Kalidasa and Baldesar Castiglione

Paper Summary:

Cultural and social developments have affected the form and functions of drama in profound ways over the centuries and Western observers often believe that the ancient Greeks had a monopoly on drama. This paper looks at how Kalidasa's "The Recognition of Sakuntala" shows that the Greeks had some distinguished company in the great works of Indian literature in this genre. To identify these similarities, this paper provides a comparison of how courtly love is portrayed in Kalidasa's "The Recognition of Sakuntala" and Baldesar Castiglione's "The Book of the Courtier", followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

From the Paper:

"Adapting his theme from the first part of the Mahabharata , Kalidasa tells the story of the love of Sakuntala for the King Dusanta in the course of seven acts. The story describes how King Dusanta was hunting in the forest with his courtiers one day in pursuit of a stag. When Dusanta shoots the stag with an arrow, he is reproached by a passing holy man for being cruel to other living beings. In response, Dusanata begs forgiveness from the holy man who finally pardons him and even provides him with his blessing. In the process, Dusanta spies Sakuntala and immediately falls in love with her, and Sakuntala responds in a gentle and restrained fashion."

More papers on Kalidasa and Baldesar Castiglione:

• Book Review # 40201 : "Castiglione's Humanism"
• Comparison Essay # 97779 : "Machiavelli and Castiglione"
• Analytical Essay # 12879 : "The Courtier" ( Baldesar Castiglione )"

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