Sakuntala vs. Western plays
Unlike Western plays, there is no tradition of tragedy in India, and Kalidasa's plays always have happy endings. In Hinduism, everyone has an infinite number of chances to achieve enlightenment and liberation from the wheel of rebirth. A life that ends badly is only a prologue to another opportunity. Hence the basic premises on which tragedy is based are lacking. Just as ancient Greek drama was part of a religious ritual (honoring Dionysus), so there is a religious aspect to classical Hindu drama.Note the insistence on the multifaceted nature of the divine, so different from the Christian insistence on its unity. For the devout Hindu, this play is more than a captivating love story; it is a religious drama on at least two levels. On the simplest level it teaches the doctrine of karma, that our experiences are influenced by our acts earlier in this life and in past lives. It is also an allegory of the relationship between the worshiper and the sacred. Each play is also expected to convey a certain set of emotions and attitudes called a rasa. Here the rasa is composed of various forms of eroticism and love Whereas Westerners are used to religion demanding a single standard of morality for everyone (
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1795
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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