Gulliver’s Travels Political Issue.

M.A SEM: 1

SUBJECT: Paper no.2 The Neo- classical Literature

TOPIC: Gulliver’s Travels Political Issue.

ROLLNUMBER: 32

GUIDED BY: Heenaba Zala

 Department of English, Maharaja krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Topic: Gulliver’s Travels Political Issue.

Introduction:

                ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ written by Jonathan swift in 1726. It is written about Gulliver’s journey, His exposure to different worlds. He is a protagonist and narrator of this novel. This novel divided in to four parts.

·         A VOYAGE TO LILIPUT

·        A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG

·        A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA

·        THE LAND OF HOUYHNHNMS

In this four part Jonathan swift satire in different ways. This is a

Satirical novel in the very first part He talks about Liliputians. In this part Gulliver was giant and all Liliputian peoples are like small creatures. This is symbolized for power politics. In the second part Gulliver was small creature and all Brobdingnag’s people are Giant and they marginalized Gulliver and force him to do some work. In the third part when Gulliver reached that place he can’t trust on his own eyes because in that Land Island’s are flying in the air, and people lives their. And the forth part is the biggest satire on human beings because in this land lives Houyhnhnms and yahoos Houyhnhnms are horses and yahoos are human beings but in this island yahoos are marginalized by Houyhnhnms. Houyhnhnms ruled over the yahoos and they speak like human beings. So this is the biggest satire on humans.

                   So this is the basic information of this four part after

It let’s start detailed study of all this four parts with the analysis of Jonathan swift’s views on it. Swift’s satire is inspired by his hatred of mankind.

A Voyage to Liliput:

                   When Gulliver reach the place of Liliput. He is shocked because when he opens his eyes he was covered by tiny peoples all tiny peoples are sawing him shockingly and he was also shocked because they are too small for Gulliver and Gulliver was too big for Liliputian’s people. In the starts of this novel this part starts with this situation that Gulliver was not conscious about his self and where he was live now.  Liliput is a miniature empire with a little monarch who entitled himself as “Delight and terror of the universe” swift describe the life and customs of the Liliputian court, highly remindful of the picture he had seen in London.

"I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down I the same manner. I likewise felt several slender ligatures across my body, from my armpits to my thighs. I could only look upwards, the sun began to grow hot, and the light offended mine eyes. I heard a confused noise about me, but in the posture I lay, could see nothing except the sky."

                   In this part Gulliver and Liliputian’s has main problem is about the size of their body. It is emphasizes physical power. That Gulliver has giant body it is symbolized power politics that because of this body he can do any thing with Liliputian people so some times he force them to do work for him. This is the political part of this event.

                   This novel is satirical novel that’s why in this novel swift also used some political elements like when Gulliver  reach to Liliput, Liliput’s king was come their and ask question about his self. and if king has doubt that Gulliver try to harm peoples that time he has right to killed him. Literature is reflection of the society so in this novel Gulliver symbolized as political power or an upper class people. They can do whatever they want to do no one can stop them or no power supreme to them. So in this part Gulliver has that power and he marginalized to the people of this Liliputians.

                   This is the political issue of this part. Gulliver is tied up. This shows futile attempts of Liliputians. They are unaware of their insignificance. They are in illusion that they have controlled Gulliver. With this Swift shows humanity’s pretentions to power and significance, importance. Gulliver’s enjoyment being a big fish in small pond.

                   Liliputians try to bring Gulliver to their heel is ridiculous because Gulliver can kill them simply by walking. A Liliputian teaches Gulliver their language. Here swift is mocking at humanity’s belief in its own importance. Gulliver tries to communicate in all the languages which he knows.

                    The Liliputians don’t have other plans. Whenever they discuss the alternatives the discussion ends in violent conflict. For them theirs is the only existing world. They are educated but like British people they also believe in superstitions.           

A Voyage to Brobdingnag:

                   In this part Gulliver was just like small creature and all Brobdingnag peoples are giants so it is the opposite of the first part. In the first part Gulliver has power to do any thing and in this part he lost his all power and he became small creature. Gulliver enslaved by the farmer. Master- slave relationship. The god like before the giants. In this part Gulliver struggles a lot. Gulliver fights with rats are adventures for him. The king sands three great scholars to examine Gulliver. They examined Gulliver’s shape and said that he could not be produced according to the regular laws of nature. Then they observed his teeth and said that he was a carnivorous animal. One of them said that he might be an Embrio or aborative birth.

