This is the effort or prayatna he makes. The lovers are united but immediately parted, as the king has to go on royal business, which is his duty or dharma. Gautami who is Shakuntala’s guardian and is responsible for protecting her virtue also proves to be an inhibiting factor. Acts II and III thus reflect what has begun in Act I.

(3) The “womb” or garbha of the drama is the period of separation, wherein hope of reunion is affirmed, despite absence. There is hope for a lawful state of wedlock completing the secret tryst of Act III. This is manifest on Shakuntala’s part as she responds to the king’s suit by leaving the hermitage for the royal capital. The king’s rejection of her, which seems, in the Mahabharata version,xi the act of a Don Juan turned indifferent, is made suitable to our drama by the device of the sage’s curse, which relieves Dushyanta of both his memory and his responsibility. This central section includes Act IV and the portion of Act V up to the removal of Shakuntala’s veil in the presence of the king.

xi The original Shakuntala forms a single episode in the epic Mahabharata.

(4) The "reconsideration" or vimarsa begins with that violent confrontation,

which results in Shakuntala's withdrawal to heaven, continues with the king's

lamentations after recovering his memory, and ends with his recall to dharma

or duty by an appeal from Indra, the king of the gods. During Acts IV, V and

VI, the lovers remain separated physically, if not emotionally. The certainty of

the lovers now resides in the realization that they behave "out of character" in

each other's absence and can be what they are in each other's presence. Thus,

dharma, the fulfilling of one's proper role, which first separated them, now in

effect reunites them. This section continues from Shakuntala's rejection in Act

V through the end of Act VI.

(5) The "dénouement"or nirvahana bears fruit on two levels: physically, the

young son borne of their union, their reunion in conformity with family and

brahmanical tradition. This is Act VII.

Representation of an action in its completeness generalizes the central emotion

along with its subsidiary ones. In Shakuntala, the primary emotion is love and secondary

ones are sorrow, anger, caused by Durvasa's curse and followed by Dushyanta's rejection

of Shakuntala resulting in a prolonged separation of the hero and the heroine. An emotion

of aversion also arises, when the king rejects Shakuntala; an emotion of wonder arises

when Shakuntala appears in Dushyanta's court and her mother the celestial nymph

Menaka carries her away. Wonder is also caused when Dushyanta picks up Bharata's

amulet, his son from Shakuntala, at the hermitage of Maricha without it being

transformed into a snake, as prophesied by the latter.

In a similar manner Hamlet can be divided into several junctures though it doesn’t completely fall in line with the prescribed dramatic structure of a Sanskrit play.

(1) Act I is the “face” or mukha of the drama, which throws the seeds of action for the protagonist. This is manifested in the appearance of the Ghost and his command to Hamlet to rise to his duty and seek vengeance for the injustice committed to the throne of Denmark.

(2) Act II and III is a reflection of what has occurred in the first act and is thus the pratimukha. This involves Hamlet’s pretended madness, his staging of the play to test the truth of the Ghost’s words, his harranguing of Gertrude in the closet scene and his slaying of Polonius.

(3) In Act IV the plot thickens with Hamlet sailing off to England, his discovery of the king’s treachery, his outwitting the king through an exchange of letters and escaping death. This is the womb or the garbha of the play.

(4) Ophelia’s madness and her death in Act IV and V is the fourth juncture or vimarsa of the play.

(5) The nirvahana or “dénouement” follows with Hamlet’s revenge by slaying Claudius, Laertes’s death and eventually his own end, all of which are depicted in Act V.

While commenting upon Bharata’s Rasasutra, Abhinavagupta writes:

All the Rasas thus consist in beatitude. But some of them, on account of the objects by which they are coloured, are not free from a certain touch of bitterness; this happens, for example, in the Heroic Rasa. For this consists of, and is animated by, precisely the firm endurance of misfortunes.11

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is in conformity with Abhinavagupta’s statement that the

heroic or vira rasa is animated by the firm endurance of misfortunes. Precisely speaking,

this is the central point of Hamlet’s misfortune, which causes the reversal of his fate. The

drama is in Sanskrit terminology a Prakarana xii which means a drama where the hero is

neither famous in history, legend or myths, nor does he come from any well-known

family. The whole story is more or less the poet’s own creation. The drama has been

variously read and appreciated by innumerable critics during the last centuries. It goes

without saying that the character of Hamlet is highly equivocal and no classification of

male characters in Sanskrit poetics xiii would explain the character satisfactorily. However

the category of dhirodatta could be applicable to him, but his sensibility, intellectuality,

humanism and lovingness all might prompt to attribute to him the dhiralalita category as

well. At times it appears that in him the dhiralalita predominates over the dhirodatta. The

very entrance of Hamlet in the drama marks him as both a dhiralalita and dhira-prasanta

personality, which means he is a conscientious and serious person. His first appearance

on the stage and his inaugural dialogues with both Claudius and Gertrude reveal the

seriousness of his purpose. Consider the dialogues:

King Claudius ….But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son--

Hamlet. A little more than kin, and less than kind.

King Claudius. How is it that the clouds still hang on you?

Hamlet. Not so, my lord. I am too much I’ th’ sun.

xii The Natyasastra identifies ten major types of plays and focuses almost exclusively on two of the ten

types; the nataka and the prakarana. The main characteristics of the nataka are that it has as its theme a

popular story concerning the exploits of a hero who is either a royal sage or a king. In contrast the

prakarana has a story that is solely invented by the author. But Bharata’s list in the Natyasastra is

apparently not exhaustive as the existence of additional dramatic types has been mentioned by other ancient

writers. Ten so-called minor (uparupaka) types of drama are discussed in ancient literature.

xiii Sanskrit poetics gives us altogether forty-eight subdivisions of the hero which can be rearranged into

four types viz.(i) the brave and the high spirited (dhirodatta) (ii) the brave and haughty (dhiroddhata) (iii)

the brave and sensitive (dhiralalita) (iv) the brave and serene (dhira-prasanta)

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(I ii: 64-67)

The situation and the dialogues of Hamlet himself strongly reveal the dual

emotions of the character, disgust about an event and a firm internal resolution to endure

any kind of misfortune that might befall in eradicating the cause of his disgust. The

audience is immediately aware of the clouds of misfortune that are soon to cover the

future course of their lives. Both passages are extraordinarily ironical in revealing this

misfortune. Hamlet’s assumption of this misfortune is revealed in his answer to the

queen:

Queen Gertrude. Good Hamlet, cast thy nightly colour off.......

Thou know’st ‘tis common—all that lives must die,

Passing through nature to eternity.

Hamlet. Ay, madam, it is common.

Queen Gertrude. If it be,

Why seems it so particular with thee?

Hamlet.

‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good-mother,

Nor customary suits of solemn black,

Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

Nor the dejected haviour of the visage,

Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief

That can denote me truly. These indeed seem,

For they are actions that a man might play;

But I have that within which passeth show—

These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

( I ii: 68-86)

The reply is probably the clearest indication of Hamlet’s decisive character.

Neither in his mind nor in his action is there any probability as indicated by his rejection

of the word "seems." Nothing "seems" in his life. As he says, he knows not "seems." In

his dictionary of experience and understanding of the course of life, the word "seems" is

simply absent. He doesn’t know it. Of course there are passages in the play, which have

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reasonably provoked scholars to interpret and judge the tragic end of Hamlet as a result of

his indecision. To cite a few examples:

Hamlet. To be, or not to be; that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And, by opposing end them.

(III i: 58- 62)

And:

Hamlet. Now might I do it pat, now a is praying,

And now I'll do't and so a goes to heaven,

And so am I revenged. That would be scanned.

A villain kills my father, and for that

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

O, this is hire and salary, not revenge!

A took my father grossly, full of bread,

With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;

And how his audit stands, who knows save heaven?

But in our circumstance and course of thought

'Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged

To take him in the purging of his soul,

When he is fit and seasoned for this passage?

No.

(III iii: 73-96)

But these cases might be considered as Shakespeare's architectonic skill in the

formulation of a character by applying dramatic complexity. In other words, these

passages have contributed to the multidimensional character of Hamlet whose firm

determination of taking revenge in appropriate time has undergone contemplation over

the possible failures in attaining the desired success that contributes to the dramatic

complexity of the character.

Hamlet is further courageous enough to clear the sky of all clouds and make the

sun beam the brightest. Hamlet's statement that he is never in the clouds but always in the

sun (I ii: 67) rejects any possibility of indisposition and indecisiveness in his character.

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The speech reveals that he knows the truth, whatever this truth may be. His precise

speech “I am too much i’ th’ sun” (I ii: 67) is a perfect example of dhvani, which might

be interpreted as both vastu-dhvani and rasa-dhvani (pages 122-123). In its vastu-dhvani

aspect, it reveals his truthfulness, learning, wisdom, clarity of experience and expression

and pinpointedness of his motive. The ambiguity of the speech might /should reveal to

the king that he knows the truth i.e. he knows that Claudius has murdered his father. In its

rasa-dhvani aspect it reveals that (for the audience) he expresses his disgust as well as

his being heroic enough to be successful in taking revenge. Thus, the play begins with

two emotions, disgust and courage—the latter predominating over the former. The

audience naturally expects the predominance of the emotion of courage and the

generation of vira rasa. In fact, the major part of the structure of the play appears to be

meant for the generation of this vira rasa as it ordinarily happens in any revenge play. An

audience of any common revenge play would expect that through adversity the hero

would finally kill the villain and gain the throne. But characteristic for a Shakespearean

play, the structure of Hamlet is most intricately interwoven. No straightforward principle

of Sanskrit dramatic structure is noted here. One can however match the structure of

Hamlet with the prescribed structure of Sanskrit drama.

Had it been a Sanskrit drama in its traditional form with a proposal for displaying

vira rasa, Ophelia would not have drowned herself, Hamlet would not have killed

Polonious and in spite of a probable misunderstanding between Ophelia and Hamlet, they

would have had a reunion in the final scene after Hamlet’s murder of Claudius, and the

recovery of his kingdom, ending with his own coronation in the presence of Laertes. All

misunderstandings with Laertes would have been cleared up and he would have proved to

be a true friend for all times to come. Hamlet would have sung the Bharata Vakya

(benediction) that divinity may bless Denmark forever, the subjects may live happily and

that the Almighty should grant him permanent bliss as king Dushyanta sang the Bharata

Vakya in the final scene in the play Shakuntala by Kalidasa:

King: May the king serve nature’s good!

May priests honour the goddess of speech!

And Siva’s dazzling power destroy

My cycle of rebirths!

6.3 Hamlet and the Rasa Theory

Indian dramatic tradition lays prime emphasis on the emotions aroused in the

audience. It is not the motivation of the protagonist but the emotions of the audience that

is taken into consideration. There is however a link between the two. The entire

atmosphere of the theatrical presentation including the emotions expressed by the actor or

actress creates a specific mental state in the mind of the viewer. This mental state or

feeling could gradually intensify leading to a longer lasting emotion or it could vanish

immediately and become quickly replaced by another. In this manner, the whole dramatic

presentation produces a series of emotions either durable or momentary, so that for the

spectator the play basically becomes a journey through a wide spectrum of emotions.

In the case of Hamlet, the protagonist occupies a central position in the generation

of emotions. As it can be seen later, with a few exceptions, the whole emotional process

of the viewer revolves around Hamlet. One reason is that unlike other Shakespearean

characters like Macbeth or Othello, Hamlet is an upright man and his suffering as a hero

enjoys a much higher degree of empathy from the audience. Moreover there is not a

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single scene in the entire play where Hamlet doesn’t figure and his powerful soliloquies

touch the audience at a higher mental plane. Keeping this in mind, I proceed to make a

detailed analysis of the entire play taking the theory of rasa with all its intricacies into

account, in order to study the development of the individual rasas.

ACT I

The opening scene of the play arouses a feeling of wonder (adbhuta rasa) and

then strikes fear (bhayanaka rasa) in the audience at the mention of the apparition:

Marcellus…Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us.

Therefore I have entreated him along

With us to watch the minutes of this night,

That if again this apparition come….

(I i: 23-26)

The feelings of fear and wonder are intensified at the appearance of the Ghost:

Horatio….It harrows me with fear and wonder.

(I i: 42)

But since wonder and fear cannot co-exist, being opposing emotions, it is fear or

bhayanaka rasa, which supersedes wonder (pages 100 & 102).

Running parallel to wonder, there is a trace of valour or heroism (vira rasa) at the sight of

the Ghost, which had appeared in the form of the deceased king, in all his knightly

armour:

Marcellus. Is it not like the King?

Horatio…Such was the very armour he had on

When he th’ ambitious Norway combated.

So frowned he once when, in an angry parley

He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice.

’Tis strange.

(I i: 57-63)

Vyabhicaribhavás or secondary feelings of doubt, suspicion and apprehension appear

simultaneously to aid and intensify the basic emotion of fear or bhayanaka rasa:

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Horatio....This bodes some strange eruption to our state.

(I i: 68)

Barnardo....How now, Horatio! You tremble and look pale.

(I i: 51)

The transitory feeling of doubt is reflected in line 63 (''Tis strange), whereas suspicion is

reflected in lines 106.2 to 106.4:

Barnardo..... Well may it sort that this portentous figure

Comes arm'd through our watch so like the king

That was and is the question of these wars.

We notice feelings of apprehension in the following lines:

Horatio..... And even the like precursè of feared events,

As harbingers preceding still the fates,

And prologue to the omen coming on,

Have heaven and earth together demonstrated

Unto our climature and countrymen.

(I i: 106.14--106.18)

Vira rasa or heroism reiterates in several places like:

Horatio. Such was the very armour he had on

When he th' ambitious Norway combated.

So frownèd he once when, in an angry parley

He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice

(I i: 59-62)

Horatio....our last king,

Whose image even but now appeared to us,

Was as you know by Fortinbras of Norway,

Thereto pricked on by a most emulate pride,

Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet--

For so this side of our known world esteemed him--

Did slay this Fortinbras.....

