A Critical Analysis of Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala: Play with a Cobra Girish Karnad (1938–2019) was a renowned Indian playwright, actor, director, and public intellectual who wrote primarily in Kannada and English. Known for blending folklore, mythology, and contemporary themes, his plays such as Tughlaq , Hayavadana , and Nagamandala challenged social norms and redefined modern Indian theatre. Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala: Play with a Cobra is a remarkable example of how Indian playwrights have drawn upon indigenous narrative forms to explore contemporary social realities. Blending two Kannada folktales collected by A. K. Ramanujan, Karnad constructs a multilayered drama where myth, fantasy, oral tradition, and social critique converge. Naga-Mandala is a feminist retelling of the age-old stories of marital relationships, chastity, and female agency. The play demonstrates the vitality of Indian folk theatre by using surreal elements, symbolic imagery, and performative dev...
Posts
“The Juniper Tree” by the Brothers Grimm: A Tale of Darkness and Justice Introduction “The Juniper Tree” by the Brothers Grimm is a dark fairy tale that tells the story of a young boy who suffers a cruel fate at the hands of his jealous stepmother, but later finds justice through magical means. It strongly reflects the idea of fairy tale justice, where good is rewarded and evil is punished. A rich, kind couple longs for a child. One winter day, the wife cuts her finger while peeling an apple, and blood falls on the snow. She wishes for a child "as red as blood and as white as snow." The Wish and the Tragedy After months of waiting, she gives birth to a beautiful boy and dies, asking to be buried under the juniper tree. This tree becomes a central symbol of love, death, and transformation. The husband remarries, and the new wife gives birth to a daughter named Marleen. However, she hates her stepson and becomes obsessed with giving all inheritance to her daughter. The st...
How did the Pre-Raphaelites change Art and Literature? Raphael was a famous Italian painter from the Renaissance period. He lived in the early 1500s and was known for painting beautiful religious scenes, graceful people, and perfect compositions. His paintings were smooth, balanced, and followed classical rules of beauty. He became a symbol of ideal art, and for many years, art schools in Europe taught students to follow his style. For example, in "The School of Athens", Raphael painted great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle in a grand, peaceful setting. The figures are idealized and arranged in perfect balance, showing harmony and order. Another painting, "Sistine Madonna", shows the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, with soft colours and gentle expressions that look almost divine. The School of Athens ...