                   With this part it is symbolically presents the value of middle class or lower class in this part swift express his views on difference between upper class people and lower class people. Gulliver is forced to dance before public. Like Europeans the brobdingnagians are happy to use power. The king makes fun of Gulliver’s culture. The England seems insignificant to the king. Gulliver is used as a plaything. With a microscopic view, Gulliver finds the culture imperfect. The personal importance of an individual identity is at risk. Gulliver’s position in England, in Liliput and now in Brobdingnag, he tries to maintain the illusion of his importance. In Brobdingnag the king tries to minimize the vices but they are not. The farmer, the dwarf are such examples. Gulliver speaks in English but the giants laugh at him

"There was a woman with a cancer in her breast, swelled to a monstrous size, full of holes, in two or three of which I could have easily crept, and covered my whole body. There was a fellow with a wen in his neck, larger than five woolpacks, and another with a couple of wooden legs, each about twenty foot high. But, the most hateful sight of all was the lice crawling on their clothes. I could see distinctly the limbs of these vermin with my naked eyes, much better than those of an European louse through a microscope, and their snouts with which they rooted like swine." 

                   In this part he tries to convince audience that upper class people always ruled over the lower class people they can’t understand the feelings of the lower class people. Use of this part swift says that if person has power than he can do anything and if person has no power than he can’t do anything.  

                   The imperfection is not of an organization or a law. The culture is imperfect. When Gulliver tries to tell the king immediately refuses. For Gulliver gun powder is an achievement but for the king it has no importance. In Brobdingnag the king tries to minimize the vices but they are not. The farmer, the dwarf are such examples. In Europe also they live with the illusion that no vices exist in their society.

                   So at the end of this topic we can say that this part is also related with power politics who explains about power that what is the importance of power and when Gulliver lost his power that time he has to face many problems in it.

A Voyage to Laputa:

                   A voyage to Laputa is also called as a floating island. This part is related with religion. In this part swift explain about Attacked by the pirates. Christian v/s heathen. In the religion of Christianity if people kindly or blindly believed in their religion that time they respected in to their culture but if any one saw doubt in it or not trust in their religion that time that person called as a heathen who has no religion.

"As every person called up made exactly the same appearance he had done in the world, it gave me melancholy reflections to observe how much the race of human kind was degenerate among us, within these hundred years past. How the pox under all its consequences and denominations had altered every lineament of an English countenance, shortened the size of bodies, unbraced the nerves, relaxed the sinews and muscles, introduced a sallow complexion, and rendered the flesh loose and rancid." 

           This island’s culture is different than any other two islands. This is a full of fantasy. This part shows swift’s imagination power that we can not just even imagine that these types of culture of island exist around the Earth but he creates this type of island. In this island deformed human beings, deformed culture. Gulliver faces problem because of language. In this island Laputa people’s power shown by their use of technology.

          Gulliver doesn’t like this. The floating island represents the distance between the government and the people. We can say that with this concept. The king’s concern for the people below but he never comes below to meet people. In this island every one busy in their own work no one has time for another one. Like Servants with flappers standing beside their master. Thinkers and scientists are busy in their day dreams. The society seems nonhuman. The life here seems abstract and absurd. Futile attempts of educated. It is not for the betterment of the society. Women should be taxed according to their beauty and their skill at dressing.

                   So at the end of this part we can say that this part is symbolic and it is satire on government and peoples distance. With the use of this part we can say that of the any country no government tries to conversation with their peoples. Government just passes out the law and rules and every people have to do with their rules. So at the end of this part we can say that it is a satire on governments system.

The Land of Houyhnhnms:

                   

                   Swift’s last part of Gulliver travels is biggest satire on human beings. In this part Houyhnhnms and yahoos lives with each other. Yahoos are human beings and Houyhnhnms are horses. Yahoos are marginalized by Houyhnhnms. Gulliver no longer cares for human society. He quickly learns the language of Houyhnhnms. Gulliver tries to change this atmosphere and he gives his country’s example for it. Gulliver tells them about his country where human beings rule and horses are trained to work for them. Houyhnhnms are not ready to believe Gulliver. In this land animals are rational and cultured. The shocking part of this part is the revelation of yahoo’s identity as human beings.

                  

"But the Houyhnhms, who live under the government of Reason, are no more proud of the good qualities they posses, than I should be for not wanting a leg or an arm, which no man in this wits would boast of, although he must be miserable without them. I dwell the longer upon this subject from the desire I have to make the society of an English Yahoo by any means not insupportable, and therefore I here entreat those who have any tincture of this absurd vice, that they will not presume to appear in my sight." 

Gulliver talks about war and gives reason for it that why do they war. Gulliver also informs them about law and order of his nation. Europeans described as yahoos. Their life style is different but their nature is the same. In this land human nature is full of greed and selfishness. Houyhnhnms have life of community. They don’t live personal life. Gulliver thinks of his people as European yahoos and he prefers to live with barbarians than with his own people. Swift is challenging the rational animals.