(I i: 79-85)

And:

Horatio. ...In the most high and palmy state of Rome,

A little ere the mightiest Julius fell....

(I i: 106.6-106.7)

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These momentary emotions again give way to wonder and amazement at the

reappearance of the Ghost, re-instilling the fear (bhayanka rasa) in the audience. The

strange phenomenon initially evoking wonder, eventually leads to fear or bhayanka

rasa. So wonder and fear alternate in quick succession until wonder succumbs to fear.

Both opposing emotions appear to be equally powerful, but it is the negative emotion of

fear, which suppresses its opponent wonder, and takes precedence (pages 100 & 102).

The transitory feelings (vyabhicaribhavás) arising out of these emotions are doubt,

suspicion and apprehension. Vira rasa introduced at an early stage, though inherently a

basic or durable emotion, becomes overpowered by fear and is reduced to the status of a

secondary emotion like its counterpart, wonder. Thus fear manifests itself as the

dominant rasa.

The second scene reveals Hamlet’s instinctive distrust towards Claudius and his

utter disgust (jugupsa bhava) for the queen for her hasty marriage with her brother-in-

law, a union he calls “incest”. The intensity of his disgust is artfully exhibited throughout

the scene as in the following lines:

Hamlet... frailty, thy name is woman—

A little month, or ere those shoes were old

With which she followed my poor father’s body

Like Niobe, all tears, why she, even she—

O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason

Would have mourned longer! —married with my father’s uncle,

My father’s brother, but no more like my father

Than I to Hercules; within a month,

Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears

Had left the flushing of her galled eyes,

She married. O most wicked speed, to post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!

(I ii: 146-157)

Hamlet’s bitterness (disgust) can also be seen in lines 175-182:

Horatio. My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.

Hamlet. I prithee do not mock me, fellow-student;

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I think it was to see my mother's wedding.

Horatio. Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.

Hamlet. Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.

Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven

Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio.

Through Hamlet's disgust, bibhatsa rasa (aversion) is created in the minds of the

audience. Associated with this emotion are other subsidiary feelings or vyabhicaribhavs

like Hamlet's mood of dejection at certain periods. When Gertrude expresses her concern

that it seems like Hamlet is still mourning the loss of his father, he reaffirms it in the

following passage:

Hamlet. Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not 'seems'.

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good-mother,

Nor customary suits of solemn black,

Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

Nor the dejected haviour of the visage,

Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief

That can denote me truly. These indeed 'seem,'

For they are actions that a man might play;

But I have that within which passeth show—

These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

(I ii: 76-86)

One also notices signs of dejection in the following lines of Hamlet:

Hamlet. O, that this too too solid flesh would melt,

Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,

Or that the Everlasting had not fixed

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!. O God, O God,

How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable

Seem to me all the uses of this world!

(I ii: 129-133)

Intertwined with bibhatsa rasa or aversion is another subsidiary feeling of suspicion

caused by Hamlet's inherent distrust towards Claudius, revealed in line 65 where he

describes him as "A little more than kin and less than kind." Also Hamlet's words "I am

too much I' th' sun" (line 67) can give rise to variety of meanings. This is a typical

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example of dhvani, which will be discussed in later chapters. The unpleasant feelings of

doubt and suspicion are also clearly perceived in Hamlet’s remark, “All is not well. I

doubt some foul play” (lines 254-255).

In the second part of this scene, wonder or adbhuta rasa is again experienced

when Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo relate their experience with the Ghost.

Like in the first scene adbhuta rasa or wonder fades to the background, and bibhatsa

rasa or disgust emerges more prominent.

Scene III does not evoke any rasa. Both Polonius and Laertes try to give some

sound advice to Ophelia warning her not to succumb to Hamlet’s advancements and

proclamations of love. This scene reflects a temporary feeling of doubt (vybhicaribhava)

regarding Hamlet’s fidelity as a lover. The feeling of doubt is an associate of the basic

emotion of love or sringara rasa.

Scene IV again brings forth the emotion of wonder (adbhuta rasa) at the reentry

of the Ghost. There is a strong feeling of suspicion as to the real identity and intention of

the Ghost:

Hamlet...Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,

Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,

Be thy intents wicked or charitable,

Thou com'st in such a questionable shape.....

(I iv: 21-24)

Adbhuta rasa or wonder is immediately followed by the predominant emotion of fear or

bhayanaka rasa. This fear gives rise to suspicion of the Ghost’s motives:

Hamlet. Why, what should be the fear?......

Horatio. What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,

Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff

That beetles o’er his base into the sea,

And there assume some other horrible form

Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason

And draw you into madness?.....

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(I iv: 45-55)

Scene V displays a sense of shock and anger at the Ghost’s revelation. Its anger

caused by Claudius’ heinous crime is transmitted to Hamlet and manifests itself as raudra

rasa. The Ghost's fury is expressed in the following words:

Ghost. Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

(I v: 25)

Hamlet’s fury is expressed in the following lines:

Hamlet. O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?

And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart…..

(I v: 92-93)

Side by side this anger is tainted with contempt and disgust towards Claudius and

Gertrude:

Ghost. Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,

With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts—

O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power

So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust

The will of my most seeming virtuous queen….

(I v: 42-46)

Disgust and anger is also shown in the following words of Hamlet’s speech:

Hamlet.O most pernicious woman!

O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!

(I.v: 105-106)

One also notices transient feelings (vyabhicaribhavás) of sadness or dejection:

Ghost….O Hamlet, what a falling off was there!--

From me, whose love was of that dignity

That it went hand-in-hand even with the vow

I made to her in marriage, and to decline

Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor

To those of mine!

(I.v: 47-52)

There is a trace of heroism (vira rasa) when Hamlet swears revenge after the Ghost’s

revelation. “I have sworn’t (line 113). However vira rasa is only a minor emotion.

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Raudra rasa (anger) and disgust (bibhatsa rasa) are the two major rasas of equal

prominence.

ACT II

In the first scene of the second act, we are confronted with the emotion of sorrow

or soka bhava expressed by Hamlet and interpreted by Polonius as “the ecstasy of love”

(line 104). The anubhavas or physical gestures (pages 85-86) expressing Hamlet’s sorrow

or madness have been described in the following lines:

Ophelia. He took me by the wrist, and held me hard,

Then goes he to the length of of all his arm,

And with his other hand thus o’er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face

As a would draw it. Long stayed he so.

At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He raised a sigh so piteous and profound

That it did seem to shatter all his bulk

And end his being. That done, he lets me go,

And, with his head over his shoulder turned,

He seemed to find his way without his eyes,

For out of doors he went without their help,

And to the last bended their light on me.

(II i: 88-101)

The reason of Hamlet’s sorrow or apparent madness is left unexplained and therefore

fails to arise any specific rasa in the audience. At the most Hamlet’s outward behaviour

could lead to a temporary feeling of pity (vyabhicaribhava).

The second scene introduces an element of humour and brings out hasya rasa

(comic) in the audience. The source of this hasya or laughter is Polonius’ buffoonery,

who is convinced of Hamlet’s love-sickness and vehemently believes that to be the cause

of his madness. Polonius’ exaggerated speech only evokes ridicule and exasperates

Gertrude for its redundacy and poor wit. Not coming straight to the point, he goes on

beating around the bush, trying to arouse suspense with a ludicrous jumble of words:

Polonius....My liege and madam, to expostulate

What majesty should be, what duty is,

What day is day, night night, and time is time,

Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time,

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,

I will be brief. Your noble son is mad--

'Mad'call I it, for to define true madness,

What is't but to be nothing else but mad?

But let that go.

Queen.Gertrude. More matter with less art.

Polonius. Madam, I swear I use no art at all.

That he is mad, 'tis true: 'tis 'tis pity,

And pity 'tis 'tis true a foolish figure,

But farewell it, for I will use no art.

Mad let us grant him, then, and now remains

That we find out the cause of this effect--

Or rather say the cause of this defect,

For this effect defective comes by cause.

Thus it remains, and the remainder thus

Perpend.

I have a daughter--have whilst she is mine--

Who in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath given me this.....

(II ii: 87-109)

Later Hamlet's dialogue with Polonius also brings out hasya rassa (comic) by force of its

wit and humour. Hamlet's madness seems to be a pretended madness and there is much

truth and irony in his seemingly senseless words:

Hamlet. Slanders, sir; for the satirical slave says here that old men

have grey beards.....

Polonius.[aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.

--Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

Hamlet. Into my grave?

Polonius. Indeed, that's out o'th' air.[Aside] How pregnant some

times his replies are! A happiness that often madness hits on,

which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of.....

(II ii:196-209)

In the next few lines Hamlet expresses his disgust or jugupsa bhava at the turn of events

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in an implicit manner:

Hamlet. In the secret parts of Fortune? O, most true, she is a strumpet.

(II ii: 230-231)

His disgust becomes more explicit when he calls Denmark a prison:

Hamlet...What have you, my good friends,

deserved at the hands of Fortune, that she sends you to prison

hither?

Guildenstern. Prison, my lord?

Hamlet Denmark’s a prison.

Rosencrantz. Then is the world one.

Hamlet. A goodly one, in which there are many confines, wards,

and dungeons, Denmark being one o’ th’ worst.

Rosencrantz. We think not so, my lord.

Hamlet. Why then ’tis none to you; for there is nothing either good

or bad but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison.

(II ii: 235-245)

Hamlet’s jugupsa bhava leads to bibhatsa rasa (disgust) in the audience. The feelings

(vybhicaribhavas) of dejection and world-weariness expressed by Hamlet in the

following lines intensify the bibhatsa rasa:

Hamlet... I have of late—but wherefore I know not—lost all

my mirth, foregone all custom of exercise; and indeed it goes

so heavily with my disposition, that this goodly frame, the

earth, seems to me a sterile promontory. This most excellent

canopy the air, look you, this brave o’er-hanging,

this majestical roof fretted with golden fire--why it appears

no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.

What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite

in faculty, in form and moving, how express and admirable,

in action, how like an angel, in apprehension, how

like a god-- the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!

And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man

delights not me-- nor woman neither....

(II ii: 287-299)

His disgust comes to the surface at his referral to the king and queen as his “uncle-father”

and “aunt-mother” (line 358).

Though the mood changes to the comic at Polonius' entry, it remains tainted with

disgust. Due to his foolish assumptions and unwanted intrusion, Polonius seems to have

become an object of ridicule and aversion for Hamlet:

Hamlet...That great baby you see there is not yet out of his

swathing clouts.

(II ii: 365-366)

Hamlet seems to find pleasure in encouraging Polonius' absurd notions of his behaviour

and love-sickness for Ophelia:

Hamlet.For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good

kissing carrion—have you a daughter?

Polonius. I have, my lord.

Hamlet. Let her not walk i' th' sun. Conception is a blessing,but not as

your daughter may conceive—friend, look to't.

Polonius.[aside] How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter.

Yet he knew me not at first....and truly, in my youth I suffered much

extremity for love. Very near this.

(II ii: 182-190)

Hamlet. O Jephthah, judge of Israel,what a treasure hadst thou!

Polonius. What a treasure had he,my lord?

Hamlet.Why,

'One fair daughter and no more,

The which he lovèd passing well'

Polonius.[aside] Still on my daughter

(II ii: 385-391)

Next follows the emotion of fear. The players arrive. Hamlet and one of the

players recite a few lines of the play, Aeneas'tale to Dido, referring to Priam's slaughter

by Pyrrhus. The gory details of the slaughter combined with the anticipation of Claudius'

death in a similar manner, lend it an emotion of fear producing bhayanaka rasa in the

audience.

This is again replaced by Hamlet's disgust; this time directed at his own self, at

his inability to take action. Apparently in a confused state of mind, he calls himself a

coward:

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Hamlet... Yet I,

A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak

Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,

And can say nothing;...Am I a coward?

Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across,

Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face,

Tweaks me by th' nose, gives me the lie i' th' throat

As deep as to the lungs? Who does me this?

Ha, 'swounds, I should take it; for it cannot be

But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall....Bloody, bawdy villain!

Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!

O, vengeance!--

Why, what an ass am I! Ay, sure, This is most brave,

That I, the son of a dear father murder'd,

Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,

Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words.....

(II ii: 543-563)

There is also anger and disgust for the king combined with disgust for his own

self. However what he calls inaction doesn't seem to be so when viewed in the correct

light. It is his sensitivity and self- restraint, which does not allow him to take any rash

decision, let passion overpower his reasoning or prompt him to action without proper

evidence. Not following blindly the Ghost's command, Hamlet seeks to verify the truth

and appeal to his own better judgement before taking any decision. Despite his instinctive

distrust for Claudius, he doesn't get carried away by the Ghost's words and wants to give

the accused a fair chance. He couldn't condemn a non-guilty person however much he

despised him. His calculated reasoning and fair judgement, even during periods of

turbulence show true heroism in his nature.

As we can see, the predominating emotion in this scene is disgust which grips

Hamlet almost constantly, mainly directed at his mother and her newly- wed husband and

partly at Polonius for his unwanted intervention. The rasa derived is thus, bibhatsa rasa.

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ACT III

In the first scene of the third act the king and queen discuss the cause of Hamlet’s

lunacy with Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius. Claudius views Hamlet’s madness

with suspicion. Guildenstern echoes this feeling, which is evident from the following

lines:

King Claudius. And can you by no drift of circumstance,

Get from him why he puts on this confusion,

Grating so harshly all his days of quiet

With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?

(III i: 1-4)

Guildenstern….But with a crafty madness keeps aloof

When we would bring him on to some confession

Of his true state.

(III i: 8-10)

The king’s suspicion stems from his guilt that builds up a sense of insecurity from the

fear of his crime being found out. The first clear indication of his guilt is seen in the

passage below:

King Claudius. [aside] O, tis too true.

How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience.

The harlot’s cheek, beautied with plast’ring art,

Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it

Than is my deed to my most painted word.

O heavy burden!

(III i.52-56)

Next we come to those famous lines in the play:

Hamlet. To be, or not to be; that is the question:

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And, by opposing end them….

