Transformation Of Individualism In Shakespeare And Girish Karnad
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Girish Karnad is well-known for his reworking of mythical structures in his plays. An USA based notable Indian critic Moutushi Chakravartee has drawn a parallel between Shakespeare and Girish Karnad for their dexterous execution of derivative materials in their plays: Indeed, all his plays derive from pre-existing material, yet, like Shakespeare, he transforms the raw material into a unique drama of human emotions and feelings. (183)
Karnad has persistently focussed on the crisis of man and woman relationship. Being a staunch supporter of individualism, Karnad contends: “a person’s need to be seen as an individual, as an entity valuable in itself, independent of family and social circumstance” ( Three Plays 9). However, Karnad’s creative spirit has deep roots in Indian culture. Rightly does Professor P. Dhanavel comment: “. . . Karnad’s creative imagination is thoroughly and originally Indian in every one of its blood cells . . .” (96). Partly based on the creation myth of Bangalore, Boiled Beans on Toast is, to some extent, a new addition to the dramatic oeuvre of Karnad. Published in 2014, Boiled Beans on Toast, the English rendering of Kannada play Bendu Kaalu on Toast, seeks to portray the face of modern Indian people. The play repeatedly reminds us of the devastating effects of urbanization on our daily lives. India is traditionally known for her familial bonds and mutual exchange of love. But Karnad quite deftly points out the invidious corollary effects of