So at the end of this part we can say that this is the biggest satire on human beings. With this part swift express his views on human beings. He hates human being that’s why he writes about it and he creates this last part on horses and mans. In this part he presents Houyhnhnms are dominant personality.

Political issues on this four parts:

·        In the very first part this is about political symbolism, Gulliver was big and Liliputian peoples are small. Its symbol that government has power and every peoples are small. Because of it we can’t do anything against him. So we have to do what government instructs us. Gulliver is representing the government and Liliputians represent the common man in the world. With this part Swift express his views on common man and government.

·        In the second part, It is opposite of first part. Gulliver has power in the first part and in the second part he lost his power and after he lost he realized about common person and he face many problems in this part because in this part he is marginalized by Brobdingnag peoples. This part described that if person has power that time all persons are give respect them but when they lost power that time they lost their respect as a symbol of government.

·        In the third part this is as symbolize with a distance between government and their peoples. In this part political issue is that government not tries to listens problems of common people and they try to maintain the distance with peoples. Like in this island  is floating island so island is flying in the air so because of it people has to suffer a lot if they want to reach one place to another place they need a more time and they have to struggle with it. Like this way if any common person has to reach government’s place they have to ready for suffer and struggle.

·        In the forth part it is the satire on human beings. With this part swift try to presents the basic nature of the human being. He says that human beings are basically greed and selfish. They just think about their own self. 

Conclusion:

                    So at the end we can say that this all are the political issues in Gulliver’s travels. These four parts are based on human nature. With this four parts swift explain his views on humans, government and in the forth part he says Houyhnhnms means horses are better than humans. So this is the biggest satire on human beings. First two parts are presents a political background. That parts are opposed each other. So this all are political issues in Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. J J J

Character of Arjuna v/s Eklavya

STUDY: M.A SEM: 1.

SUBJECT: Paper no.4 A: Indian Writing in English.

TOPIC: character of Arjuna v/s Eklavya

ROLL NUMBER: 32

GUIDED BY: Heenaba Zala

 Department of English, Maharaja krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Topic: character of Arjuna v/s Eklavya

Introduction:

                

                        Mahabharata originally written in Sanskrit language. It is written by Maharshi ved vyas. After some times it is translated in to other languages. Mahabharata is one of the biggest epic in Sanskrit literature. In the first two books of the Mahabharata we learn the background of the Bharatas leading up to the conflict between the five sons of pandu and their cousins the kauravas. This story is told by the ved vyas. He is a son of Shantanu and Satyavati. Satyavati was second wife of Shantanu, his first wife was ganga, and her son was Devarata is better known by his later name Bhishma. Because of Shantanu’s promise to satyavati that her son became king of Hastinapura Bhishma makes his vow, guaranteeing that neither he nor a son of his will challenge the claim to the throne. After some years one of Bhishm’s half brother’s dies in battle and the other becomes old enough to marry. On behalf of his half brother, Bhishma abducts three sisters and fights off all their suitors. This two princess are now queen of devdutt, but unfortunately he was died very soon. The young princess must be given children but who can father them? That time Satyavati invites ved vyas he is her first son, and he gives son but during this ambalika close her eyes so that child was born blind and ambika will be pale-skinned. The blind son is called dhritarashtra, the pale one is pandu. vyas has a third son vidura by a handmadein.  

                             Because of all this situations Bhishma feels depression after it all responsibility of hastinapura’s is on Bhishma, so he has to do work for Hastinapura. After the birth of pandavas and kauravas he thinks that after his death they take the responsibility of Hastinapura.

This is the introduction of Mahabharata. T.P kailasam

 Write the play “The purpose” in this play he express his views about the character of Arjuna and Eklavya. According to him let’s see Character of Arjuna.

Arjuna:

Arjuna was one of the five pandava brothers of the

 Mahabharata epic. Arjuna’s mother was Kunti and his father was Pandu. He is a prince of hastinapura, and he has four brothers Yudhishthir, Bheem , Nakul and Sahdev. In Mahabharata Arjuna was like this: He was known for his steadfastness and single mindedness in pursuing his goals. He was instrumental in winning Draupadi in a contest for himself and his brothers as their joint wife. He also married shubhadra the sister of Krishna and balram and kept his friendship with them for ever. Lord Krishna became his mentor and guide for the rest of his life.