(III i: 58-62)

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Hamlet is in a state of inner conflict and deep contemplation. He does not allow his

passion to cloud his reasoning. What is crucial to him is that he takes the nobler decision-

• whether to suffer the "slings of fortune" or to fight and oppose it. At the same time he

condemns himself for not taking immediate action and blames his own conscience for

being the cause of his cowardice:

Hamlet. Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought

And enterprises of great pith and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry

And lose the name of action......

(III i: 85-90)

Another cause of his utter dejection is unfulfilled love. Ophelia's rejection of his sincere

love intensifies his grief, what he calls the "pangs of disprized love" (line 74). Hamlet's

mental confusion and sorrow triggers karuna rasa (sorrow) in the audience.

Complementing Hamlet's dejection and sorrow is his total disgust. The disgust for

his mother has developed into an aversion for womankind in general. He is disappointed

with Ophelia for not responding to him and for being a puppet to her father's

manipulation. His apparent harshness towards Ophelia actually discloses his contempt for

the whole women race:

Hamlet. Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform

honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can

translate beauty to his likeness. This was sometime a

paradox, but now the time gives it proof....

You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so

inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it.

Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder

Of sinners?...

(III i: 113-123)

He also derides Polonius when he says that "he may play the fool nowhere but in's own

house" (lines 132-133).

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Hidden behind all this confusion and outpour of emotion, there lies however a

firmness in decision contradicting his previous soliloquy about his lack of decision (to be

or not to be...).

Hamlet says in lines 147-148—“Those that are married already-- all but one-- shall live.”

This is an emphatic statement that Claudius is going to die at his hands.

Claudius who has overheard Hamlet’s conversation with Ophelia is shrewd in detecting

some melancholy in his countenance. For Claudius, this is a clear signal of a forthcoming

danger. A guilty man, constantly aware of the crime he has committed, his fear gets

rekindled and he plans to dispatch Hamlet off to England. His final words of caution are,

“Madness in great ones must not unwatched go” (line 188).

So, in this scene, we notice the transitory feelings of suspicion and dejection.

There is the major emotion of fear, which becomes overpowered and hence doesn’t rise

to the status of the main rasa. Hamlet, the character has become dominated by aversion

and sorrow and as a whole produces karuna rasa (sorrow) in the audience.

In scene II the play is staged before the royal couple and other courtiers. Before

the play begins, Hamlet gives instructions to Horatio to observe Claudius’ reaction to the

murder scene. Behind Hamlet’s apparent inaction and confusion lies a rational thinking

mind. He wants to set a trap for Claudius to test his guilt. He doesn’t take the Ghost’s

words to be true without evidence. And he couldn’t kill anyone without proper

justification. Once Claudius’ guilt is out in the open, Hamlet wouldn’t hesitate to slay

him and avenge his father’s death. This is a truly heroic trait in his character.

Before the opening of the play, he behaves in a somewhat rude manner with

Ophelia, even indulging in ribaldry:

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Hamlet...here's mettle more attractive.

Do you think I meant country matters?

That's a fair thought to lie between maid's legs

(III ii: 99,105 &107)

These words actually reflect Hamlet's disgust but may not be strong enough to create

bibhatsa rasa (disgust) as they are targetted towards Ophelia who remains an innocent

victim of circumstances in the whole play. Rather they may arouse the transitory

feeling of pity for her amongst the audience. Hamlet expresses his derision for Gertrude

quite explicitly when he says:

Hamlet...For look how cheerfully my mother looks,

and my father died within's two hours.

(III ii: 114-115)

The play opens with the king and queen expressing their love for each other. The queen's

exaggerated promises and vows of love and fidelity becomes only a mockery and

generates bibhatsa rasa or disgust.

But the critical moment comes in the murder scene when the king suddenly arises

giving clear evidence of his guilt. This is the moment Hamlet has been waiting for. The

trap is successful and his purpose accomplished. Both Hamlet and Horatio are convinced

of the Ghost's words. The situation is not powerful enough to generate any specific rasa

but induces a strong feeling of excitement (vybhicaribhava).

Then enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for a private word with Hamlet. He is

totally aware of the two men's intention, which is to extract the truth from him and

convey it to the king. From the very beginning Hamlet views them with suspicion and

contempt. In the midst of their conversation Polonius enters and passes him the queen's

message that she wished to see him in her private chamber. Hamlet sets out on his second

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purpose of explaining to Gertrude of her infidelity to her first husband. He wants to prick

her conscience by making her aware of her unfaithfulness and lack of virtue.

As it can be seen, there are transitory feelings of suspicion, pity and excitement

reinforcing the main emotions in this scene. However there are two major emotions

overlapping each other i.e. disgust and heroism. The sources of disgust are the king and

the queen as well as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But Hamlet’s attitude displays one of

heroism. However, being opposing emotions they repel each other and cannot occur

simultaneously (page 100). In this case, following the rasa theorists, disgust (bibhatsa)

gets the upper hand and becomes the principal emotion (page 102).

In the third scene, the king plans to send away Hamlet immediately to England,

becoming aware that his dangerous secret is out. He asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

to accompany Hamlet in this “speedy voyage.” Claudius acts purely out of fear from

Hamlet’s wrath. His fear has turned into panic when he says to Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern:

King Claudius. Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage,

For we will fetters put upon this fear,

Which now goes too free-footed.

(III iii: 24-26)

Claudius is assayed by a strong sense of guilt. He calls his murder as that which

has “the primal eldest curse upon’t” (line 37). Though he wishes his sins to be washed

away, he is unable to repent for his deeds. He knows atonement is not possible unless he

rids himself of his ambition and other worldly desires which led him to fratricide:

King.Claudius ….My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent,

And like a man to double business bound

I stand in pause where I shall first begin,

And both neglect. What if this cursèd hand

Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood,

Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens

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To wash it white as snow.....

but O, what form of prayer

Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'?

That cannot be, since I am still possessed

Of those effects for which I did the murder—

My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.

(III iii: 40-55)

When the king kneels in prayer, Hamlet enters and finds a golden opportunity to slay him. But his over analytical mind steps in between. He doesn't believe his father's death will be avenged if he kills his murderer at prayer, for to take a man in the purging of his soul would only send him to heaven. By slaying Claudius now, he would undoubtedly follow the Ghost's command but its purpose would be lost.

So, here we find the subsidiary feeling of guilt (vyabhicaribhava) arising out of Claudius' fear, the primary emotion in this scene.

In the final scene (scene iv) of this act Polonius is slain by Hamlet. The purpose of killing Polonius is however, not clear. It could be that he mistakes Polonius for the king and slays him. Or it could be that Hamlet considers Polonius to be a prying nuisance and a danger to his motives and takes the opportunity to do away with him.

After getting rid of Polonius, Hamlet proceeds to goad his mother's conscience, to make her realize her gross mistake in forgetting her first husband and remarrying so hastily. In a rhapsody of words he praises his father and condemns the evil Claudius. It is his aim to prick his mother's conscience and make her see her own folly. Despite his contempt for Gertrude, he doesn't see her beyond atonement. He wants his mother to be cleared of all sins. In true repentance would her sin be atoned which is Hamlet's goal at the moment. Hamlet succeeds in his efforts when Gertrude begins to see her folly.

Consumed by guilt she utters the following words:

Queen Gertrude. O Hamlet, speak no more!

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Thou turn'st my eyes into my very soul,

And there I see such black and grained spots

As will not leave their tinct.

Hamlet, Nay, but to live

In the rank sweat of an enseaméd bed,

Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love

Over the nasty sty—

Queen Gertrude. O, speak to me no more!

These words like daggers enter my ears.

No more, sweet Hamlet.

(III iv: 78-86)

Hamlet….Confess yourself to heaven;

Repent what's past, avoid what is to come,

And do not spread the compost o'er the weeds

To make them ranker....

Queen Gertrude. O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain!

(III iv: 140-147)

In justly turning away Gertrude from Claudius, Hamlet secures his first triumph

over the murderer. Also in killing Polonius, he removes one thorn from his path. This

success of the hero generates vira rasa (heroism) and remains the principal emotion in

this scene.

There are several transient feelings or vyabhicaribhavās in this scene as well.

There is surprise when Hamlet physically forces Gertrude to sit down; taken aback she

shouts for help. There is visible shock at the unexpected killing of Polonius. There is the

strong feeling of guilt already mentioned before. There is amazement at the appearance of

the Ghost. The Ghost, which remains invisible to the queen causes her great amazement

when Hamlet talks to it. She believes him to be mad and calls it “the very coinage of his

brain” (line 127). Then the transient feeling of contempt appears when Hamlet talks of his

two “friends” who are to accompany him on his voyage to England:

Hamlet.There’s letters sealed, and my two school-fellows--

Whom I will trust as I will adders fanged....

(III iv: 185.1-185.2)

And lastly disappointment is expressed when Gertrude remembers of Hamlet’s

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impending journey to England:

Hamlet. I must of England.

You know that?

Queen Gertrude. Alack, I had forgot.

'Tis so concluded on.

(III iv: 182-185)

ACT IV

The first scene of Act IV looks like a stage of confusion caused by Polonius’

death. The queen is in a state of shock at the turn of events. Still shaken by her son’s

behaviour she blurts out before Claudius:

Queen Gertrude. Mad as the sea and wind when both contend

Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit,

Behind the arras hearing something stir,

Whips his rapier out and cries 'A rat, a rat!',

And in his brainish apprehension kills

The unseen good old man.

(IV i: 6-10)

It is now the king’s turn to be shocked. His fear is rekindled and he dreads of what is to

come. Completely aware now of Hamlet’s wrath, he realizes he might well have been the

victim instead of Polonius. The transient feeling arising out of his fear is deception when

he talks of his love for Hamlet. This is deception at its worst as in reality he is designing

the murder of Hamlet, whom he considers his arch enemy at the moment. Losing no time

he plans to ship off Hamlet the very next morning along with Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern. Shaken to the roots, Claudius exclaims that his “soul is full of discord and

dismay” (line 40).

The main emotion or rasa in this scene is undoubtedly fear or bhayanaka rasa

intensified by the subsidiary feelings or vyabhicaribhavās of shock and deception.

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The second scene emits pure bibhatsa rasa or aversion. The king, his courtiers--

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Polonius are all objects of Hamlet’s aversion. He

overtly expresses his contempt for the villainy of Claudius and the sycophancy of

Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius. His contempt is matched by his wit when he

replies to Rosencrantz’s query:

Rosencrantz. Take you me for a sponge, my lord?

Hamlet. Ay, sir, that soaks up the king’s countenance, his

rewards, his authorities. But such officers do the King best service

in the end. He keeps them like an apple in the corner of his jaw,

corner of his jaw, first mouthed to be last swallowed. When he needs

what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you and,

sponge you shall be dry again.

(IV ii: 13-19)

Hamlet’s witty sarcasm continues into the next scene when he calls the king a food for

worms and addresses him as his mother. The comic interrupts Hamlet’s contempt at this

stage:

King Claudius. Now, Hamlet where’s Polonius?

Hamlet. At supper.

King Claudius. At supper? Where?

Hamlet. Not where he eats, but where a is eaten. A certain

convocation of politic worms are e’en at him. Your worm is

your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us,

and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean

beggar is but variable service—two dishes, but to one table.

That’s the end..........

Hamlet….Farewell, dear mother.

King Claudius.Thy loving father, Hamlet.

Hamlet. My mother.Father and mother is man and wife, man

and wife is one flesh, and so, my mother….

(IV iii: 17-54)

These dialogues break the gravity of the whole atmosphere and can only erupt laughter

(hasa) in the audience.

In this scene the king reveals his wicked designs of getting Hamlet executed in

England. He is shrewd enough to realize that killing or imprisoning Hamlet in Denmark

would only bring about his own downfall as the prince is "loved of the distracted

multitude" (line 4). This action of an evildoer, who doesn’t flinch from committing one

crime after the other, simply draws anger or raudra rasa from the audience.

So here both the emotions of raudra rasa (anger) and hasya rasa (comic) run

almost parallel to each other. Being friendly emotions, not opposed to the other (page

100), neither of them blocks the other and is free to take its own course. However, it may

be concluded that raudra rasa ultimately prevails over hasya rasa as it appears at the end

of the scene, creating a more lasting impression.

The fourth scene generates karuna rasa or sorrow at Hamlet’s pitiable condition.

He believes himself to be a coward compared to Fortinbras who can march with pride

with his vast army and has no compunction in laying down twenty thousand lives for the

sake of a piece of land. In truth it is Hamlet’s higher sensitivity and compassion and his

regard for human life that stands in his way. But Hamlet calls this conflict within his

heart and mind as cowardice. His dejection is the source of karuna rasa in the audience.

The fifth scene of this act is a prolific exhibition of Ophelia’s anguish in the form

of madness. Plunged in sorrow at Hamlet’s rejection of her and her father’s sudden death,

she has gone mad. Her songs are clearly expressive of her longing for Hamlet

(vipralambha sringara or love-in-separation) and her grief at her father’s death.

Ophelia’s mournful distraction fills the heart with tenderness and evokes pure karuna

rasa.

Laertes brings in the emotion of anger or raudra rasa. Believing Claudius to be the cause

of his father’s death, he bravely confronts him swearing for vengeance. Seething with

rage he challenges Claudius with the following words:

Laertes. How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with.

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To hell allegiance! Vows to the blackest devil,

Conscience and grace to the profoundest pit!

I dare damnation. To this point I stand,

That both the worlds I give to negligence,

Let come what comes. Only I'll be revenged

Most thoroughly for my father.

(IV v: 126-132)

Laertes' uncontrolled rage and fearless challenge are also signs of bravery. Here, raudra

rasa (anger) unfolds heroism and gives rise to vira rasa as well. The two friendly

emotions (page 100) support each other and run parallel.

Laertes is in for a second shock (transient feeling or vyabhicaribhava) at the re-

entry of Ophelia. His sister's loss of sanity doubles his grief resulting in karuna rasa in

the audience. So the total effect in this scene is one of karuna rasa, raudra rasa and vira

rasa remaining only secondary.

