Literary Quest

             Girish Karnad's  Hayavadana  is a play about  the story of two friends Devdutta and Kaplia and their love interest Padmini. The main plot is based on the story of transposed heads in the Sanskrit Vetala - Panchavimsati. The subplot Hayavadana, the horse-headed man is Karnad's own invention.             The theme of incompleteness has been presented in the play at three levels. 1.      Divine level includes Lord Ganesha 2.      Human level includes Devadatta, Kapila & Padmini 3.      Animal level includes Hayavadana The chorus Bhagavatha begins the play by worshipping the Elephant-headed Lord Ganesha. He is an embodiment of incompleteness. Bagavatha introduces Devadatta and Kapila as bosom friends. They are complementary to each other: “One Mind, One Heart”, but they are presented as binary opposite...

  Polonius’ Advice to His Son Laertes                               -William Shakespeare                               The poem “Polonius Advises Laertes” is an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet . Polonius is chief counsellor to the King Claudius at Danish Court. In Act I, Scene 3, Polonius gives his son Laertes a few pieces of advice. Laertes leaves for France to join a University. As a father, Polonius offers blessings and asks his son to keep his advice in memory. His list of advice comprises moral and ethical elements. Polonius advises his son to think well before speaking and taking action. He asks his son to be friendly but never to cross limits. He tells him to make friends but warns him about false friends. He asks him not to ...

  Seed of Wisdom Under Thy shade of extensive knowledge, sprouts a tiny seed of wisdom; hiding an invisible orchard inside germinates a seedling of thoughts.   Around Thy soil berm of erudition, grows a sapling of intellect; grafting a scion onto a rootstock extends its roots radiating scholarship.   With Thy golden flare of values, branches a stem of discipline; emerging from a shoot of ethics feeds the hungry minds with truth.   Beneath Thy shower of skills blooms a vernal bud of elegance; spreading the fragrance of dexterity transports competent pollens to rural society.   Oh Goddess Saraswathi! At this temple of education, May the fruit of enlightenment ripens into A Woman of Self-Reliance.   May my Alma Mater strengthen its Millions of aerial roots supporting the Empowerment of Women throughout its glorious history! 

                                                   Anton Checkov’s “The Lottery Ticket” Scene 1 at Home Narrator : Ivan Dmitrich is a middle class man with a satisfactory salary of 12 hundred per annum. He and his family always have a wanting mind. [The camera opens with the lottery ticket and the show dims with Ivan reading a newspaper] Mrs.Ivan : I forgot to look at the newspaper today. Look if our ticket number is there. Ivan : It’s yours .[Mrs.Ivan scoffs] she knows nothing about money and so she is stingy. If she won it she would give me a hundred roubles and put the rest away under lock and key Mrs.Ivan : what’s the number! Ivan : [reads without wearing his glasses] series 9,499 number 26. Mrs.Ivan : what? [asks with excitement] Ivan : yes! It’s 9499 and 26 [doubtfully squeezing eyes] what’s in that? Mrs.Ivan : Ivan, that’s our ...

  Top of Form Bottom of Form                                                        She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith                                                                        THE MISTAKES OF A NIGHT .   Scene I   At Three Pigeons   Enter MARLOW and HASTINGS. (from left) Tony drinks with two friends.   MARLOW. What a tedious uncomfortable day have we had of it! We were told it was but forty                      miles across the country, and we...