                  

          In T.P kailasam’s play Arjuna was a small boy who goes in to Guru Drona’s Ashram for learning archery with pandavas and cousion brother’s kauravas. Guru Dronacharya was best teacher of archery. Bhishma knows that so he sent his grand children to learn archery from him. In the Mahabharata Arjuna was fast learner archery and he is favorite student of guru dronacharya, And in T.P kailasam’s play he was a slow learner but favorite student of Guru dronacharya. Guru dronacharya gives promise to him that he became best archer in the world.

          T.P kailasam’s play starts with Arjuna practicing with bow, his target swug by a tree-branch. That time sahdev comes and tell gurujee with this dialogue:

          Sahdev:

      “(With a wry face) Gurujee!

                                                 I cannot use this bow!

     It is too big for me! I c a n n o t even lift it!”

That time guru Dronacharya doesn’t like that and he replies him that:

                            

Guru Dronacharya:

“(feigning astonishment)

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 Kshariya – not only to lift, but to bend, string and shoot with!

          With this dialogues we can says that Guru Dronacharya was orthodox minded person. He is strictly believed in cast system. He is believed that Kshatriyas are upper class people so they have to learn archery and bow is not too much big for Kshatriya. 

                   Drona:

                            

                             “Same thing”? By no means! For,

                              if it is the bow that is too big for

you, no one can make that Bow

smaller; but if it is YOU that is

ot big enough and strong enough

to lift and use that bow… you can

make yourself big enough and

strong enough… can you not?

          After all this things Bhishma was come their and meet Guru Dronacharya to know about his grand children, after this meeting Bhishma meets arjuna and talk to him about archery and his responsibilities with this dialogues:

                   Bhishma:

                             “ Blessing, my bdding bow man! But you will

 never bloom into a better until you better the bearing of your body whist at bowcraft! How

long have you been at it to day?

All the morn?”

                  

                   Arjuna:

                             “ Perhaps Taataajee, I am not strong

enough yet to practice longer

without tiring! I am sure I’ll do

better and better each day!”

          Arjauna’s these words in the play express him a very over confident person in this play, but in Mahabharata he was a really confident and powerful student during that time. Bhishma replied him:

                  

                   Bhishma:

                            

                             “No you will not! AT least not

 While you lay the brunt of your

Work on just your arms! That’s

What wearies you so soon!”

          After Bhishma and Arjuna’s conversation story begins with the character Of Eklavya. He was a Nishada boy who wants to learn archery from Guru Dronacharya, because once he listen it from his mother that if you want to became best archer so Guru Dronacharya was best teacher for it.

That’s why Eklavya come to Guru Drona’s asharam and request him to acsept him as a student for archery, But as usual we see earlier that Guru Dronacharya was very orthodox mind he taught archery only pandavas and kauravas, so he deny him to taught archery.

          After it Arjuna insults him and he thinks that he is a dominant person, and he has proud of his Cast that he is a Kshatriya boy so he has right to insult him. In the Mahabharata Arjuna never insult him but T.P kailasam try to high light Eklavya so He presents Arjuna in this look. After this situation Eklavya leave ashram and he decided that he create a statue of Guru Dronacharya and learn archery from this and he do it and he successfully learn archery.

          Some years later, during the time of pandava’s learning Nakul and Sahdev face problem in jungle because of some wild animals that time Eklavya help him and save their life with his self learning of archery. When Arjuna saw him that time He can’t trust himself that Eklavya do this?? But he thanks to him because he save his brother’s life.

Eklavya:

                Eklavya is the main character of T.P.kailasam’s play “The purpose”. It is taken in to the Mahabharata, In to Mahabharata he is not powerful character, but in this play he is powerful character drawn by T.P. kailasam. He was a Nishada boy. Once he was talk with his mother about archery that he wants to become best archer in the world, that time his mother told him that Guru Dronacharya was the best teacher for archery if he accept you as a student so you became best archer. That time he decided that he learn archery from Guru Dronacharya. He takes permission from his parents after it he go to meet Guru Dronacharya and try to convince him to taught him archery, but guru Dronacharya deny him because he is a teacher of pandavas and kauravas. He tells him that I am a teacher of prince so I can’t teach you.  

                   When Eklavya enter in to ashram he expresses his feelings with these words:

                   Eklavya:

“(Looking all around him) This DOES Look like the place Mother spoke of: “A wide vast grassy play ground with bejeweled and beautifully dressed handsome young princes at bow sword and mace exercises… being taught their lessons by a tall and noble looking Brahamana” is how SHE described it! And it all fits in every bit!

                  

                   Eklavya:

“Of course, this MUST BE THE GREAT DRONACHARYA! Who else could in a few moments and with a few words turn a novice into a good archer! That boy, Paartha, looks a skilful archer already! Why, I am better myself for listening to him and following his words!

