Page 292 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

English - II

Notes passion of his heart. But gradually, he rises to a more elevated level of love. In essence, the soliloquies
reveal the innermost ideas of the characters. Further, it is well known that soliloquies are an integral
part of the form of drama and hence (as exemplified by these illustrations) its inclusion in Chitra as an
effective dramatic medium justifies the play as being categorized as a play with lyrical qualities.
Self-Assessment
1. Fill in the blanks:
(i) Chitra is a play in One Act and .............. scenes.
(ii) Chita is the quintessance of .............. .
(iii) The Chitra is not a lyrical drama as it is not written in .............. .
(iv) Chitra is a succinct Tagorean version of Kalidasa’s .............. .

21.8 Summary

• We find in these illustrations almost all the lyrical qualities that have been stated above. “Chitra
is the quintessence of romance. The speeches burn with passion, and light up the way from
truth to illusion and gain the arduous climb from illusion to truth.”It is a wonderful piece of
work as beautiful in its thought as in its expression. It begins as a play of passionate love and
rises to the height of pure love. It is a love-idyll. E.J. Thompson opines that the English version
titled as Chitra “has a swiftness of action which the Bengali text lacks.”
• The third scene abounds in beautiful passages suggestive of a romantic atmosphere and
containing expressions of passionate love. Tagore’s description is marked by an unusual kind
of restraint. The description of the physical features of Chitra is rather strictly limited and his
description more or less relates to the natural environment. There cannot be better and a more
dignified manner of expressing the supreme fulfilment of love.
• Thus, Chitra is not a lyrical drama, as it is not written in verse. It can be called a drama with
lyrical quality, as sometimes the expressions are musical and passionate. Whereas Chitrangada,
the original Bengali text is a lyrical drama written in blank verse. In other words, Chitra is a
“succinct Tagorean version of Kalidasa’s Shakuntala.” The play is doubtlessly one of the most
fascinating and the most satisfying of Tagore’s plays.

21.9 Key-Words

1. Vasanta : Youth and Beauty
2. Devotion : Tapasya
21.10 Review Questions

1. What is the plot construction of Chitra? Discuss.
2. Discuss the theme in the plan ‘Chitra’.
3. What conflict and soliloquy do you see in Chitra? Discuss.
4. Explain intensity of emotion and lyrical quantity.
Answers: Self-Assessment

1. (i) 9 (ii) romance (iii) verse (iv) Shakuntala
21.11 Further Readings

1. “English for Competitive Exams” By Dr. R.P. Bhatnagar
2. “Unique Quintessence of General English” Edited By Dr. S. Sen and Others and
revised by Dr. G.S. Mansukhani.

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