In scene vi, the sailors deliver Hamlet's letter to Horatio, where he expresses his

wish to meet him as soon as possible. Hamlet's urgency stirs up some excitement

(vyabhicaribhava) in the audience of what is to follow. The scene is short and does not

produce any rasa.

In the seventh and final scene of this act, Claudius is back in his own element,

cunning and sly, contriving Hamlet's death at the hands of Laertes. Very tactfully, he

tries to instigate Laertes against Hamlet, goading his conscience towards performing his

filial duty of avenging his father's death:

King Claudius. Laertes, was your father dear to you?

Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,

A face without a heart?

(IV vii: 89-91)

King Claudius.....What would you undertake

To show yourself in deed your father's son in deed

More than in words?

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(IV vii: 96-98)

Laertes' countenance is one of grief and rage:

Laertes. And so have I a noble father lost,

A sister driven into desp’rate terms,

Who has, if praises may go back again,

Stood challenger, on mount, of all the age

For her perfections. But my revenge will come.

(IV vii: 25-29)

A master of deception, Claudius plans a scheme with Laertes, to murder Hamlet:

King Claudius. Let's further think of this;

Weigh what convenience both of time and means

May fit us to our shape...Therefore this project

Should have a back or second that might hold

If this should blast in proof...

When in your motion you are hot and dry—

As make your bouts more violent to that end—

And that he calls for drink, I'll have prepared him

A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping,

If he by chance escaped your venomed stuck,

Our purpose may hold there—

(IV vii: 120-133)

Claudius’ amorality and wickedness can only bring out anger or raudra rasa in the

audience. This raudra rasa is interrupted by sorrow or karuna rasa at the news of

Ophelia's death. Her death while deepening Laertes’ grief, adds fuel to the fire,

intensifying his rage:

Laertes. Alas, then she is drowned?

Queen Gertrude. Drowned, drowned.

Laertes. Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia

And therefore I forbid my tears. But yet

it is our trick; nature her custom holds,

Let shame say what it will. When these are gone,

The woman will be out. Adieu, my lord.

I have a speech of fire that fain would blaze,

But that this folly douts it.

(IV vii: 155-163)

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So, the two major rasas of sorrow (karuna) and anger (raudra) appear simultaneously in

equal intensity or alternate in quick succession. According to the rasa theory both these

emotions are opposing and do not go with each other (page 100). However the opposition

between two emotions can be removed by directing the opposite emotions on different

objects (page 101), which is the case here. Claudius’ vile scheming combined with

Laertes’ rage is the source of raudra rasa whereas Ophelia’s madness and her subsequent

death is the cause of karuna rasa.

ACT V

In the first scene, Ophelia’s death can bring out no other emotion other than

sadness or karuna rasa. The grim humour might provide some mental relief but may not

draw laughter, as Ophelia’s tragedy lies too heavily on the minds of the spectators.

Then follows the entry of the king, the queen and other royal attendants with Ophelia’s

corpse. A funeral scene particularly that of the innocent Ophelia, naturally culminates in

karuna rasa. Hamlet is aghast at the mention of Ophelia’s death; never for a moment

having imagined the coffin to be carrying his beloved’s body. From shock (transient

feeling or vyabhicaribhava) follows intense grief. The queens parting words pour salt to

his wounds:

Hamlet. What, the fair Ophelia!

Queen Gertrude. [scattering flowers] Sweets to the sweet. Farewell.

I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife.

I thought, thy bride-bed to have decked, sweet maid,

And not t’ have strewed thy grave.

(V i: 226-230)

Both Hamlet and Laertes, in their mourning lose their composure, which is but natural in

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the face of grief, and end up in a tussle. Laertes attacks Hamlet believing him to be the

cause of his sister and father's death. So the emotion of sorrow is momentarily

interrupted by raudra or anger, breaking the continuity of karuna rasa, but only for a

short period.

Hamlet's bereavement is genuine:

Hamlet [Coming forward] What is he whose grief

Bears such an emphasis, whose phrase of sorrow

Conjures the wand'ring stars, and makes them stand

Like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I,

Hamlet the Dane. [ Hamlet leaps in after Laertes]

(V i: 238-242)

Hamlet. I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers

Could not, with all their quantity of love,

Make up my sum.

(V i: 254-256)

These words speak of the depth of his love. He had loved Ophelia all along despite the

fact that he had previously claimed not to have loved her anymore and perhaps broken

her heart. Sringara rasa (love) arises but subsides immediately in this tragic moment.

So the whole scene reverberates with karuna rasa only being shortly intermitted by

raudra rasa (rage) and sringara rasa (love). The introduction of these opposing emotions

(page 100) does not aid karuna rasa but only succeeds in breaking its continuity and

becomes subordinate to it.

The second scene introduces more intrigue into the play. Hamlet, constantly

suspicious of Claudius' motives accidentally discovers the latter's evil designs of doing

away with him. Very cleverly, Hamlet foils his plans and sends Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern to the gallows instead. Hamlet, thoroughly fed up with their sycophancy

feels they deserve no better end:

Hamlet.Why, man, they did make love to this employment.

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They are not near my conscience. Their defeat

Doth by their own insinuation grow.

(V ii: 58-60)

Any friend of the king, who is now Hamlet’s sworn enemy, becomes an enemy too. From

this viewpoint Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who are Claudius’ friends are

Hamlet’s enemies and have been disposed off one after the other. It is unfortunate that

Polonius happened to be the father of his beloved, but his constant interference and

contriving had made him a formidable enemy. So he had to die. Gradually removing from

his path, one thorn after the other, Hamlet seeks to reach his ultimate enemy, his final

target.

On going through the play, the general impression could be that Hamlet has been

procrastinating in his duty of avenging his father. But in retrospect, one can perceive

fairly reasonable grounds for his supposed delay in action. First, he wanted clear evidence

of Claudius’ guilt. This is undisputedly an admirable strength of character. After his test,

he is convinced of the latter’s guilt by acquiring the evidence he has been looking for. But

what evidence could he give to the people of Denmark? Who would believe his tale of a

Ghost commanding him to action? Wouldn’t his tale be misinterpreted as a guise for his

thwarted ambition? In reality, it probably isn’t that easy to slay Claudius as it appears in

the play, and Hamlet has to look for a proper opportunity for it.

The final scene of the play is mainly a mixture of vira rasa (heroism) and karuna

rasa (sorrow) with a trace of sarcasm (vyabhicaribhava or subsidiary feeling). The latest

victim of this sarcasm is the courtier Osric, whom Hamlet calls a water-fly (line 84). This

secondary feeling is too mild and fails to create the stronger emotion of disgust or

bibhatsa.

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Hamlet clearly displays his bravery in this scene. Not enraged by Laertes' violent

attack on him in the cemetery, Hamlet acknowledges the injustice he has done to Laertes

and fully understands the tumult in his mind:

Hamlet...But I am very sorry, good Horatio,

That to Laertes I forgot myself;

For by the image of my cause I see

The portraiture of his, I'll court his favours,

But sure, the bravery of his grief did put me

Into a tow'ring passion.

(V ii: 76-81)

Without any compunction or a moment's hesitation, Hamlet accepts Laertes'

challenge for a duel, in spite of being aware of the latter's ingenuity in sword fighting. As

befits a hero, with true humility, he asks for Laertes' pardon and accepts his hand of

friendship:

Hamlet [to Laertes]. Give me your pardon, sir. I've done you wrong;

But pardon't as you are a gentleman....

That I have shot mine arrow o' er the house

And hurt my brother.

(V ii: 163-181)

Hamlet's triumph lies in Laertes' forgiveness and acceptance of his hand of friendship.

But Laertes' forgiveness doesn't make him flinch from a battle, notably a sign of bravery:

Laertes...I do receive your offered love like love,

And will not wrong it.

Hamlet. I do embrace it freely,

And will this brothers' wager frankly play.

[To attendants] Give us the foils.

(V ii: 188-192)

Throughout the combat Hamlet shows his skill and courage. He commits his final act of

heroism in slaying the king, fulfilling the task of the Ghost and his duty towards his

father.

Karuna or sorrow is obviously generated at the death of the hero. Before dying

Hamlet is cleared of the burden of his guilt, when Laertes realizes his falling into the trap

of the king's plotting. His words serve to intensify the depth of the sorrow:

Laertes. He is justly served.

It is a poison tempered by himself.

Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet.

Mine and my father's death come not upon thee,

Nor thine on me.

(V ii: 269-273)

The play ends with a final homage to Hamlet's noblesness and bravery complementing

the atmosphere of sorrow or karuna:

Fortinbras....Let four captains

Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage,

For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have proved most royally; and for this passage,

The soldiers' music and the rites of war

Speak loudly for him.

( V ii: 339-344)

As we have seen, a play according to the Sanskrit canon must have a single

dominant emotion although there may be several other subsidiary emotions. Hamlet

initially deals with two emotions disgust (bibhatsa rasa) and courage (vira rasa), the

former dominating the latter until the middle of the play when courage or heroism and

sorrow (karuna rasa) start taking precedence. Thereafter the course of his action is so

confused that the audience is at a loss to be sure of the dominating emotion. There is no

doubt that Hamlet loved Ophelia, as also the world and the life around him. But a series

of events following the death of his father, such as his mother's marriage to Claudius and

the latter's coronation, have aroused a strong aversion in Hamlet, for all that he loved

earlier. It is not only his mother; Ophelia has also been a target, though not directly.

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Polonius has been his target because of his narrow thinking and feeble way of action,

deciding always to coax the king. From the very beginning Polonius considers Hamlet’s

peculiar behaviour as a sign of madness and melancholy due to his love for Ophelia and

rather foolishly tries to convince both the king and the queen about this matter. It is for

this foolishness that he has also been a target of Hamlet’s aversion or disgust. Hamlet

also expresses his aversion for all those sycophants like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,

who had their associations with and subservience to the king. His aversion is not definite

until his experience with the Ghost and this aversion is not confirmed until the

performance of a drama within a drama. Although the Ghost particularly asks Hamlet not

to take any action against his mother, it nevertheless goads him to hit her conscience.

Hamlet thus obeys the Ghost and stimulates Gertrude to realize the sin she has

committed. It seems the characters that are the targets of his aversion only consider him

mad, or rather, in reverse, he is pretending to be mad while dealing with them. He speaks

to his mother in the closet scene:

Hamlet …That I essentially am not in madness,

But mad in craft.

(III iv: 171-172)

What is revealed ironically (vyanjana) is that both the king and Polonius are

simply insensitive persons. The king is insensitive because of his brutality, cruelty and

selfish opportunism. Polonius’ selfishness lies in his foolish assumptions. Gertrude is

undoubtedly intuitive as befits a mother. But this intuition and sensitivity are forcefully

suppressed. While the king is shrewd and intelligent in studying Hamlet, Polonius’

analyses are only ridiculously superficial. It is only Gertrude who has a real sense of

concern and pity for Hamlet. She is truly worried and wishes that Hamlet’s good sense be

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restored. Hamlet’s aversion for his mother has reasonably diminished his love and

devotion for her. A serious and sensitive man of Hamlet’s character would obviously pay

more priority of attention to carry out the instructions of the Ghost. And in doing so the

warmth of love would naturally get cold. Here is the source of the emotion of sorrow or

karuna. The total situation now is sufficiently intensified (alambana vibhava) to

stimulate sorrow. A situation, which, Bharata calls curse (śapa) and Abhinavagupta

interprets as asakya pratikara—an adverse situation beyond any remedy (pratikara). The

hero is unable to overcome it although he wants to overcome it. Hamlet misbehaves with

Ophelia consciously and intentionally but not deliberately. As S.H. Butcher considers this

to be one of the four types of hamartia, as causing sorrow and suffering of a tragic hero,

originally pointed out by Aristotle. To quote Butcher at length:

As a synonym of hamartia and as applied to a single act, it denotes an

error due to inadequate knowledge of particular circumstances.

According to strict usage we should add the qualification, that the

circumstances are such as might have been known. Thus it would cover

any error of judgement arising from a hasty or careless view of the

special case; an error which in some degree is morally culpable, as it

might have been avoided. Error of this kind has the highest claim to

pity or consideration. But the more proper term ishatuchema

‘misfortune’. In either case, however the hamartia is also more laxly

applied to an error due to unavoidable ignorance, for which error is

unintentional; it arises from want of knowledge; and its good quality

will depend on whether the individual is himself responsible for his

ignorance. Distinct from this, but still limited in its reference to a single

act, it is the moral hamartia proper, a fault or error where the act is

conscious and intentional, but not deliberate. Such are acts committed in

anger or passion. Lastly, the word may denote a defect of character,

distinct on the one hand from an isolated error or fault, and, on the

other, from the vice which has its seat in a depraved will. This use,

though rarer, is still Aristotlean. Under this head would be included any

human frailty or moral weakness, a flaw of character that is not tainted

by a vicious purpose. In our passage there is much to be said in favour

of the last sense, as it is here brought into relation with other words of

purely moral significance, words moreover which describe not an

isolated act, but a more permanent state.12

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It is to the third kind of hamartia that Hamlet's crisis belongs. It may be noted

that Bharata's concept of sapa (curse) and Abhinavagupta's interpretation of the same as

asakya pratikara causing sorrow cover all the categories of hamartia.

However, Hamlet faces adversities to work out the appropriate remedy. He slowly inches

his way towards his mission of taking revenge. This is a progress for the generation of

vira rasa (heroism), although this vira rasa is clearly associated with bibhatsa (aversion)

since Hamlet's motive for taking revenge though prompted by the Ghost, is stimulated by

his disgust. In his determination to attain his goal of taking revenge, he deliberately

assumes a pattern of confusing behaviour (madness in craft) whereas in reality he is

extremely conscious of his own self, treading gingerly to attain a steady result. In my

view there is no indecisiveness in his character, there is no helplessness in his

consciousness. Only that he is not a man of hasty decision as is his counterpart, Othello.