HOW EASY HE MAKES IT ALL! YES, THE SWINGING OF ONE’S BODY DOES HELP THE ARM AND TIRES IT LESS!!

One can shoot almost a whole day without tiring! Hark! The great man speaks! I must not miss a word!

          During all this situations Eklavya was not noticed by any one he just share his feelings with his own self. He tries to prepare himself because now he was going to present himself to Guru Dronacharya. Guru Dronacharya trained Arjuna for archery that time Eklavya reached their and talk with himself about Arjuna and Guru Dronacharya’s conversation.

                   Eklavya:

“A whole-hearted willingness on the part of the guru to teach his pupil”

                   Eklavya:

“Will you kindly help me become the greatest archer in the word, sir?

                   Dronacharya:

“(Startles at the question; the palpable naivety of the boy amuses him) what? A rival to Paartha (Laughs outright) it seems to me that every boy on earth wants to become the greatest archer in the world!!!

          When Guru Dronacharya denies him that time Eklavya tries to convince him with this counter argument.

                   Eklavya:

“Forgive me, sir, but I think I know what you are afraid of! You are afraid, sir, that because I am a Nishada, I want to hurt innocent people for plunder and kill innocent creatures for my food … with the archery that you may teach me! But believe me, Sir ever since father was killed, Mother and I live in a lone forest and though it is full of birds, deer and fawns… we live only upon grains, milk and fruit!”

          During this conversation Eklavya expresses his views on nature, His purpose that why he wants to learn archery? And about his cast that his cast’s peoples are not killed the innocent creature for their food, that time Guru Dronacharya give him answer that he is not thinking abut it but he thinks about his cast and you are a small boy and your dedication to it. During this situation Arjuna practices of his archery but he makes mistake in it so Eklavya point it out so Arjuna comes to talk to him about it. 

          That time this conversation converted in to fight between Eklavya and Arjuna. Arjuna insults him in this play. Arjuna has ego for his cast and he thinks that he has right to learn archery, Only Kshatriya can learn archery so he badly insult Eklavya.

                   Eklavya:

“Well then, if you really do know what there is to be proud of in being Arya that there is not in being a Nishada… tell me!... I am a nishaada and you are an Arya; And yet I am as strong as you; I can become as great an archer  as you ever can- if your Guru wills it; and I have all that I want in my beautiful forest as you have all you want in this big city of your!.. Tell me how you are any better than I for being an Arya?

                   Arjuna:

“You may be all this and even perhaps become as good as I in archery – if Gurujee takes you on as his pupil! And yet, after all is said and done…  

AN ARYA is AN ARYA! And a NISHAADA is only a LOW-BORN NISHAADA!

          After it Eklavya leaves and decide to create a statue of GURU DRONACHARYA and he do it with the inspiration of this statue he starts his learning and he become successful in it, after some years when Nakul and Sahdev face problem in jungle because of some wild animals that time Eklavya help him and save their life with his self learning of archery. When Arjuna saw him that time He can’t trust himself that Eklavya help his brother, but he thankful to Eklavya for his noble work. That time Guru Dronacharya come and ask Eklavya that how he learn it so Eklavya told him that just because of you I got it and he tell him whole story that how he create statue and how he practice with it.

         

          After this situation Guru Dronacharya afraid of him because he gives promise to Arjuna that he made him best archer in the world but when Arjuna saw that Eklavya was best comparisons of him so he tell his Gurujee about it and Eklavya don’t tolerate it so he wants to shut up the mouth of Arjuna so he gives guru Dakshina to Guru Dronacharya His right thumb. He Know that without Right thumb He can’t became best archer but because of his Gurujee he compromise with his life’s biggest intention.

Comparison between Arjuna & Eklavya:

                When we compare this two characters that time we have to play “The purpose” with “Mahabharata” because this characters are taken in to Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata Arjuna was more powerful than Eklavya.

He was fast learner in the Mahabharata, because of it Eklavya’s character is not get high light in the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata Arjuna was not insult Eklavya but T.P kailasam wants to high lights Eklavya’s character so he expresses like Arjuna insults Eklavya. In the Mahabharata Guru Dronacharya take the Guru Dakshina from Eklavya with intrigue but in the play T.P kailasam try to present antagonist as Arjuna. When Eklavya saw that Arjuna complaints to Dronacharya about his better archery so he wants to shut his mouth and because of it he compromise his intention of life and he give his right thumb to Guru Dronacharya as a Guru Dakshina. So at the end we can say that Eklavya was better than Arjuna.

