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His one of the most famous plays ‘THE PURPOSE’.
M.K. Bhavnagar
University Dept. Of English
NAME: Trivedi Disha Hiteshbhai
ROLL NO: 40
M.A SEM-1
BATCH OF YEAR: 2015-17
Paper No: 4
Topic: critical analysis
of “The Purpose”
Submitted to: SMT.S.B.GARDI
DEPT. OF ENGLISH
“ The Purpose”
T.P.KAILASAM
ABOUT HIM:
His full name is Thyagraja Paramasiva Kailasam
(1884-1946). He was born 29 July 1884, Bangalore, India. He was a prominent
writer of Kannada literature. He also contributed to Kannada Theatre so, Kannada
Theater gave him the name “The Father of humorous
plays” for his humorous plays and later he was also called as
“Kannadakke Obbeane Kailasam” means “One and Only Kailasam for Kannada”. He
contributed to local theatre, and his humors and revolutionary applications left
an impression on Kannadigas. He was invited as chair person at Kannada Sahitya
Sammelana in 1945. He was unhappy with modern use of Kannada language. His
humorous and satiric play was legendary that the plays are still popular among
the people. He not only writes play but also write poems. His English Plays:
Ø Fulfillment
Ø Purpose
Ø The Brahmin’s Curse
Ø His Poems:
Ø The Dramatist
Ø Eternal Cain
Ø Truth Naked
Ø The Lake
Ø Mother-Love
Ø The Sixth Columnist 1943
Ø A Monologue
Ø The Recipe
Ø The Smilin’s Seven
Ø The Artist
Ø Kaikeyee
Ø Commiseration (Karna)
Ø Drona
Ø Krishna
Ø Subhadra
His one of the most famous plays ‘THE PURPOSE’.
Full Title:
The Purpose: A Playlet of Ekalavya
published in 1944.
In the very beginning of the play he writes that “The scenes and words
you’ll see and hear, I’ve seen and hear before, as king or priest, poltroon or
peer, somewhere… Some when of yore!” He also dedicates this play he writes that
‘DEDICATED IN ALL HUMILITY TO MY YOUTHFUL BROTHERS OF MY MOTHERLAND IN HAPPY
MEMORY OF MY YOUTHFUL YEARS.’ “I f Youth but Knew! If Age but
Could!”
Personae:
BHEESHMA- The Patriarch of the Royal Kuru House
ARJUNA, NAKULA and SAHADEVA- Bheeshma’s Grandchildren
DRONAACHAARYA- Preceptor to the princes
EKALAVYA – A Nishaada (Non- Arya) Boy
ARJUNA, NAKULA and SAHADEVA- Bheeshma’s Grandchildren
DRONAACHAARYA- Preceptor to the princes
EKALAVYA – A Nishaada (Non- Arya) Boy
Period:
The Aadi Parva of “THE MAHAABHAARATA”
Here he presents the same scene from the myth in a
different way. The play is made of two acts. The second act starts after six
years. When the play opens we will find Guruji Dronaachaarya giving lessons of
archery. In the very beginning we will find Sahadeva learing archery from
guruji. He was just a little boy so he tried his best to lift up the bow. But
he the bow was bigger than the boy so was failed to lift that bow, and then the
play process. We will find totally different play from the myth. In the
mythical ‘MAHAABHAARATA’ we find Ekalavya Nobel person, even the protagonist of
the play Arjuna was also Nobel person, but here we will find Ekalavya more
Nobel than Arjuna and mythical Ekalavya. It shows the skills of the writer that
how skillfully and under his control his break the myth.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
COMPARITION
BETWEEN MYTHICAL CHARACTERS AND THECHARACTERS IN THE PLAY:
In this play the writer gives his own twist and turn, so the play differed from many mythic. Like,
In this play the writer gives his own twist and turn, so the play differed from many mythic. Like,
# The
character of Arjuna:
In this play we will find Arjuna as an ambitious
boy as he was in the Indian epic poem. But here his intentions are changed.
