Recognition of Shakuntala, Essay Example

Plot

Written by Indian poet Kalidasa, the play of The Recognition of Shakuntala was first penned in Sanskrit. This characteristic makes it a classical presentation of elite Indian literature. Made up of seven primary scenes, the play shows the connection that has flourished between Shakuntala and Dushyanta which has specifically gone through different twists and turns of time. The story’s focus is on Shankutala, who is a sweet, innocent, and a naïve girl who meets with Dushyanta, the king who is also a well-known figure in his land. Another important theme of the story is the love between these two primary protagonists. Dushyanta later meets Shankutala and holds a secret marriage between them.

Characters

The main characters in this play are Shankutala and the king, Dushyanta. To note, each character is defined as somewhat distinct from each other, and yet are able to create a bond that specifically goes beyond their differences.Dushyanta is described as a bold character that influences most of the actions in the play.  Shakuntala on the other hand, noted for her mild character, is depicted as the woman who has captured the eyes and the heart of the king. There is also Durvasa, who joins the primary characters of the play as the vengeful and evil protagonist who eventually places a curse on Shankutala. Such course brings a great impact on the flourishing relationship between Shakuntala and the king.

Conflict

Shankutala and King Dushyanta are madly in love with one another and after agreeing to marry each other, the king gives the woman a ring that will be used as a proof of their marriage. When the day for the planned marriage arrives, Shankutala goes to the royal court where the ceremony is to be held. However, it emerges that Shankutala had lost the ring. This creates a crisis in the sense that there is nothing to prove the marriage between the two. Dushyanta finds himself at crossroads because he does not know whether Shankutala is the real girl he met.  Months later, Shankutala delivers a baby who resembles the king. However, the king is still not convinced because he will never know the real Shankutala. This conflict of thoughts comes to an end when a fisherman finds the ring and hands it over to Shankutala. The king is pleased at the turn of events and the two are happily married.

My Reaction

In this play, the most underlying theme is the need to focus on primary details. For instance, Shankutala was distracted while attending to Durvasa who eventually cursed her. This inattention caused her to lose the ring, which could have denied her the chance to marry the king.  This story assumes a cynical view of love given that Shankutala has to produce the ring for Dushyanta to prove that she is the girl the king had met and married secretly. Nevertheless, this, being a part of the course is the turning point of the story; hence it is just right to treat it with full intensity especially on the most important element of the story which is the relationship that is shared by the two main characters. The author t structures the play in such a way that the characters are not held responsible for thethrougbles they make themselves. For instance, the curse by sage seems to be held responsible for the loss of the ring and not the inattentiveness of Shankutala. However, we learn that love is something that cannot be hidden. Also love conquers everything because through love, the kingDushyanta and Shankutala were able to overcome the sage curse and are the reunited happily in the end.