He is a man of cool deliberation, showing stability of character. Step by step, he moves

ahead. He has an ability to take advantage of even the adversities by transforming them

suitably for the success of his purpose. His killing of Polonius is not at all a sign of

melancholy or confusion. His comparison of the behaviour of Polonius with that of a rat

(III iv: 23) is absolutely justified. He does it consciously although again by his craftiness,

he begs apology from Laertes. An ideal example of his ability to transform disadvantages

to advantages is his handling of Claudius' letter to the king of England.

Gradually he has been successful in generating vira rasa. He is really a vira (hero)

in not murdering Claudius at his prayer as he says that by killing him during such an act,

he would rather have immortalized him (sent him to the divine) instead of avenging him:

Hamlet. Now might I do it pat, now a is a-praying.

And now I'll do't and so a goes to heaven;

And so am I revenged. That would be scanned

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A villain kills my father, and for that

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

(III iii: 73-78)

Obviously with his heroic motive, he suppresses his passion for Ophelia He is not a

dhiralalita (sensitive) character like Udayana in Swapnavasavadutta who could sacrifice

heroism for the sake of love.xiv A mixture of dhira-prasanta and dhirodatta (see footnote

on page 141) character, he acknowledges his love for Ophelia that is suppressed for the

heroic purpose—“I did love you once” (III i: 116).

Here is a case where vira rasa (heroism) dominates over sringara rasa (love) and

though there is a scope for generation of karuna (sorrow) from vipralambha sringara

(love-in-separation), as it is mostly appreciated, in my view, this is only a secondary point

of Hamlet’s tragic ending, generating finally karuna rasa. In fact, Hamlet’s failure in

love is not at all a peripetia since he has deliberately suppressed it and this suppression is

not at all causing any serious disappointment in Hamlet. As it appears, rather his affair

with Ophelia, prior to his father’s murder, to his mother’s remarriage and to the Ghost’s

communication was a youthful occasion as it happens to a man before he enters the

seriousness of life. But for that matter, it cannot be said that Hamlet is insensitive to love

or passion. He certainly loved Ophelia seriously and would have been happy to have her,

but as it happens, he doesn’t mind seriously, if he suppresses this passion, ignores and

neglects her for the time being. He could have rejected Ophelia meaning it to be a

temporary suspension. Hamlet becomes aware of the realities of life only after the murder

xiv Swapnavasavadatta or TheVision of Vasavadatta is the most respected of Bhasa’s (2nd century B.C ?.)

plays. It tells of king Udayana, a ruler who is pressured by his minister of state to marry the daughter of a

powerful ruler in order to strengthen his reign and protect his kingdom. The king however, is too devoted to

his wife to consider such a marriage. But the queen is ready to sacrifice her happiness to save the kingdom.

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of his father and the events thereafter have stimulated in him an awareness of the

complexities of life, and willingly, without any remorse he has tried to set aside his affair

with Ophelia. This is precisely the reason for his disgust with the foolishness of Polonius,

especially at a time when he is disturbed by the red signals of the complex cross roads of

life which he considers more serious than indulging in youthful passion. Polonius

foolishly assumes that Hamlet’s involvement with Ophelia has upset his mental

equilibrium. This is perhaps the reason for his utter disgust with Polonius. He smells a

positive connivance between the king and Polonius. He is disappointed in Ophelia for

being a slave to her father’s will. Hamlet’s apparently offensive behaviour to Ophelia

reveals (dhvani) his disgust with the total situation. He is unable to express reasonably his

love for Ophelia. It is but natual for a serious man of Hamlet’s type to be disgusted with

the nuptial bed in general as also with the women’s race, which could so easily forget the

tie with the first husband and readily opt for sharing the bed of the second husband. It is

rather Ophelia who is melancholic or gullible in handing over Hamlet’s letter to her

father and losing patience in waiting for an appropriate opportunity to understand his

behaviour. The Ghost is a symbol of the mysteries of life that life is not as it commonly

appears; smooth sailing, easy going, lovely and desirable. Life is of course desirable, but

desirable with the full knowledge of its complexities and not with any foolish

assumptions. The Ghost reveals that (dhvani) everything in life cannot be interpreted in

terms of empirical experience as Horatio speaks to Hamlet:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

(I v: 168-169)

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Mysteries of life are always covered and to unravel the truth covered under day-to-day

experiences one needs a supernatural insight. Krishna in the Geeta calls this supernatural

insight a divyachakshu or a divine sight when in spite of Krishna's revelation of his

universal form, Arjuna fails to realize the truth. Krishna then endows him with a

supernatural insight for visualizing the truth (Geeta xi: 8). In the play, the Ghost

functions in a similar manner. It is only Hamlet who perceives the truth whereas others

fail. Hamlet is aware of this truth of life but Ophelia fails to cope with him.

Thus, as opposed to the view of S.C. Sengupta, my opinion is that, clearly

intertwined with aversion (bibhatsa) is heroism (vira) and also figuring prominently is

the emotion of sorrow or karuna rasa. Sengupta argues that while revenge is the

purported theme of the play, the core subject is the utter revulsion caused by a mother's

unchastity, which is revealed, to us through dhvani. Hamlet's disgust for his mother also

taints his attitude to others. He is full of derision for the foolish courtier Polonius, disloyal

friends like Rosencrantz and Guildenster and the 'waterfly' Osric, to the extent that he

equates Ophelia with Gertrude condemning the whole womankind to be unchaste. While

denying Hamlet to be a melancholic cynic, Sengupta feels that Hamlet has nevertheless

lost all interest in life when "man delights him not nor woman either." But that doesn't

turn him into a melancholic man when he has the Renaissance hero's love for the good

things of life, being physically and mentally agile and also full of moral idealism.

Sengupta points out that on four occasions Hamlet acts swiftly and decisively. He

successfully stages the play to test the truth of the Ghosts words; he kills Polonius; he

outwits Claudius and gets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern executed in England and most

importantly he slays Claudius at the end. According to Sengupta the killing of Polonius

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and Claudius are sporadic acts and are outlets for his repressed energies not surprising for

a man poisoned by aversion. But the other two exploits of staging the play and foiling the

king's plan of sending Hamlet to his death are the results of cool deliberation, and in both

these cases his aversion is under a temporary eclipse. In producing the play he becomes

his own self, returning to the creativity within him. Again while sailing off to England he

escapes from the prison of Denmark and out of the mental state of aversion, which

continues to oppress him in his home country.

Sengupta then proceeds to make a running survey of the whole play to discuss the

tragedy of Hamlet and its root cause that he claims to be aversion. On encountering the

Ghost in the first act Hamlet suddenly decides on assuming madness, which actually

hinders his cause of revenge but enables him to express his disgust for life and the world

outside. Hamlet's initial suspicion of the Ghost to be a goblin reflects the instability of a

mind infected with aversion. In the second act, his aversion has deepened but he wakes

up from his stupor and stages the play to test the king's conscience. The staging of the

drama transports him to the world of imagination and the prospect of exposing Claudius

invigorates him. This act also deals with his relation with Ophelia, Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern. All three of them only serve to disappoint him further and thus become

excitants or determinants (vibhavas) of his mental state of aversion. In the third act his

pessimism is intensified which is noticed in his meditation -"To be or not to be" as also

in his brutalities to Ophelia. In Act IV Hamlet's disgust with life is leading to a kind of

philosophical detachment. For him death seems to be the only reality now and man exists

just to be a food for worms. From this viewpoint the destiny of a king and that of a

beggar are the same.

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Sengupta finally dwells on two significant instances of dhvani worth noting in the

play. Hamlet’s avowal of his deep love for Ophelia being more than forty thousand

brothers does not seem to be in tune with his harsh treatment of her in the earlier part of

the play. According to Sengupta, the truth is that his berating of Ophelia is the result of

his shattered image of ideal love caused by Gertrude and which Ophelia has done nothing

to revive. It is because Hamlet loves her so intensely that he wants her to stay away from

the corrupting influences of the outside world. Sengupta points out that Hamlet’s

chastising of Ophelia is different from the ridicule he pours on Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern to whom he speaks with a distance. Another instance of dhvani lies in the

gravediggers’ scene. The clowns play at loggats with the bones of the dead, as they have

no feeling of their business. The qestion is, points out Sengupta, did Hamlet himself have

a feeling of his own business when his behaviour drove Ophelia to madness and death?

This is the implicit irony in that scene.

Sengupta concludes that Hamlet is not a play about a mission delayed but about a

complex state of mind predominated by aversion. He writes:

Keeping as far as we can to the Indian system

of criticism, we may say that in Hamlet, the

predominant state is aversion (jugupsa), but it is

strengthened and enriched by the mental states,

and the total effect is not merely revolting (vibhatsa)

but tragic—a concept for which there is nothing

corresponding in Indian poetics.13

But I argue that aversion (jugupsa) is not the single predominant emotion nor is bibhatsa

the only primary rasa. (I use the term "emotion" to denote both rasa and its

corresponding emotion bhava, page 83). Closely associated with bibhatsa (aversion) is

vira rasa or heroism. The Ghost’s communication arouses Hamlet’s disgust for both the

king and the queen and also a firm determination to take revenge upon the king by

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murdering him, the obvious sign of heroism in Hamlet. And karuna rasa or sorrow is

unmistakably another central emotion. Sengupta’s idea that the concept of tragedy is alien

to the Indian dramatic tradition is undoubtedly true, but the absence of this concept in

Indian tradition is not due to any aesthetic inadequacy, rather, significantly, due to the

Indian worldview that, although suffering is an inevitable part of human life, the end is

absolute bliss, that is, the very origin of life as a whole. The Upanishadic voice that “Life

as a whole emerges from bliss, subsists in bliss and finally immerses into bliss” is the

authority here.14 Death is therefore not a tragedy, particularly, the death of a hero in the

battlefield leads to an elevated heavenly life. As the Geeta says:

Slain [in the battle-field], you will obtain heaven;

Victorious you will enjoy the earth [worldly happiness].

(ii: 37)

So, Hamlet, being slain in battle, is a real hero in the Sanskrit sense of the term vira

(hero). Hamlet’s death is certainly not caused due to any instability or weakness of

character he suffers from. Like a true vira he is firm upon his decision and faces

adversities like a true vira should face, finally accomplishing his mission of killing the

king. His death can be compared with the Indian concept of viragati i.e. the end of a true

hero.

In the case of Hamlet, it is a dual victory. He doesn’t elevate his enemy (Claudius)

to get a divine status by slaying him at his prayer. At the right time he kills the king and

takes appropriate revenge. And he is himself elevated to a higher kind of life—the life in

death by being himself slain. He doesn’t repent although Laertes repents and in the

confession and repentance of Laertes, Hamlet’s viragati is doubly asserted. Hamlet’s

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success is therefore a double one—because he kills his enemy and regains the friendship

of Laertes who regrets that being misguided by the villain, he has killed Hamlet. As

Abhinavagupta writes, “heroism is the nature of persons with good qualities, enthusiasm

of these good people is always delightful.”15 He further observes that heroism is the effect

of one’s physical strength and commitment to moral principles such as control of sense

organs and proper consideration of the legal instructions. Abhinavagupta cites the

examples of Rama (in the epic Ramayana) and Udayana (in Swapnavasavadutta, see

footnote on page 178) who had all these qualities in abundance. By virtue of their

goodness they were also able to earn the goodwill and support of the public bureaucrats

as well as politicians. They had great patience, tolerance, ability for sacrifice of the

coveted things, attaining the goal of life and also appropriate skill for fighting in the

battlefield. Considering these factors, Hamlet would be the most befitting character of

this category. The best example for his control of sense organs is his suspension of his

attachment or passion for Ophelia. At the same time, his patience for waiting for a proper

occasion and opportunity to slay the king and his decision not to do it at his prayer are all

coming under the qualities of a character of heroism that Abhinavagupta and Bharataxv

decide.

The vira rasa displayed in a dhiroddhata (the brave and haughty) character like

Bhima in Venisamhara can be cited here. The play Venisamhara by Bhattanaryana (7th

century A.D.), deals with the conflict for kingship between the two royal families of

Hastinapur. In the first group are the Pandavas—Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and

Sahadeva. The other group who are the cousins of the Pandavas are called the Kauravas.

xv Abhinavagupta is the commentator of Bharata’s Natysastra.

They are a hundred brothers in all, the eldest being Duryodhana. Though Yudhisthira is

crowned as the king of Hastinapur, Duryodhana considers himself to be the rightful heir.

So he challenges Yudhisthira for a game of dice for which the latter has a passion. Using

deceit, Duryodhana constantly defeats him in every round. In this bait, Yudhisthira starts

losing all his property and his entire kingdom. Continuing to be goaded by Duryodhana’s

mocking challenges, he starts baiting his younger brothers, one after the other and finally

his wife, Draupadi. This was Duryodhana’s trump card as he had previously desired to

marry Draupadi but had been rejected by her. In order to salvage his bruised ego, he takes

up this opportunity to publicly humiliate Draupadi. So he orders his younger brother, who

is the strongest among the Kauravas to fetch Draupadi from the inner chambers of the

palace. Not taking heed of Draupadi’s pleadings, he drags her by the hair from her

chamber. Her long braid falls loose while she is being dragged. At Duryodhana’s

command, Dushasana tries to undress her in the presence of others, but fails to do so due

to Lord Krishna’s benevolence on Draupadi. Not being able to swallow this humiliation,

the outraged Draupadi pledges never to braid her hair again until it is washed with

Dushasana’s blood. Bhima is the one most affected by this sight and swears to take

revenge on Dushasana for this vile deed.

The Pandavas are exiled for thirteen years at Duryodhana’s command, after which

they are supposed to get back their kingdom. But Duryodhana does not keep his promise

and challenges them for a war. So a war is inevitable, which is called the battle of the

Mahabharata (pages 127-128). In this historic event, Bhima combats with Dushasana

who are considered equals in strength and mace fighting. After a long struggle Bhima

finally succeeds in slaying Dushasana. In order to keep his vow, he carries Dushasana’s

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blood and smears it on Draupadi’s hair. Being thus pacified, Draupadi finally braids her

hair. The agony of the Kauravas causes karuna rasa (sorrow).