                   Arjuna never understands the situation of Eklavya because what he saws it is picturised by Bheeshma and Guru Dronacharya. He just knows about his cast and his cast’s power and his responsibility for it, that’s why he don’t know the reality of life. He is not wrong in his position but he is not trying to saw reality of life. The play “The purpose” this title says about its story that purpose means intention. In the play Eklavya wants to learn archery behind it his purpose is that he wants to save innocent creature, and Arjuna’s purpose was war because he was a prince and after some years he became king so he has to do it. So this is the purpose of Eklavya and Arjuna. Their intention and their purpose are different so that’s why we can say that as a Nishaada boy Eklavya was best because he thinks about creatures and animals not about his personal intentions, and another side Arjuna was prince and he became king after some years he thinks about his personal intentions.

Conclusion:

                At the end we can say that Eklavya was best archer in the world and he was better than Arjuna because he was a Nishaada boy so Guru Dronacharya deny him to taught him archery after all it he self learn it and goes all credit to his Gurujee. And when he saw that Arjuna complaints his Gurujee about his better archery that time he compromise with his life and he shut up the mouth of Arjuna, and gives his right thumb. So we can say that Eklavya was better than Arjuna. After he lost his thumb he feels very depressed and expresses his feelings with these words:

“WILL YOU ALL PLEASE LEAVE ME TO MY OWNSELF?”

“YOU KNOW, IT WILL NEVER BE FAREWELL BETWEEN US, GURUJEE.”

“GODS! MY FAWNS IN DISTRESS! AND I TOO HELPLESS MYSELF TO HELP THEM! J J J

Greek and Shakespearean Tragedy

Study: M.A SEM: 1

SUBJECT: Paper no.3 Literary Theory & Criticism

ROLL NUMBER: 32

GUIDED By: Dr.Dilip Barad

 Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

 Topic: Greek and Shakespearian Tragedy.

Introduction:

                The genre of Tragedy is rooted in the Greek dramas of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. One of the earliest works of literary criticism, the poetics of the Greek philosopher ARISTOTLE

Includes a discussion of tragedy based in part upon the plays of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. While Shakespeare probably did not know Greek tragedy directly, he would have been familiar with the Latin adaptations of Greek drama by the roman playwright Seneca. A Medea and an Oedipus, both Seneca and Renaissance tragedy were influenced by the theory of tragedy found in Aristotle’s poetics.

According to Northrop Frye Tragedy divide in to five types:

·       Encroachment: Encroachment means Protagonist takes on too much, makes a mistake that causes his/her  “Fall”. This mistake is often unconscious an act blindly done, through over-confidence in one’s ability to regulate the world or through insensitivity to others but still violets the norms of human conduct.

·       Complication: The building up of events aligning opposing forces that will lead inexorably to the tragic conclusion. “ just as comedy often sets upan arbitary law and then organize the action to break or evade it, so tragedy presents the reverse theme of narrowing a comparatively free life in to a process of causation.”

·       Reversal: The point at which it becomes dear that the hero’s expectations are mistaken, that his fate will be the reverse of what he had hoped. At this moment, the vision of the dramatist and the audience are the same the classic example is Oedipus, who seeks the knowledge that proves him guilty of murdering his father and marrying mother; when he accomplishes his objective, he realizes he has destroyed himself in the process.

·       Catastrophe: The catastrophe expresses the limits of the hero’s power and dramatizes the waste of his life. Piles of dead bodies remind us that the forces unleashed are not easily contained; there are also elaborate subplots which reinforce the impression of a world inundated with evil.

·       Recognition: The audience recognizes the larger pattern. If the hero does experience recognition, he assumes the vision of his life held by the dramatist and the audience. From this new perspective he can see the irony of his actions, adding to the poignancy of the tragic events.  

After all this definition or concepts we can easily

Understand the meaning of tragedy. In the simple language we can say that Tragedy is which has an unhappy ending or an unusual number of dead bodies on the stage. For the critic or student of literature How-ever the word has a rather different and more specialized meaning.

                            

                             Tragedy is always accepted in the genre of drama. In the literature there are some novels written by Hardy like ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ and tragic poems like Arnold’s ‘Sohrab and Rustam’

but these two types are not accepted by audience so Tragedy always written in the genre of drama, and Drama divided in to two types:

·       Tragedy

·       Comedy

There are two types of tragedy:

·       Greek Tragedy or Aristotelian Tragedy

·       Shakespearean Tragedy

Greek Tragedy:

               

                             The Greek philosopher Aristotle provides a definition of tragedy that we can describe in to seven parts. He writes ‘Poetics’ and in it he writes about tragedy. According to Greek Tragedy ‘Destiny is Character’ they believed that in the drama main character is who ever or do what ever but when they face tragic fall that is their destiny. They are believed in character’s deeds but they are not give importance to deeds they always thought that destiny is powerful and our future decide destiny and we can’t change our future.  Aristotle believed in that TIME, PLACE and ACTION.

