~ Applying of Archetypal criticism in the drama ‘HAYAVADANA’ which is written by Girish Karnad.

~ Over view of the story ‘HAYAVADANA’.

       It is a play written by Karnad from the base of Indian ancient stories collection in Sanskrit ‘KATHASARITSAGAR’. But Karnad borrowed it through Thomas Mann’s retelling of the story in THE TRANSPOSED HEADS. Karnad’s play poses a problem, that of human identity in a world of tangled relationships.

       The play opens with the friendship of Devadatta and Kapila ‘one mind, one heart’. Devadatta a man of intellect, Kapila a ‘man of body’. Then after some time Devadatta marries Padmini and Kapila also fall in love with Padmini. So their relation becomes more complicated. Then both the friends kill themselves, and then Padmini get bliss from the mother Kali to live them once again. But Padmini transposed their heads, giving Devadatta Kapila’s body and Kapila Devadatta’s. Result is the confusion of identities that who is Kapila and who is Devadatta.Initially both the friends behave differently but after passing sometimes they look like as usual after some troubles. But Padmini felt the complete man from those both. And she has experience of complete man. Then she is going in the forest to meet Kapila and Devadatta also going behind her. So once again they fight and kill each other and Padmini become ‘Sati’ after their death.

       There is also one sub-plot ‘Hayavadana’. The horse man it means significant theme of the incompleteness by treating it. That horse man search completeness and end with comically. It means we find story within a story in this play. So this is the over view story of this play.

~ Applying Northrop Fry’s the Archetypal criticism in this play ‘HAYAVADANA’.

       As we know that archetypal criticism means related with the original idea. For example our development from the idea which is already Laing in the world, our birth – youth- death, as same in the drama rising – climax – falling. Physics is an organized body of knowledge about nature, and a student of it says that he is learning physics but in real sense he is learning nature while for students of literature take it different. We can also find some threads related the history in this drama. The story of Lord Ganesh ‘transposed head’. We can find that myth in this drama heads transposed of those friends – Devdatta and Kapila. And it also connected with Philosophy like Padmini commit a mistake selfish that she want complete husband and so she must be punish. We find tragic end of Padmini in this play. We also apply Inductive method in this drama that in last some pages there is one scene ‘Kapila picking up an axe and felling a tree. A long silence. Only the soundless image of Kapila cutting the tree’. And then their relation fall down. Both the friends kill each other and Padmini perform ‘Sati’. So from that symbol or reading of back ground we know that the tragic end will happen. Then deductive method. How we apply in the drama. We know that if we want to observe any painting so that complete place is need able. And if we want to listen any music so time is important. It means music related with time and painting related with space.

Add caption

 And literature is in between them that it related with both the things time and space. It means we must understand rhythm and pattern. So pattern of the play and rhythm means after completing the play we observe rhythm.

 In many literatures we also observe the falling of hero because of his love. Not only the love for beloved but also the love for knowledge for example Dr. Faustus. As same in this drama their friendship breaks because their love of Padmini.

       So, this I can understand in this drama.