Mythical Arjuna was so loving and caring person that he never tried to hate
anyone, but here in the play we will find Arjuna arguing against his Guruji and
his Hatred for Ekalavya. The myth says that Arjuna was so Nobel person that he
also regretted when Eklavya cut his right hand’s thumb and give it to his
Guruji. Here we find Arjuna becomes and happy and even careless that whatever
Eklavya was not so important for him, because his Guruji promised to his
Thaathaajee (Bheeshma) that he will make Arjuna the greatest archer in the
world. Here we will find that the learing of archery for Arjuna is to prove
himself as the greatest worrier in the world, not a Nobel intention. He wants
to satisfy his ego. He is shown as an egoist person in the play.
# The
character of Ekalavya:
In the myth it is said that Ekalavya cut his right
hand’s thumb because his Guruji order him to give his thumb so that he can
fulfill his promise which he gave to Bheeshma. He wants to saw Arjuna as best
archer in the world. Whereas here in the play Ekalavya himself cut his right
hand’s thumb, because Arjuna was questing Guruji so much, so save the pride of
Guruji he cut his thumb. In the myth it is also said that after giving his
thumb he never regrets, whereas here he cries a lot that for whom he
sacrifices? To save his Guruji’s pride he sacrifices for Arjuna indirectly. He
is shown as more focused than Arjuna in the play. He learn archery very well
that even Guru Drona when show his archery he was amazed by his skill of
learning. Guru Drona never taught him how to learn archery. Ekalavya develops
this skill while Guruji was teaching to Arjuna. He makes an idol of Guruji and
thinks that he is now his real Guruji and start learning. In the second act we
will find that for the first time Guru Drona saw him after six years and was
amazed and shocked by his skill of archery and ask him about his Guru. First
Ekalavya was failed to recognize Guruji but then he recognize him and said that
you are my Guru (teacher) at that Arjuna blamed Guruji that secretly you taught
that nishaada boy the skill of archery. At that moment he becomes angry because
could not bear that some come and abuse his Guruji so he cut his thumb and give
to his Guruji. Then he regret a lot because his aim of leaning archery was
Nobel one. He want to save all those animals’ life who were weaker and also he
want to learn because he was living in the forest with his mother and every
night the wild animals disturb their sleep sometimes he and his mother spend
sleepless nights in the forest. So his aim was Nobel to learn archery. But in
anger he lost everything. His father was died while serving at a war.
# The
character of Dronaachaarya:
Like the other characters Guru Drona is also different from the
mythical character of Drona. In the play Guru Drona to teach archery to
Ekalavya, because was belongs to Nishaada community and taught only those who
belong to Aryan community. It shows that how partial he was. We can also see
him for conditioning the mind of the little prices. It is given in the play
that once when Sahadeva was failed to lift up that bow and complained about it
to Guruji at that time Guru speaks this line that,
“Bow too big for you? But
my little man,
You seem to forget you
are a Kshatriya!
Why, no bow in the world
is really too big for
A Kshatriya- not only to
lift, but to bend,
String, and shoot with!”
So, here we
can see that how though he is a teacher but conditioning the mind of the
children. We can also see a good side of him when Ekalavya came to him and asks
him to teach archery at that time for a while he was regret because he wanted
to learn him but because he was a Nishaada boy he cannot and other reason was
that if he will learn him archery then what about his promise which he give to
Bheeshma. The mythical character of Drona order Ekalavya to give his right
hand’s thumb as his Guru’s fee (Gurudakshina). But in this play Ekalavya
willingly gives his thumb and when he was crying not because of pain but
because he sacrifices so many animals’ lives at that time even Guruji for whom
Ekalavya does everything left him all
alone.
# Character
of Bheeshma:
This is another character important character
of the myth and of the play both. Bheeshma is the grandfather of the prices of
Hastinapur. He loves Arjuna so much in the myth also and in the play also. May
be because he can see his childhood in him. In the mythical character we will
never find a minor weakness in this character, but here in this paly we can see
that he is now so much tiered of from his life. The mythical character of
Bheeshma never said that now I want a long rest of my life (symbolically death)
but here we can see him that now he is tiered by mind, by body and also by
soul. Now want a long rest (death) so he want to see his kingdom in the safe
hands so pressures Guruji to train the princes as early as possible. It is
shown in the play that once when he asked the process of learning of the prices
to his Guruji, their Guruji replyed that steadily and slowly. At that time he
becomes so angry and speaks these lines, “Slowly? But it must not be “slowly”!