                            

Aristotle explained  these six characteristics:

·        Stories already well known to the audience: the dramatist was not expected to invent new character or plots, but to use the old stories of gods and kings and heroes.

With this characteristics Aristotle wants to presents old stories with new concept but writers has no right to present their own story they must present old and well known story. and they don’t want to create new plot or new character they has to present dominant or upper class people like King, queen, prince, princess with all this characters.

·        A strong religious element: the great drama festivals in Athens were held in honour of the wine god, Dionysus, they felt that the world was controlled by moral law and that men who broke that law would be published by divine justice and fate. This feeling or belief lies behind all the great classical tragedies.

           Aristotle make this characteristic because he thinks that when writers presents old and strong religious events to Audience so they like to read it and they easily convinced with the situation of character. and they try to convinced about the God super natural power that this power is controlled their life and their future so people don’t do wrong work in the society and people don’t try to broke rules of society. so Aristotelian writers write moral play so people always afraid from the god.

·        A dislike of horror and violence on the stage: the subject of tragedy were often shocking and terrible, but the evil deeds were done off the stage. The audience learned of them from the chorus or from ‘messengers’.

Aristotle dislikes horror or violence so he says that on the drama performance no one can act violence and horror scene in the theatre if any one act it so its not good for audience. In the play if writer need to inform people whats going on during the play so that was telling by chorus or messenger.

·        Few actors: the earliest plays had only two actors and a chorus, In the great days of Athenian tragedy however there were four, five or even six chief actors, and a chorus of fifteen men. No plays had anything like the number of actors found for example in a Shakespeare play.

In the Greek Tragedy only two or four even just six characters to perform a drama and them easily perform it and chorus to tell the story to the audience. Its opposite in Shakespearian tragedy there are many actors for performance and fifteen choruses for explaining story.

·        Characters above the level of ordinary men: all the chief figures in a tragedy were kings, queens, princess or heroes. The idea of ‘domestic’ tragedy, in which the people on the stage are ‘just like ourselves’, would have been quite strange to a Greek tragedian. The Greeks may have invented democracy, but it does not appear in their tragedies.

In the Greek Tragedy writer has to use domesticate class who ordered and lower class people do their work and upper class marginalized them because of their personal need or intentions.

·        No mixing of tragedy and comedy: a Greek tragedy had ‘unity of action’- that is to say, it had one story and only one. It would have been unthinkable for Aeschylus or Sophocles or Euripides to include comic characters and scenes in serious plays, as Shakespeare so often did. The Greeks liked fun as much as any other people however, and many of them no doubt felt a little fun as much as any other people however, and many of them no doubt felt a little tiered after watching a tragic trilogy for several hours. It became usual therefore to end the performance with a ‘satyr play’ – a play quite separate from the tragic trio logy, and often crudely comic.

In the Greek Tragedy There is no mixed up of comedy or Tragic elements. there is only one elements which is very serious to perform and when this writers use comedy elements in the tragedy that time audience not easily understand that what actor trying to say it is very difficult to persuade people with this elements. So we can say that Greek tragedy is very difficult to understand for common people and this is very serious task to do it every person is not like it, and not enjoy the tragedy.

                  

Shakespearean Tragedy:

                   

                                 

                             At the time of queen Elizabethan age many writers write plays for London Theater Shakespeare is one of them. During this time He writes many Tragedies but He is not following Aristotle’s Method for Tragedy but He writes his own way, with these characteristics. Shakespeare is believed that Character is destinies in the play what character do well or bad it reflects to his or her destined so destiny is not powerful but person’s own deeds are powerful and character’s deed’s decides their future. He Creates this characteristics for the tragedy. He is totally against from the Aristotle or Greek Tragedy Let’s see the characteristics of it:

·       Tragic / fatal flaw:

 A ‘tragic flaw’, by definition, is a personally trait that leads to the downfall of the protagonist. It can also be a wrong action performed by the protagonist that results in his own ruin. It is the most important element in the tragedy and almost every hero/ heroine of a Shakespearean tragedy possess a tragic flaw. Examples of tragic flaw in Shakespearean tragedy are: Macbeth’s obsession with power, Othello’s jealosy and Hamlet’s indecisiveness.

·       Super natural elements

Use of super natural elements is a common characteristic of the Elizabethan drama, to which shakespeare’s plays are no exception. Supernatural powers contribute to the fate of the protagonist. However, they are not solely responsible for the downfall of the hero; it still lies in the deeds/actions of the hero. Usually, these actions are the outcome of the protagonist’s over- ambitious nature or the feeling of revenge.

