Topic: Comparative study between ‘A Tempest’ and ‘The
Purpose’
Paper:
Postcolonial study
Roll no: 07
~
Introduction:
As we know that there are some methods
through which we can understand any text clearly. So, one of them is ‘Touch
stone method’. It means we compare two texts with each other and through that
we can understand it. And because of comparison we can easily understand the
text.
So, here I try to compare two texts in
this assignment as under,
‘A Tempest’ by Cesaire with ‘The Purpose’ by
T.P. Kailasam.
~ The Purpose by T.P. Kailasam
Kailasam was born in a Tamil family in
south Karnataka in India. He was play writer and Geologist. He wrote The
Purpose in 1944 which is based on great Indian Epic ‘Mahabharata’. In this play
he focus on main three characters like Arjuna, Eklavya and Guru Dron.
In the story of Mahabharata ‘Arjune’ is
the hero while studying under Dronacharya or throughout the epic. But here in
The Purpose Kailasam more focus on the character of ‘Eklavya’. And he is the
main hero or character of The Purpose.
The protagonist of the play is Eklavya.
He is nishada. He also want to become the best archer of the world as same
Arjuna also want to be. Eklavya really like the techniques of Drona but he also
recognize the Arjuna as a novice.
Ekalavya: “…..this Must be the great
Drnacharya! Who else could in a few moments and with a few words turn a voice
into a good archer already! Why, I am better myself for listening to him and
following his words!”
Through these type of dialogues we
can see that how he love to be best archer. But only because of his caste he
can’t be like Arjuna or perhaps better than Arjuna. So, after all we can say
that T.P. Kailasam give the eyes to Arjuna. And he wants to highlight the
character of Eklavya who is very minor character in Mahabharata. And through
the archery Eklavya want to save the innocent animals from cruel animals and
desire to learn archery. So his purpose is not self centre but it is for
others. Wile, Arjuna wants to be the greatest archer of the world. So, we can
say that his purpose is self centered. Thus, Kailasam gives the voice to the
subaltern character like Eklavya. So now let’s know something about A tempest.
~ A Tempest by Cesaire
The Tempest is one of William
Shakespeare’s final plays, written around the year 1610. And then on the base
of that play Aime Cesaire write A Tempest. It is a politicized take on
Shakespeare’s play. It is really a “post-colonial response to The Tempest”. It
story from the point of view of Caliban and Ariel. In this version Caliban is
black slave ane the spirit Ariel is represented as a mulatto slave. The
dialogue on Caliban’s part is much harsher and more frequent. Caliban’s
aggression and hate towards Prospero is a bit more evident. Prospero is also a
good example of the role power plays in the story. When Caliban swears his
loyalty to him he readily agree and takes advantage of this. Caliban’s
character and the way Prospero treats him is a good representation of colonial
attitudes towards indigenous people.
Caliban is a rebellious black slave, who
has been taught Prospero’s language only so that he can understand his orders
and who asks to be called X, since Prospero has stolen his identity. In some of
the scene, Ariel and Caliban argue about modes of resistance. Caliban calls him
an Uncle Tom and demands ‘Freedom now’. He criticizes Prospero for using the
courtiers’ hunger as a means of punishing them. Prospero orders the arrest of Caliban and his
fellow conspirators. Gonzalo attempts to convert Caliban to Christianity but
fails. In his speech Caliban rejecting Prospero’s colonialist domination and
threatening. Then Prospero decides that his duty is to remain on the island not
to be master but the leader of the orchestra’ and to counter Caliban’s violence
with violence. In a final image, Prospero is a futile old man, ruler over a
population of one, and fragments of Caliban’s songs are heard in the distance.
~ Meaning of Subaltern
It refers to the populations that are
socially, politically and geographically outside of the hegemonic power
structure of the colony and of the colonial homeland. As intellectual
discourse, the concept of the subaltern is problematic because it originated as
a Eurocentric method of historical enquiry for Africa, Asia, and the Middle
East. The term “subaltern” is used in the fields of history, anthropology,
sociology, human geography and literary criticism. (Wikipedia)
In postcolonial theory the term subaltern
describes the lower classes and the social groups who are at the margins of a
society. As in our India, some of the castes which we call ‘Shudra’ they all
are subalterns. High castes people not except them as normal and they not even
touch to those people. In Gujarati we can say ‘abhadavu’. So those all people
are subalterns.
~ Eklavya and Caliban as Subalterns.
If we think about these two
characters, so these are subalterns. Ekalavya is from lower caste and because
of his low caste he can’t get education. They have no right to learn. He is
smart than Arjuna and yet he can’t be great archer because of his caste. Even
he learnt archery by his self, without any Guru and yet powerful people not
give him right to be an archer. So we can say that Eklavya as subaltern character.
His intention to be archer is good and yet he can’t to do it.
As same the character of Caliban is also
represent this kind of identity. He has no power because he is black man but he
raises his voice against his master because he has language. Without language
he can’t do it. So if we want to be rebellious when we have language. And
behind these all things power played a vital role in our society. On most of
the position we can see high caste’s people. And that’s why power is in their
hands. There is one dialogue in hindi movie ‘Raja ki ayegi barat’. In this
movie one old person(judge) give advise to Rani Mukharaji that “ Haq kabhi
manganese nahi milata kabhi kabhi use chinana bhi padata he”. And this dialogue
is most appropriate here. So we can say these two characters are subalterns in
The Tempest and Mahabharata.
~ Subalterns are in our contemporary
society
In our contemporary society we can see
many of the people who suffer a lot because of their caste. In our villages now
a day’s also we can see some of the people are living out of village. In
village those people are from low caste and that’s why they have no right to
live in the society. They are cleaning our society and yet they are not clean
so high caste people not touch them. So they all are subalterns of our society.
I have personal experience of this kind,
one day I went to Ahmadabad with my sister. We lived one night in the house of
my sister’s friend. At that time their behavior is not normal with us, they
give enough of food to us but they were not eating with us. Then in the morning
we leave and then in auto rickshaw I asked to my sister and at that time she
said that perhaps they are ‘Harijan’ and that’s why they were not eating with
us. And then I thought that what the condition of our society is?
~ Conclusion
Thus, we can say that the characters
like Eklavya and Caliban are in history and present. And these types of
characters are there because there are some characters who are ruling over
them. In these types of situations we can see that the power played a vital
role behind these all things.
There are some poor people because there
are some rich. There are days and nights, sun and moon, joy and sorrow, etc. So
if there are subalterns because some powerful people are there and that’s why
it happened. If there is some question so defiantly there are some reasons
behind this. But question is that we are not thinking like that or we are not
habituated to think like that.
We can see those types of characters in past
and present or may be in future also. And we don’t know that when it stop? But
we can try it first on our self. Because first we have to follow it and then
and then we tells to other to do like that.
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Works Cited
Wikipedia contributors. "Subaltern (postcolonialism)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.
