124. Dr. Basavaraj P Donur

Abstract 124. Dr. Basavaraj P Donur

CULTURAL SUBTEXTS IN GIRISH KARNAD’S THE FIRE AND THE RAIN

The paper proposes to discuss cultural subtexts that underlie Karnad’s plays with special reference to his The Fire and the Rain.  The paper considers the play as the most complex one and tries to analyse the complexity of the play in terms of cultural subtexts.   What characterize this play are precisely the cultural subtexts which need to be looked into to know the significance of the play. The paper considers a cultural subtext as content of a work of art which is not announced explicitly by the characters or the playwright. It is shown as referring to the thoughts and motives of the characters which are not quite pronounced in the dialogues that they utter.  A close reading of the play under consideration from a cultural subtext point of view reveals that under the dialogues spoken by the characters in the play we can have conflict, sexual tension, anger, competition, pride etc. When the play within play is staged, Arvasu plays the role of Vritra and in a trance he chases his own brother at the Yajna who enters into the fire.The play is full of actions, murders political intrigues, plot-counterplot and every action, murder or political intrigue can be read in terms of cultural subtext.