·       Internal and external conflict

The external conflict, as we can easily make out, is the conflict between two people, the tragic hero and another main character of the story. It can also be the conflict between two people, the tragic hero. The result of the external conflict is always in favor of the other party as it is the good party. When talking about the inward struggle of the hero, the conflict represents the struggle of thoughts in his mind. The result of this struggle, many a time is that the hero goes Insane.  The inward struggle also includes the action of spiritual forces which work against the hero.

·       Fate / fortune

As the tragic hero/heroine is of high estate and is a public figure, his/her downfall produces a contrast which affects not only his/her personal life, but the fate and welfare of the entire nation or the empire. It reflects the powerlessness of human beings and the omnipotence of fate that a personal story of a peasant or a worker cannot produce. The adverse effects of fate on the empire are evident in Macbeth, when Duncan’s sons Malcolm and at the same time trying to support the collapsing kingdom. macduff suggests that Malcolm take the throne, but Malcolm is not mature enough to hold the falling empire.

·       The Theme of foul and revenge

As it is a tragedy, foul has to counterfelt fair; an unwritten rule of a Shakespearean tragedy. In fact, “Fair is soul and foul is fair” Is the refrain of the play. The entire play revolves around the theme of foul turning fair the very first line of the first scene of the play spoken by the three witches shows the intensity of the them built cleverly right from the beginning of the play and making it the driving force behind the character of Hamlet.

·       Paradox of life

Shakespeare’s tragedies reflect the paradox of life, in the sense that the calamity and suffering experienced by the tragic hero are contrasted with the previous happiness and glory. This paradox is very clear in the play Macbeth is portrayed as the bravest and loyal soldier of the nation is rewarded by King Duncan for his bravery and love for the nation However, Macbeth is not satisfied with whatever he gets and desires more. This desire or over-ambitious nature leads him to think evilly and act on it which is an extreme end of his real personality.

·       Catharsis

Any piece of literature, or any art for that matter, is successful when it evokes pity, fear and other such emotion in the audience. It is known as catharsis, where the audience fees sympathy for the character and empathize with his/her sufferings. If the play has the capacity to move the audience by its plot, people who are reading the play or watching it in the theatre can identify with the there can identify with the characters and feel that they have similar experience in their life.

·       Tragic structure

Exposition is the beginning of the play where the reader/audience gets to know the characters and their traits, the general setting of the story, the major conflict in the story and most importantly, the tragic flaw of the hero. Normally, exposition begins and ends I the first act itself, however, sometimes there are some characters who enter late in to the story.

Comparison between Shakespearean Tragedy and Greek Tragedy:

·        In the Greek Tragedy They Believed in Destiny is Character and In Shakespearean Tragedy They believed in Character is Destiny.

·        In the Greek Tragedy They used to well known stories and Shakespearean Tragedy They Creates their own Story and use the Fatal Flaw.

·         Greek writers use strong Religious Elements and Shakespeare use Supernatural elements, in the Tragedy.

·         Greek writers don’t like to act Violence and Horror on the stage but Shakespeare does that and use internal and external conflict performs on the stage.

·         In the Greek Tragedy there are only six characters and chorus but in the Shakespearean Tragedy there are sixteen characters and chorus he is believed in Fate.

·        Greek writers always use the theme of upper class people

and shown dominant personality of the class discrimination,          and Shakespeare use the theme of Foul and revenge.

·        Greek writers use the only Tragic element in the drama they don’t like to use Comedy element and Tragic element in the same drama, but Shakespeare use some comic elements in the drama so audience like to saw that and they feel relaxation with this elements

·        Greek writers not believed in Catharsis, but Shakespeare believed in it and he thinks that if audiences sympathize with character so their own emotions are come out and they like it so according to this Shakespeare write the play with the use of catharsis.

·        Greek writers just use main plot in the play but Shakespeare use sub plot in the play.

·        Greek writers use TIME, PLACE and ACTION, but Shakespeare is not consider it.

Conclusion:

So at the end we can easily explain about the two types

 Of tragedy, when we compare Greek tragedy with Shakespeare Tragedy we mostly favor Shakespearean Tragedy Because with Shakespearean tragedy we feel catharsis at some situation or part and after it we sympathize the character and with it our all emotions come out and we feel comfort or relax. After it Readers bored when they listen only one story Greek writers just use it So some times readers don’t like that and Shakespeare write there own story, so people exciting to know whats going on during the play. So mostly audience like to saw Shakespearean tragedy. For my personal point of view Shakespearean tragedy is better than Greek Tragedy. J J J