ASSIGNMENT PAPER NO - 1 / THE RENAISSANCE LITERATURE

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Why SHAKESPEARE should be called as the KALIDAS of United Kingdom?

Ø Prepared by     : KAVITABA P. GOHIL

Ø Roll No                : 23

Ø Paper – 1            : THE RENAISSANCE LITERATURE

Ø M.A (English)   :  Sem -1

Ø Enrollment No : 2069108420180018

Ø Batch                   :  2017-19

Ø Email                   : kavitabaprahaladsinhjigohil@gmail.com

Ø Submitted to   :  Smt .S. B Gardi, Department of English,                                                                                               MK Bhavnagar University.

Ø Topic: WHY SHAKESPEARE SHOULD BE CALLED AS KALIDAS OF UNITED KINGDOM?

ABSTRACT:

Kalidas was a classical Sanskrit writer and also known as greatest poet and dramatist in Sanskrit language of India. Whenever people speak or discuss about Kalidas we often herd one line that: Kalidas is Shakespeare of India or Indian Shakespeare; but now it becomes necessary that when people of England introduce Kalidas as Shakespeare of India at that time Indians were also describe Shakespeare as Kalidas of united kingdom.

Logically the period of Kalidas was supposed to 5th century CE; and the period of Shakespeare is 1564-1616. Though English man admire Shakespeare as greatest poet, Indians also do same thing and admire Kalidas; but we know that both are greatest of their times, both belongs from different time, different place and also they differs from one another by Age. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the bard of Ujjain lived eleven hundred years before the birth of the bard of Avon.

If son resembles his father we must say "You look like your father", but we never say his father that "You look like your son"; and this is real problem of English man; who belongs from the crumb of criminals and pilfer everything from others. The same thing we can see here many critics has proved that Shakespeare has used content of Kalidas; he might read Kalidas or heard about him from somewhere. Here in my paper I show you similarities between Shakespeare and Kalidas and also compare some literary works of both to conclude my paper.

KEY WORDS: KALIDAS, SHAKESPEARE, PLAY, SANSKRIT.

KALIDAS:

Kalidas was a Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language of India. (contributors)

His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Indian Puranas. (contributors)

Much about his life is unknown, only what can be inferred from his poetry and plays. His floruit cannot be dated with precision, but most likely falls within the 5th century CE. (contributors)

Plays of Kalidas mostly based on content of ‘RAMAYANA’ and ‘MAHABHARATA’. Kalidas the meaning of his name is Das or child of “Devi Kali”. Kalidas was very weaken-head during his early life. Kalidas belongs to the age of great king ‘VIKRMADITYA’.

Some Brahmins of state conspire against princess and in the part of their conspiracy Kalidas married her but when truth prevails; princess become very unhappy with Kalidas, and thus Kalidas left everything and become “sanyasi” and one day returned home with the new identity. His life was full with struggles and hard work. He truly understand human nature; mostly women thus he depicted perfect pictures of women in his works.

HIS WORKS:  

•       PLAYS

Kalidas wrote three plays.

1.  Mālavikāgnimitram

2.  Abhijñānaśākuntalam

3.  Vikramōrvaśīyam 

Among it Abhijanshakuntalam was his masterpiece. It was the first Sanskrit work which translated in English, and has since translated in many languages.

 

•   Epic Poem

Kālidāsa is the author of two epic poems,  Raghuvaṃśa  ("Dynasty of Raghu") and Kumārasambhava (Birth of 'Kumara' or Subrahmanya). (contributors)

1.         Raghuvaṃśa is an epic poem about the kings of the Raghu dynasty. (contributors)
2.        Kumārasambhava describes the birth and adolescence of the goddess Parvati, and her marriage to Lord Shiva. (contributors)

•      Minor poems

Kalidas wrote two minor poems:

1.  Ṛtusaṃhāra

2.  Meghadūta

SHAKESPEAR:

William Shakespeare (/ˈʃeɪkspɪər/; 26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616)was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. (contributors, "William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. At age 49 around 1613, he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, which has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs and whether the works attributed to him were written by others. (contributors, "William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

HIS WORKS:

 Shakespeare's works include the 36 plays printed in the First Folio of 1623, listed according to their folio classification as comedies, histories, and tragedies. Two plays not included in the First Folio, The Two Noble Kinsmen and Pericles, Prince of Tyre, are now accepted as part of the canon, with today's scholars agreeing that Shakespeare made major contributions to the writing of both. No Shakespearean poems were included in the First Folio. (contributors, "William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

In the late 19th century, Edward Dowden classified four of the late comedies as romances, and though many scholars prefer to call them tragicomedies, Dowden's term is often used. In 1896, Frederick S. Boas coined the term "problem plays" to describe four plays: All's Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, and Hamlet. "Dramas as singular in theme and temper cannot be strictly called comedies or tragedies", he wrote. "We may, therefore, borrow a convenient phrase from the theatre of today and class them together as Shakespeare's problem plays." The term, much debated and sometimes applied to other plays, remains in use, though Hamlet is definitively classed as a tragedy. (contributors, "William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

Use of Kalidas’s Content in plays of Shakespeare:

Innocent forest girl Shakuntala is incarnated as Miranda in The Tempest. Kalidasa’s Vidusakas (Jesters/comedians) are seen in several of Shakespeare’s plays. There are similarities in Othello, Hamlet and The Winter’s Tale as well. (swami)

Plays of Shakespeare were largely founded on Hellenic, Roman and other foreign models; where as Kalidasa’s plays were based on Ramayana and Mahabharata. (swami)

Shakespeare puts in the mouth of one of his characters: -

“The self-same sun that shines upon his court Hides not his visage from our cottage, but Looks on’s alike”. (swami)

In describing the moral greatness of the Himalaya, Kalidasa gives expression to the idea as follows: (swami)

“He protects from the sun in his caves the darkness which through fear of light adheres to them for shelter; the care of the great is impartially bestowed on inferior and important personages alike”. (swami)

“Divaakaraad rakshati yo guhaasu

Leenam divaabheetam vaandhakaaram;

Kshudrepi noonam saranam prapanne

Mamatvam uchchais sirasaam sateeva” (swami)

The Winter’s Tale

The scene where the king (Shakuntalam), after dismounting from the is about to enter the grove of Marica’s hermitage and has his first glimpse of his son is a replica of the scene in Act One, where also the king after dismounting from the chariot at the fringes of the grove of Kanva’s hermitage, enters and see the boy’s mother for the first time. The finding of the lost son and heir precedes and leads to the recognition of the mother. An interesting parallel is provided in the last scene of Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’. (swami)

Othello and Shakuntala 

 There is an interesting parallel in Othello. In the drama, proof of heroine’s chastity and love is demanded. Desdemona’s chastity hangs on a handkerchief; Sakuntala’s on a ring. Both heroines are blissfully unaware of the importance of the token. To them love is its own proof and a witness to their chastity. (swami)

 In Ramayana, Sita was asked to prove her chastity by undergoing the ordeal of fire to allay the suspicions of the public: In Shakespeare’s Othello and King Lear where proof of fidelity and of filial love is demanded, we have a parallel. (swami)

CONCLUSION:

Thus, after going through above material I would like to conclude my paper with final outcome. After comparing both the greatest figure of literature; we can see that Shakespeare has steal content of his former namely Kalidas. We cannot give same statement for Kalidas because he has lived eleven hundred years before Shakespeare.  

 Works Cited:

contributors, Wikipedia. "Kālidāsa." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 26 10 2017. 1 11 2017 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81lid%C4%81sa>.

—. "William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 29 10 2017. 1 11 2017 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare>.

swami. Swami's Indology Blog. 30 4 2017. 1 11 2017 <http://swamiindology.blogspot.in/2017/04/shakespeare-and-kalidasa-hindu-thoughts.html?m=1>.



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