Bhima’s bravery and heroism have been much glorified by Bhattanarayana in this

drama. It was only Bhima who had the courage to challenge Dushasana who had no

match and was considered invincible till then. Having captured Dushasana he challenged

all the heroes of the Kauravas to save Dushasana from his clutch. This challenge that

nobody is able to meet is expressive of vira rasa par excellence. In the final scene of

Hamlet, although this kind of explosive heroism is not displayed, Hamlet’s skilful

operation in hitting Laertes as also the king is undoubtedly an ideal display of vira rasa.

But vira rasa in its completeness is the absolute victory of the hero where he kills the

enemy and remains invincible. Hamlet being slain in the drama concerned, the Sanskrit

vira rasa is not accomplished ideally. This therefore results in karuna rasa. The situation

can be fruitfully compared with the slaying of Abhimanyu in the battle of the

Mahabharata. Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, though only sixteen, was a skilled fighter

as he had learnt the skill of the Chakravyūha (an infantry circle formed like a wheel)

from his maternal uncle, Lord Krishna who had been narrating this skill to his sister

Subhadra, while Abhimanyu was in her womb. Abhimanyu, having killed several heroes

in the great battle, is killed treacherously the way not permitted by the laws of war i.e.

one warrior attacked by seven warriors at a time. Fighthing valiantly till his last breath he

finally succumbs to the onslaught of his enemies. This display is undoubtedly heroic but

causes karuna (sorrow) because of the death of the hero. The Bhagavad Geeta says that a

warrior doesn’t die in the battlefield but is rather slain there having put up a valiant fight,

and gets promoted to heaven (Geeta ii: 32, 37). Nevertheless from an aesthetic point of

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view, this death doesn't save the occasion from pathos, particularly when a righteous

warrior having killed several villains is finally himself slain, the result being the sorrow

of the warrior's own kinsmen and the onlookers or public. In this instance, instead of vira

rasa, it is karuna, which is finally stimulated. So also is the case of Hamlet. Hamlet kills

the real villain, the king, and another righteous man Laertes behaving like a villain at the

instigation of the real villain. But his own death predominates over vira rasa and results

finally in karuna. Abhinavagupta writes that when "the adverse situation of a righteous

man is seen or heard, it produces karuna rasa."16 This adverse situation is explained as

loss of wealth.... ending even in death. Thus the situation of Hamlet can appropriately be

appreciated as a karuna rasa, vira rasa being hampered by his death. As the ending of

each play is crucial for a final impression (page 95) it wouldn't be contradictory to select

karuna rasa to be the final predominating emotion.

The demerit of Hamlet in generating rasa is its mixing of several emotions in

such a complex form that it puts the viewer in confusion as to the predominance of a

particular emotion. There are fear, disgust, courage, and sorrow. Fear, though a secondary

emotion in the play appears too frequently. A secondary emotion according to the rasa

theorists should not gain much prominence (see discussion on pages 94-95). The other

three rasas of disgust, courage and sorrow are produced in equal measures. So, the

question as regards the predominance of one single emotion running throughout the play

as stressed by the Sanskrit critics is open for debate. It is not a tragedy of a plain tragic

structure. In the confusion of bibhatsa (disgust), vira (heroism) and karuna (sorrow),

although karuna finally prevails, till the end, the spectator is put in confusion, as to the

predominance of the rasa it purports to present.

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6.4 Hamlet and the Dhvani Theory

Having thus considered the rasa structure of Hamlet, I proceed to analyse the

dhvani structure of the play. Since the play ends in the experience of sorrow, it is karuna

rasa which dominates it, owing to the death of the hero in the final scene. Nevertheless

the second dominating rasa, vira has played its role most effectively. Hamlet’s heroism

excels throughout and though karuna is generated by his death it is vira, which is

sustained throughout, and the death of Hamlet rather elevates his heroism. This bright

side of Hamlet in all respects of life is already revealed in Act I scene ii: 66-67. While the

king apprehends a feeling of melancholy and weakness in Hamlet, the hero is bold

enough to forecast his bright heroism:

King Claudius. How is it that the clouds still hang on you?

Hamlet. Not so, my lord, I am too much i’ th’ sun.

Hamlet’s confidence that he has no clouds around him, rather he is too much under the

sun is a clear dhvani expression sufficiently meaningful for the audience that the aim and

objective of the hero are quite clear. This technique of dhvani can be compared with the

dhvani structure of the Ramayana (pages 121-122). After cursing the hunter who had shot

down the crane, sage Valmiki was still not relieved. The experience of sorrow loomed

heavily upon him for quite a long time, until he was finally advised by the divine sage

Narada to compose a poem on Shri Ramachandra, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Valmiki wrote a poem the principal rasa of which was karuna, though it was associated

with vira due to the heroic adventures of the main character, Shri Ram. The event and the

curse itself serve as a dhvani for the dominating rasa of the poem that the poet Valmiki

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had to compose. Similarly in Hamlet, the very speeches quoted above serve as a dhvani

for the whole of the play. These two speeches in their tertiary or trancendental meaning

or dhvani (page 108) reveal that Hamlet is extremely self-conscious or aware, wise,

confident and optimistic about his own existence and the course of action that he takes up

for the future. But the king with his arrogance, hypocrisy and criminality is unable to

understand him properly. Hamlet remains invincible throughout the play. In fact he

suffers no defeat. Karuna arises due to the death of the hero that he has not deserved.

The second point of dhvani is Hamlet’s encounter with the Ghost. In Act I scene

v: line 4, Hamlet pities the Ghost, but the situation demands that he should actually pity

his own self and this is the meaning, when the Ghost answers, “Pity me not….”

Ghost …I could a tale unfold whose lightest word

Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,

Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres,

Thy knotty and combinèd locks to part,

And each particular hair to stand on end

Like quills upon the fretful porcupine.

(I v: 15-20)

This speech of the Ghost is an example of dhvani for the dominating vira rasa running

through the whole play. The Ghost encourages Hamlet as Lord Krishna encourages

Arjuna in the battlefield of the Mahabharata. It is Hamlet’s conscience and finally his

guru to whom Hamlet surrenders as Arjuna surrenders to Lord Krishna uttering the words

“O Lord Krishna, I am your disciple and you instruct me who has surrendered completely

to you” (Geeta ii: 7). The situation also reveals that human life is a battlefield and that

each and every man is a hero to overcome the obstacles and adversities even at the cost of

his life. He who does this always wins the battle either by dying or by surviving. Both

ways he is a winner and a hero. In his heroic pattern of life, love appears only as a

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subsidiary one. In the heroic epics, it is love, which stimulates heroism. But in a drama

where the essentials of life are represented, where the realities of human life are to be

displayed, love is to be dominated over by the heroic purposes of life. It is not that a hero

has no passion or love and that he is insensitive to love, but the truth is that for a hero

fighting in the battlefield of life, love appears to be a secondary emotion, heroism being

primary in his character. Thus, the realistic epic of the Mahabharata poses love as a

secondary emotion, heroism being the primary. And Lord Krishna pleads for this

domination of heroism in the Bhagavad Geeta. A man is to be active all through, never

inactive, irrespective of his success or failure in life. Lord Krishna specifies the qualities

of a sattvic karta or that an ideal hero (doer) is always free from attachment to the result

of his action, indifferent to success and to failure, without any sense of arrogance and

always with patience and enthusiasm (Geeta xviii: 26). Thus Hamlet’s main aim is to

accomplish the action and like the true disciple of Lord Krishna, he never suffers from

inertia although only apparently he criticizes himself in the two soliloquies quoted earlier.

A hero’s suspension of the passion of love for the sake of his heroic achievement is

revealed in his attitude to Ophelia. Polonius’ conjecture that Hamlet is mad in love is a

dhvani of his own insanity only. When he utters, “that he is mad,’t is true,’tis’tis

pity; And pity’ tis’tis true,” (II ii: 98-99) the audience is clearly pitying Polonius himself.

The irony of Polonius’ speech is only applicable to himself, not to Hamlet at all.

Polonius’ pitiful situation is revealed in several speeches between Hamlet and Polonius

(II ii: 182-183). For example:

Hamlet For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good

kissing carrion-- have you a daughter?

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The primary or superficial (denotational) meaning (page 108) of this speech is carrion, a

carcass. The secondary meaning referred to (lakshyartha) is live flesh and especially flesh

contemptuously regarded as available for sexual pleasure. The third or tertiary meaning

(dhvani) means Ophelia and what may happen to her i.e if Ophelia’s love is going to be

fruitless. And perhaps also Shakespeare wants to say that Ophelia will end up as a carcass

by dying ultimately:

Hamlet Let her not walk i’th’ sun. Conception is a blessing,

but not as your daughter may conceive. Friend, look to ’t.

(II ii: 185-186)

Further in Hamlet’s speech he asks Ophelia to be kept out of the sun in its literal

(primary) sense. In its secondary meaning, lakshyartha, she is to be kept out of public

view and the third meaning or dhvani is that Ophelia is to be kept away from Hamlet. In

the famous soliloquy, “To be or not to be…” Hamlet prefers suffering to death implying

his preference to heroism and suffering of any kind whatsoever it may be -- obviously

suffering even due to reflection of love, “The pangs of disprized love …”(III i: 74).

Finally coming to his encounter with Ophelia, his apparent misbehaviour with her

is an ambivalent gesture implying his disgust with his mother as representing the whole

race of women including Ophelia. His address to Ophelia embedded with harsh and

offensive abuses like “Get thee to a nunnery” (III i: 122-130) etc. has been interpreted

variously by the critics. It certainly puts the audience to a confusion regarding the

sincerity of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia, who takes his offensive behaviour literally and

feels terribly hurt and disappointed, a situation which finally leads her to suicide. T.S.

Eliot’s famous objection that Shakespeare was unable to find a proper objective

correlative for an expression of disgust has been analysed by A.C. Sukla in a strong

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defensive argument.17 He thinks that Hamlet’s unpalatable behaviour with Ophelia is a

category of rasa-dhvani, which reveals his love for her.18 His behaviour or anubhava

actually reveals (dhvani) his love for Ophelia. Hamlet is no doubt filled with an utter

disgust for women in general. He has also expressed this in his behaviour with Gertrude,

but the difference is that; his anubhava is literal (abhidha) in the case of Gertrude in such

instances like:

Hamlet : Such an act

That blurs the grace and blush of modesty…

( III iv: 40)

and:

Hamlet. Frailty , thy name is woman…

(I ii: 146)

Contrastingly his behaviour with Ophelia is of a dhvani category. Sukla suggests that the

harsh and offensive words used by Hamlet for Ophelia reveal his love for her, rather than

his disgust with her. Hamlet is not disgusted with Ophelia directly as he is with Gertrude.

Since he is constrained in expressing his agony and anguish before everybody other than

his mother, he tacitly accepts Ophelia as the only other person before whom he should

express himself. Thus, concludes Sukla, this apparent misbehaviour with Ophelia reveals

his love for her and śṛṅgāra rasa (love) is revealed by this dhvani technique. This is an

instance of rasa-dhvani (pages 122-123). Sukla gives the simplest example of a similar

situation from common life. Children’s anger and defiance with the mother are only

indicative of their love for her and not real anger or disgust. It is only with a person of

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one's sincere love and intimacy that one expresses one's anguish. Following Sukla's line

of thought one can argue that when Hamlet fails to accept Gertrude who is the right

person before whom he could express his agony, since she is the culprit herself in joining

hands with his father's murderer, it is impossible on his part to accept her as an intimate

partner for sharing his grief. The only alternative partner is obviously Ophelia. Hamlet's

behaviour being poetically most appropriate, it is Ophelia's lack of sensibility that she

fails to appreciate Hamlet's predicament. However, Hamlet's love for Ophelia is beyond

any doubt. And thus she speaks, "Fare you well, my dove" (IV v: 166). Dove (perhaps

referring to Hamlet) being the symbol of the Holy Spirit is the dhvani expression for the

sacredness of love, a clase of dhvani based on lakshana (metaphor).

A closely parallel idea is to be found in Peter Alexander's Shakespeare's Life and

Art where he quotes Charles Lamb's justification of Hamlet's apparent cruelty to the

innocent Ophelia:

The truth is, that in all such deep affections as had subsisted

between Hamlet and Ophelia, there is a stock of supererogarory

love, (if I may venture to use the expression) which in any

great grief of heart, especially where that which preys upon the

mind cannot be communicated, confers a kind of indulgence

upon the grieved party to express itself, even to its heart's

dearest object, in the language of temporary alienation.19

Alexander again quotes Samuel Taylor Coleridge who echoes a similar thought

when he says that "he [Hamlet] at last must needs express his love's excess with words of

unmeant bitterness."20

After Ophelia's sorrowful death Hamlet's intuitive speech is of ironical strength:

Hamlet.We defy augury. There's a special providence in

the fall of a sparrow. If it be now,'tis not to come. If it be not

to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come.The

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readiness is all. Since no man, has aught of what he leaves, what

is't to leave betimes?

(V ii: 157-161)

The hero is prepared for any eventuality. The realization and conviction of Hamlet

can be compared to Krishna's instructions that a hero should never fear death as fighting

against evil is the noblest deed of a hero; the phenomenal success and failure are all the

same. A heroic death is as good as a heavenly existence. Therefore a hero should fight for

the sake of fighting.

I have approached the study of Hamlet from four distinct perspectives not

necessarily interlinked with each other. Not strictly a dramaturgical interpretation, the

Geeta viewpoint can be broadly subsumed under the chapeau of an Indian interpretation

owing to its distinctive influence on classical as well as contemporary Indian thought and

culture. In studying Hamlet from this didactic point of view, one finds analogies between

the character and situation of Hamlet and that of Arjuna, a chief figure in the Bhagavad

Geeta. The striking parallels between Arjuna and Hamlet not only make interesting study

but leave no ambiguity in allocating Hamlet to a character type as elucidated in this holy

scripture. Based on the philosophic theory of action, I conclude him to be of the Rajasic

type as someone who feels demotivated in exercising what he acknowledges to be his

filial duty.