Forgive me, Aachaarya(Guruji) but the sooner they are fitted for the purpose
which is no more than haze to me, the sooner shall we both earn the rest that I
at least crave for! I am tired, Aachaarya, tired of body, mind and soul! I want
rest! A long and final rest!”
# The
minor characters:
It is true that Arjuna and Ekalavya play a vital role in this play but
there are also some other characters like Nakula and Sahadeva. Here in this
they don’t do much but in the myth they play a vital role. So, because we are
watching this play according to Kailasam so we don’t know much about these
characters.
So, we can say that mythical
characters and the characters presented in the play are quite different from
each-other. As we know that Kailasam is known for his satiric writing. We also
find satire in this play.
Symbols:
We can find so many symbols in the
play which the satire on the society. Like when Guru deny to teach archery to
Ekalavya, which shows that how class conscious we are. If someone really has
that potation and skill, still they cannot come out because of the class
discrimination.
Though kailasam choose the mythical
characters to convey his views but in a way he is trying to show the modern
problems of the society. At the end, Ekalavya sacrifices, by cutting his thumb,
which shows that weaker and class wise lower has to suffer and has to
sacrifices. We always think that the character of Arjuna was the best and he
was humble and was so Nobel person, but here writer breaks out thinking and
myth both, which shows that the writer gives a new imagination, which we never
imagined. In the myth the character of Ekalavya is marginalized character,
where as in this play he is the protagonist of the play. Here writer uses
the technique of decentering.Here we will find the shisyas
(students) learning archery. Means if we want to do archery then we have to focus a
lot, here the students are focusing but every one’s focus are different. We can
also find out another symbol that they all are very near to the nature. It is
said that when people go near to the nature then they become very true to their
self but we are shocked that how every person is true to their self, how harsh
the reality is. At the end Ekalavya cries a lot because he gives up his thumb
and he cries in front of that idol that he was thinking that is his guruji. And
also complained that why don’t you stop me when I was giving my thumb. He said
lines to the idol of Guru which he makes that:
“IN
MY MAD LOVE FOR MY GURU,
GAVE
TO HIM WHAT WAS Never Mine to Give!
WHAT
WAS always Yours!
ONE MOMENT OF MAD LOVE FOR MY GURU,
I
FORGOT YOU ALL AND
FORDOT
TOO THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF MY ARCHERY”.
“I NEVER KNEW WHAT I WAS
DOING!
I NEVER KNEW!
I NEVER KNEW!
BUT HE KNEW!
GURUJEE
KNEW!
HE MUST HAVE KNOW!
HE MUST HAVE STOPPED ME!”
It is true that the writer give more space to
the marginalized character but still it is worthless because here no one is
hearing him. In the myth it is said that after giving his thumb Ekalavya never
regret and even spoke a single word, but here he cries a lot and speaks long
speeches. In the myth he even speak a word and here he speaks means at the end
he is speaking but at the front of the idol means he is speaking but no one was
there to hear his pain, his agony, what he has done indirectly for Partha
(Arjuna), sacrifices his right hand’s thumb, sacrifices his Nobel intentions,
his Nobel aims. Alas! What he has done?
Here the most important symbol is the
title of the play itself
“THE PURPOSE”, may be here writer present different type of
purposes from the different view point. The purpose of Ekalavya to learn
archery was Nobel one. He wants to save the lives of deer and all those
animals, which are weak so that they can spend their life fearless and without
hurting themselves. The purpose of Arjuna to learn archery was not Nobel one.
Because he was just learning archery to show off himself and he can take pride
among the mankind. He just wants to learn archery because he can win the wars.
Even when he tells his intentions to his Guruji and Thaathaajee they said that
it is wrong that you are learning aechery just because you can satisfy but your
intention must be the royal one because you are a prince and in future you will
be a
king.
# CONCLUSION:
I conclude that the writer puts his
views in a different way. And even the title of the play suggests everything.
As we know that Kailasam write satirist writing. We can say that this is also
satire on society. We can consider this play as tragic play of Ekalavya,
because at the end he has to cut his thumb. He does this sacrifice willingly
and yet no one cared about him. Not even the Guruji for whom he does this all,
to save his pride, to save his promise which he give to Bheeshma. In a way
writer puts different perspective of the characters of the play and also the
harsh mentality of human mind
Thank
You……
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