Moving on to the dramaturgical perspective, it is clearly discernible that the

structure of Hamlet conforms to the Sanskrit pattern of drama. Hamlet can be divided into

five different stages corresponding to the plot of a Sanskrit play. It is a Prakarana (see

page 142) kind of play, where the hero is not a famous historical, legendary or mythical

figure but purely fictitious. However the character Hamlet does not strictly belong to any

194

male classification of the hero of Sanskrit plays and presents a fusion of dhiralalita &

dhiraprasanta (see page 142) simultaneously representing courage, sensitivity,

conscientiousness and a serious demeanour.

Entering the core of the thesis, I move on to the phenomenology of theatrical

performance as propounded by sage Bharata, the Rasa theory. Following a detailed scene

by scene reading of Hamlet, one is tempted, in the beginning, to deduce that disgust or

vibhatsa is the dominating emotion. Then vira rasa or heroism, which had already

appeared in dmall doses earlier, gradually becomes more and more intense and finally

supercedes disgust. But the tragic turn at the end of the play blocks the culmination of

vira rasa and replaces it with karuna rasa or sorrow. Since the ending of a play is crucial

for a final impression according to the Sanskrit canon, Hamlet cannot fall into the

recommended pattern of being classified as one kind of play presenting one dominant

emotion.

I have included a dhvani interpretation of Hamlet as a means of giving more

insight into passages that are ironical and ambiguous. The superficial meanings of these

passages act as a camouflage to the hidden and more potent layers of meanings. These

peripheral meanings sometimes stand in sharp contrast to the deeper meanings as in

Hamlet’s cruel words directed to Ophelia “Get thee to a nunnery... (see discussion on

page 191-193). A shallow reading would create doubts in the mind of the reader of

Hamlet’s love for Ophelia, but a careful scrutiny actually reveals his love for her. These

varied meanings in different passages can have a significant effect on the rasa produced.

From the above discussion, it is clear that the eventual outcome of the dramatic

spectacle is rasa. The rasa produced can be dependent on several factors. One means of

195

producing rasa is dhvani, but dhvani appeals only to a higher sensibility and may be lost

to some. While being a powerful potent in producing rasa, dhvani does not necessarily

create the desired effect as it may fail to reach all levels of the audience. If dhvani

remains unrevealed in the dialogues, the resulting rasa may be totally different from the

same dialogue where dhvani gets revealed. So dhvani obviously plays a vital role in

determining the rasa produced. Much also depends on the mind conditioning and thought

process of the viewers. This is where the Bhagavad Geeta comes in playing a relatively

important role in creating rasa in the (Indian) audience. The Geeta interpretation is not a

dramaturgical interpretation but might be relevant in determining the nature of the rasa

produced. Like the Bhagavad Geeta there could be numerous other influencing factors

depending on the socio-cultural background of an individual. Again, the rasa produced

could vary from individual to individual depending on his or her personal experience and

mode of thinking. So while it is sometimes possible to determine and generalise the rasas

produced in a play, in many cases they could widely differ depending on one’s individual

character, personal perspective and socio-cultural environment.

7

CONCLUSION

Shakespeare came to India with the introduction of English education in

the early nineteenth century after the British rule was firmly established. But there was an

intense debate amongst the colonial masters (Orientalists vs. Anglicists) in the early

phase of the British rule about the wisdom and utility of the introduction of the English

language in a society rich in cultural heritage and history. The Christian missionaries

were to a large extent instrumental in the introduction of the language. The colonialists,

however, found the language to be eagerly accepted by an emerging influential middle

class. The two types of educational institutions—the schools and colleges run by the

Government and those run by the Christian missionaries that initially imparted English

education to their students prescribed different sets of textbooks for English literature.

Towards the latter part of the nineteenth century, non-government educational institutions

not run by missionaries started appearing in the Indian educational world and those

institutions also imparted English education with different curricula. All the three types of

institutions with different social and political objectives had Shakespeare’s works

included in their courses of studies, as these were considered universal. The question of

retaining English in education and in administration was again debated after India

became independent, but finally the option of English education was retained.

Shakespeare’s popularity in the post-Raj period remains as high as before.

197

Throughout the whole of the colonial and the post-colonial period of far-

reaching political and cultural transitions, extending over about two centuries,

Shakespeare had maximum impact on the Indian literary and cultural circles. This impact

is, in fact intertwined with the larger questions of politics and culture.

Right from the beginning a small class of English educated Indians have

accepted, without question, the Western literary canons and “made Shakespeare the

epitome, test and symbol of literary culture.”1 This group has almost apotheosized

Shakespeare and this tendency continues to some extent even today in Indian academia.

If, however, we go beyond the English literary circles, into the world of translations and

performances in various regional Indian languages one experiences a complex reception.

Shakespeare seems to have been more indigenized/Indianized through successful

appropriations and negotiations in various translations and stage (and screen) adaptations.

The story values of Shakespeare’s dramas—more than the moral and cultural values were

particularly popular amongst the Indian audience in the adaptations. The parallelisms of

some dramas with those of some Indian epics were particularly attractive.

Although the primary motivation of adapting/translating Shakespeare on

stage or in publication was to present to the Indian masses, not knowing English, the

specimens of English literature already accepted by the English educated as examples of

superior literature, the social and political objectives of the adaptors/translators were also

kept in view. While to some this was to uplift Indian culture, others wanted to use

Shakespeare for social reforms. For these many appropriations and negotiations had to be

done. In some cases the title of the play, names of characters and their costumes were

changed to Indian ones. All references to Western behaviour and culture were replaced

198

by Indian equivalents. In many cases tragic endings were changed to more acceptable

happy ones. In this way the original dramatic form and the foreign origin were concealed.

But it was not intended to eliminate the original genre. Similarly, for some others,

particularly in the Parsi theatres, the external features of the Shakespearean plays were

retained but not caring for their philosophical or moral aspects. The objective was to

create entertainment through spectacle and grandeur. Experimenting with Shakespearean

plays for greater acceptability and for social and political objectives takes place even

today. The extent and types of negotiations carried out in the different regional languages

varied from region to region depending upon their cultural status and history.

Overall, Indian writers/translators and dramatists have created a clear

space for Shakespeare in the Indian cultural scene but he (Shakespeare) exists as two

distinctly different and hierarchical figures—the Shakespeare in the English language and

the Shakespeare in the Indian native world. The first Shakespeare exists in the English

classrooms in a more “purist” form, but the other has a wider area of operation.

The reception of Shakespeare in India in English literary studies and in the

various regional languages and performances is described in Chapters 2 and 3. The fourth

chapter discusses the reasons behind the enormous popularity of Shakespeare in general

and Hamlet in particular. The extent and complexity of Shakespeare’s reception in India

provides an incentive for an interesting cross-cultural experiment through the present

study of interpreting his drama, Hamlet, from the perspective of the classical Indian

tradition of dramatic criticism.

199

In the fifth chapter I have surveyed and interpreted the critical perspectives

of the rasa-dhvani theory, which is pivotal in Sanskrit critical tradition. The theory took

several centuries—from Bharata to Abhinavagupta for its complete growth. The

theoretical sophistication of Sanskrit thought as reflected in the theory of rasa-dhvani has

been discussed in this chapter. Whereas the rasa theory is associated with the

epistemological and ontological aspects of the theatrical experience, the rasa-dhvani

theory explains the nature of the literary art in both of its perspectives--linguistic and

ontological. The linguistic medium of literature is of such specific character that it is

qualified for generating rasa for aesthetic experience, which is on par with the theatrical

experience. Rasa is generated in the theatre by the four kinds of abhinaya: physical,

linguistic, psychic and visual, whereas the same is generated in literature by the

presentation of the determinants etc. through the vyanjana potency of language. I have

distinguished and analysed this potency in elaborating the dhvani theory along with the

different categories of this theory, among which the rasa-dhvani theory is the central one.

The sixth chapter studies the play of Hamlet in the light of this rasa-

dhvani theory. Obviously, Hamlet has been taken up as a literary text and rasa-dhvani

has been applied in studying this literary text as it is applied in studying all forms of

Sanskrit literature such as epic, narrative and drama. I have also focussed on the Indian

philosophy of action highlighting particularly the doctrines of the Bhagavad Geeta—a

text that forms the very foundations of the philosophy of action. Taking a lesson from

Krishna’s voice that each and everyone should perform action suitable for his own social

division, I study the character and actions of Hamlet most suitably as that of a Kshatriya

(warrior class). In my interpretation, Hamlet is a Kshatriya hero of a dhiralalita and a

200

dhira-prasanta type (page 141) who is young, conscientious, generous and sensitive. He

is determined to avenge the murder of his father and waits for a proper time and situation.

Ultimately he is successful though at the cost of his own life. I have explored that it is a

heroic (vira) emotion that is dominating, and the tragic character of Hamlet's end is

necessarily karuna (sorrow) justified by Bharata's authority. I have disagreed with Prof.

S.C. Sengupta (the pioneering critic of Hamlet) in the light of the rasa-dhvani theory that

aversion is not the dominant emotion causing aesthetic sorrow. I have also explored that

the subsidiary emotion of love (for Ophelia) and aversion (for Gertrude) are revealed

through the language of vyanjana. Shakespeare's literary talent has skilfully manipulated

situations, characters and events in expressing the central emotion that results in the

desired rasa(s).

The present thesis, therefore, breaks ground for further studies by scholars

in India and abroad on different aspects of English literature in general and Shakespeare,

in particular. What has been said in this thesis is not, however, any final word. It is the

method that is the most important. Historical evidence and theoretical strength have been

the principal tools in justifying this method, whereas the analysis has been hopefully

logical and convincing.

Future scholars will be encouraged to study the major tragedies of

Shakespeare in the light of the rasa-dhvani theory. They will investigate the dominant

emotions in other tragedies that cause sorrow or the aesthetic emotion of karuna rasa, at

the end of a tragedy viewed by Western critics since Aristotle. Lear, Macbeth and Othello

are not heroes like Hamlet. Their sufferings due to their respective weaknesses might be

appreciated in the light of dhvani situations they face and experience. Lear's self-conceit

201

debarring him from perceiving the truth of life, Othello’s lack of patience in testing the

strength of love and Macbeth’s infatuation for power destroying his human conscience

might be studied as instrumental in causing their tragic end in the light of the theories of

Bharata, Anandavardhana and their commentator Abhinavagupta.

As already discussed, Shakespeare came to India and was later naturalised

because of the historical consequence of colonisation of India by the British. There are

many Indian epics like the Mahabharata and literary works of poets like Kalidasa of the

classic period (up to 12th century A.D.), which are of no less universal significance than

the works of Shakespeare. These works have not been adequately exposed in Western

literary circles because of historic asymmetry. Introducing such fine specimens of art will

offer a fertile ground for further explorations. A major step in this direction is Peter

Brook’s celebrated nine-hour stage production of the Mahabharata in the year 1985 that

emphasises the nature of the epic as a universal story of all humanity. Brook’s later

screen presentation of the epic in 1989 was given an added universal dimension through

its widely varied international cast. A true multiculturalism will result if such efforts

continue and if those literary works are also studied in the light of Western aesthetics.

202

Notes

1. Introduction

1

Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 52.

2

"Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages,"

A Tribute to Shakespeare, 69-74.

3

Emily Eden, Letters from India, 1837-40, 264-65, as quoted in Jyotshna Singh,

Colonial Narratives,120.

4

Jyotshna Singh, "Different Shakespeares," Shakespeare: Varied Perspectives,

ed. Vikram Chopra, 127.

5

S.K. Bhattacharya, "Shakespeare and the Bengali Theatre," Indian Literature,

27-40, as quoted in Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 137.

6

Jasodhara Bagchi, "Shakespeare in a Loincloth: English Literature and the Early

Nationalist Consciousness in Bengal," Rethinking English, ed. Svati Joshi, 146-59.

7

Sushil K. De, History of Sanskrit Poetics. Pandarangavamane Kane, Introduction

to the Second edition of Sahitydarpana. R.K. Yajnik, The Indian Theatre.

8

Maravalli Ramakrishna Kavi, Bharata's Natyasastra with commentary of

Abhinavagupta's commentary.

9

Raniero Gnoli, The Aesthetic Experience according to Abhinavagupta.

203

10 Subodh C.Sengupta, Towards a Theory of the Imagination.

11 Ananta.C.Sukla, "Transculturality of Classical Indian Aesthetics in

Contemporary Context," Frontiers of Transculturality in Contemporary Aesthetics,

eds. Grazia Marchiano and Raffaelle Milani, 417-18. Sukla quotes Glenn Jordan and

Chris Weedon, Cultural Politics, 485-87. Sukla also quotes Edward W. Said, The

World, the Text, and the Critic, 9.

12 Erich Auerbach, Mimesis, n.pag., as quoted in Edward W.Said, The World, the

Text, and the Critic, 21.

13 Edward W.Said, The World, the Text and the Critic, 24.

2. English Language and Literature in Colonial and Postcolonial

India

1 Radha Kumud Mookerji, Ancient Indian Education, 19.

2 Radha Kumud Mookerji, Ancient Indian Education, 21.

3 Radha Kumud Mookerji, Ancient Indian Education, 26.

4 "Languages and Literatures," The Cultural Heritage of India, ed. Suniti Kumar

Chatterjee, 294.

5 Great Britain, Parliamentary Papers, 1831-32, General Appendix,

"Observations on the State of Society Among the Asiatic Subjects of Great Britain" 20,

as quoted in Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 26.

6 Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 26.

204

7 Great Britain, Parliamentary Debates, 1813, 26:562, as quoted in Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 24.

8 Ninth Report of the Select Committee on the Affairs of India, 1783, as quoted in Eric Stokes, The English Utilitarians and India, 2.

9 Letter of Hastings to Nathaniel Smith October 4, 1784. as quoted in David Kopf, British Orientalism and the Bengal Renaissance, 18.

10 Great Britain, Parliamentary Papers, 1831-1832, Appendix I, Extract of Letter in the Public Department, from the Court of Directors to the Governor-General in Council, September 6, 1813, 9:486, as quoted in Gauri Viswanathan, Masks of Conquest, 38.

11 Thomas Babington Macaulay, Minute of 2 February 1835 on Indian Education <http: // athena.English.vt.edu/~jmoonley/3044mats/macaulay.html>.

12 Ania Loomba, Colonialism/Postcolonialism, 85.

13 Alexander Duff, India and India Missions, 587.

14 Great Britain, Parliamentary Papers, 1852-53, Appendix D, General Report of Public Instruction in the North-Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency, 1843-44, by J.Muir, 32: 450-51, as quoted in Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 54.

15 Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 54.

16 Great Britain, Parliamentary Papers, 1852-53, Evidence of Maj.F.Rowlandson, 29:155, as quoted in Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 75.

17 "A Sketch of the Origin, Rise and Progress of Hindoo College," Calcutta Christian Observer, June-Dec 1832, I: 124, as quoted in Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 77.

205

18 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 128.

19 Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 80.

20 Great Britain, Parliamenary Papers, 1852-53, Evidence of Charles Trevelyan,

32:48, as quoted in Gauri Vishwanathan, Masks of Conquest, 115-16.

21 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 132.

22 Sudipto Chatterjee, "Mise-En- (Colonial)-Scene: The Theatre of Bengal

Renaissance," Imperialism and Theatre, ed. J. Ellen Gainor, 20.

23 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/Cultural Dialogues, 133-34.

3. The Reception of Shakespeare in India

1 Sushil Mukherjee, The Story of the Calcutta Theatres, 81-82.

2 Jyotsna Singh, "Different Shakespeares," Shakespeare: Varied Perspectives, ed.

Vikram Chopra, 126.

3 Jyotsna Singh, "Different Shakespeares," Shakespeare: Varied Perspectives, ed.

Vikram Chopra, 127.

4 Kiranmoy Raha, Bengali Theatre, 10.

5 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 122.

6 Jyotsna Singh, "Different Shakespeares," Shakespeare: Varied Perspectives, ed.

Vikram Chopra, 129.

7 Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 69.

8 Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 73.

206

9

Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 70.

10

Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 68.

11

Sudipto Chatterjee, "Mise-En- (Colonial)-Scene: The Theatre of Bengal Renaissance," Imperialism and Theatre, ed. J. Ellen Gainor, 20.

12

Rabindranath Tagore in his Introduction to Malini (1896), as quoted in Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 138.

13

R.K. Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 229.

14

R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 224.

15

R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 224.

16

R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 226.

17

R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 226.

18

Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 139.

19

Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 139.

20

Sushil Mukherjee, The Story of Calcutta Theatres, 81-82.

21

Sukanta Chaudhuri, Shakespeare in India, http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/Criticism/shakespearein/india1.html.

22

Commercial Theatres/Early Appearance, http://www.catchcal.com/kaleidoscope/calcutta_theatre/commercial.asp.

23

Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 140.

24

Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 141.

25

Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/ Cultural Dialogues, 142.

26

Rustom Bharucha, Rehearsals of Revolution, 242-43.

207

27 Sisir Kumar Das, "Shakespeare in Indian Languages," India's Shakespeare, ed

Poonam Trivedi and Dennis Bartholomeusz, 50

28 Anand Patil, Western Influence on Marathi Drama, 153.

29 "Bibliography of Shakespeare Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 69.

30 Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 16.

31 Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 17.

32 Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 76.

33 Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 79.

34 Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 17.

35 Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 18.

36 Lata N.Moharir, The Uses of Shakespeare, Seminar no. 12.

37 R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 222-23.

38 R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 223.

39 R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 229.

40 Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, A Tribute to Shakespeare, 18.

41 R.K.Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 231.

208

42

"Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 69-70.

43

R.K. Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 159.

44

Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 71.

45

Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 18.

46

R.K. Yajnik, The Indian Theatre, 161-62.

47

Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 71-72.

48

Ania Loomba, "Shakespearian Transformations," Shakespeare and National Culture, ed. John J. Joughin, 118.

49

"Bibliography of Shakespeare's in Indian Language," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 72-73.

50

Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 18.

51

Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 69.

52

Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 20.

53

Ania Loomba, "Shakespearian Transformations," Shakespeare and National Culture, ed. John J. Joughin, 122.

54

"Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 72-73.

55

Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 21

209

56 Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Shakespeare in Maharashtra," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 21

57 Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 72.

58 Ania Loomba, "Shakespearian Transformations," Shakespeare and National

Culture, ed. John J. Joughin, 109-10.

59 "Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 71.

60 Rajiva Verma, "Hamlet in Hindi Cinema," abstracted in Bull. of the

Shakespeare Society of India, 16.

61 Rajiva Verma, "Shakespeare's Influence in Hindi Literature and Films,"

abstracted in Bull. of the Shakespeare Society of India, 6.

62 Palany Arangasamy, "Shakespeare in Tamil Versions: An Appraisal,"

abstracted in Bull.of the Shakespeare Society of India, 25.

63 "Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 73.

64 Palany Arangasamy, "Shakespeare in Tamil Versions: An Appraisal,"

abstracted in Bull.of the Shakespeare Society of India, 25.

65 R.K. Yajnik, "Stage-Versions of Shakespearean Tragedies," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 33.

66 Palany Arangasamy, "Shakespeare in Tamil Versions: An Appraisal,"

abstracted in Bull.of the Shakespeare Society of India, 25

67 "Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 73.

210

68 "Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 69-74.

69 Vijaya Guttal, "Travails of Translation with Reference to the Translations of Shakespeare's Plays in Kannada," abstracted in Bull. of the Shakespeare Society of India,

70 "Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to Shakespeare, 74.

71 Basavraj Naikar, "Raktaksi: An Example of Cross- Cultural Adaptation of Hamlet," abstracted in Bull.of the Shakespeare Society of India, 6.

72 Laxmi Chandrasekhar, " 'A sea change into something rich and strange': Ekbal Ahmed's Macbeth and Hamlet, " India's Shakespeare, ed Poonam Trivedi and Dennis Bartholomeusz , 196.

73 Laxmi Chandrasekhar, " 'A sea change into something rich and strange': Ekbal Ahmed's Macbeth and Hamlet, " India's Shakespeare, ed Poonam Trivedi and Dennis Bartholomeusz , 200.

74 Ania Loomba, "Hamlet in Mizoram," Cross- Cultural Performances, ed. Marianne Novy, 239.

75 Ania Loomba, "Hamlet in Mizoram," Cross- Cultural Performances, ed. Marianne Novy, 239.

76 Ania Loomba, "Hamlet in Mizoram," Cross- Cultural Performances, ed. Marianne Novy, 243.

77 S. Ramaswamy, "Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' in a Sanskrit Adaptation," Shakespeare in Indian Languages, ed. D.A. Shankar, 70-80.

211

78 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/Cultural Dialogues, 144.

79 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/Cultural Dialogues, 144.

80 Chitra Padmanabhan, "The Playful Rites of Spring," Economic Times, 8.

81 Sisir Kumar Das, Indian Ode to the West Wind, 75.

82 Jyotsna Singh, Colonial Narratives/Cultural Dialogues, 145-46.

83 Reeta Sonthi and Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, "Interview," The Relevance of

Shakespeare in India, New Delhi, n.p.c.,1980, as quoted in Jyotsna Singh, Colonial

Narratives/Cultural Dialogues, 146.

84 Geoffery Kendal, Shakespeare Wallah, 77.

85 "Bibliography of Shakespeare's Plays in Indian Languages," A Tribute to

Shakespeare, 69-74.

86 Smita Narula, "Reinventing Shakespeare," Hindusthan Times, 10.

87 Smita Narula, "Reinventing Shakespeare," Hindusthan Times, 10.

88 Rakhee Gupta, Tribune Online Edition, Chandigarh (India) "Glitz'N'Glamour,"

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010322/main8.htm.

4. The Popularity of Shakespeare in India

1 Sukanta Chaudhuri, "Introduction," Shakespeare in India,

<http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/Criticism/shakespearein/india 1 html>.

212

2 Horst Priessnitz, " The Dual Perspective of ‘Anglo-Colonial’ Literatures and the

Future of English Studies:A Modest Proposal," Literature(s) in English:New

Perspectives, ed Wolfgang Zach, 37.

3 Shweta Sehgal, The Occult in Shakespeare with Special Reference to Astrology.

4 Vikram Chopra, ed., "’Christ’ and ‘Krishna’ in King Lear," Shakespeare: Varied

Perspectives, 457-58.

5 Basavraj S. Naikar, "Epic Dimensions of Pericles and Shakuntala-A

Comparative Study," Shakespeare: Varied Perspectives, ed. Vikram Chopra, 35.

6 Gautam Ghosal, Indian Thoughts on Shakespeare.

7 Henry Wells and H.H.Anniah Gowda, Shakespeare Turned East.

8 Henry Wells and H.H. Anniah Gowda, Shakespeare Turned East, 52.

9 K.N. Iyer, The Secret of Shakespeare and his Baffling Personality and

Philosophy: Their Samkara-Vedantic Key. Iyer, "Shakespeare as a Brahmajnani in the

Light of Adi Samkaracarya’s Philosophy," Shakespeare: Varied perspectives, ed. Vikram

Chopra, 35-60.

10 Sikandar Lal, "Historicising Hamlet’s ‘To be or Not to be,’" abstracted in

Bull.of the Shakespeare Society of India, 14-15.

11 Vikram Chopra, "Glimpses of Indian Thought and Sensibility in Hamlet,"

abstracted in Bull. of the Shakespeare Society of India, 16.

12 William F. Hansen, Saxo-Grammaticus and the Life of Hamlet: A Translation;

History and Commentary, 36.

213

5. Basic Theories of Sanskrit Poetics: Rasa and Dhvani

1

V.K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 48-74. Ananta.C. Sukla, “Dhvani as a Pivot in

Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics,” East and West in Aesthetics, ed. Grazia Marchiano, 65-

2

A. C. Sukla, “Aesthetics as Mass Culture in Indian Antiquity: Rasa, Srngara and

Srngara Rasa,” Dialogue and Universalism, ed. Sonja Servomaa, 93.

3

A.C. Sukla, “ Aesthetics as Mass Culture in Indian Antiquity: Rasa, Srngara and

Srngara Rasa,”Dialogue and Universalism, ed. Sonja Servomaa, 93.

4

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 50.

5

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 53.

6

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 54.

7

V. Raghavan, The Number of Rasa-s, 47-61.

8

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 58.

9

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 60.

10

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 60.

11

V. K.Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 63.

12

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 65.

13

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 65.

14

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 66.

15

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 67-68.

16

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 66.

17

V. K. Chari, Sanskrit Criticism, 68.

214

18 Adya Rangacharya, The Natyasastra, 55.

19 Ananta C. Sukla, "Art, Reality and the Reality of the Arts," Indian Response to Literary Theories, ed. R. S. Pathak, 122.

20 Ananta C. Sukla, "Art Reality and the Reality of the Arts," Indian Response to Literary Theories, ed. R. S. Pathak, 122.

21 Raniero Gnoli, Aesthetic Experience according to Abhinavagupta, 1985 ed., 95-97.

22 Ananta C. Sukla, "Dhvani as a Pivot in Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics," East and West in Aesthetics, ed. Grazia Marchiano, 68.

23 Ananta C. Sukla, "Dhvani as a Pivot in Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics," East and West in Aesthetics, ed. Grazia Marchiano, 68.

24 The Holy Geeta (iv: 5-8), 230-236.

25 Ananta C. Sukla, "Dhvani as a Pivot in Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics," East and West in Aesthetics, ed. Grazia Marchiano, 69.

26 Ananta C. Sukla, "Dhvani as a Pivot in Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics,"East and West in Aesthetics, ed.Grazia Marchiano, 70.

27 Ananta C. Sukla, "Dhvani as a Pivot in Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics," East and West in Aesthetics, ed. Grazia Marchiano, 70.

28 Ananta C. Sukla, "Dhvani as a Pivot in Sanskrit Literary Aesthetics," East and West in Aesthetics, ed. Grazia Marchiano, 83.

29 Kanti Chandra Pandey, Comparative Aesthetics, 304.

30 M.S. Kushawa ed. Indian Poetics and Western Thought, 12.

215

6. An Indian Interpretation of Hamlet

1

The Holy Geeta' 166.

2

The Holy Geeta, 92.

3

Alur Janaki Ram, Perspectives on Shakespeare, 160.

4

The Holy Geeta, 39.

5

The Holy Geeta, 34.

6

The Holy Geeta, 27.

7

The Holy Geeta, 226.

8

The Holy Geeta, 248-50.

9

P. Lal, "Introduction," Great Sanskrit Plays, xiv-xv.

10

Hari Ram Mishra, Theory of Rasa in Sanskrit Drama, 112.

11

Ranjiero Gnoli, The Aesthetic Experience according to Abhinavagupta, 1985

ed., 73.

12

S.H. Butcher, Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art, 317-318.

13

S. C. Sengupta, Aspects of Shakespearian Tragedy, 158.

14

Taittriya Upanishad, section 6: Upanishad Anka, Kalyan Magazine, vol. 23,

15

Visheshwara Siddhanta Siromani, trans., Abhinavabharati, 593-596.

16

Visheshwara Siddhanta Siromani, trans., Abhinavabharati, 578-582.

17

T.S Eliot “Hamlet and his Problems,” The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and

Criticism, 95-103.

18

A.C. Sukla, "Theory of Impersonal Art," Journal of Comparative Literature

and Aesthetics, 69-79.

216

19 Charles Lamb, On the Tragedies of Shakespeare, n.p., as quoted in Peter

Alexander, Shakespeare's Life and Art, 154-155.

20 As quoted in Peter Alexander, Shakespeare's Life and Art, 155.

7. Conclusion

1 Nirad C. Chaudhuri, The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian, 196.

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