The Curse or Karna

Tyagraj Paramasiva Iyer Kailasam, was a playwright and prominent writer of Kannada literature. His contribution to Kannada theatrical comedy earned him the title Prahasana Prapitamaha, "the father of humorous plays" and later he was also called "Kannadakke Obbane Kailasam" meaning "One and Only Kailasam for Kannada". Kailasam's life was dedicated to local theatre and his contributions revolutionised it. His humour left an impression on kannadigas. He opposed the company theatre's obsession with mythology and stories of royalty and shied away from loading his plays with music. Instead, he introduced simple, realistic sets. Kailasam chaired the KAnnada Sahitya Sammalana held at Madras in 1945. He spent almost 10 years in a place he called 'NOOK'. It was a very dirty place, yet he loved it and wrote many dramas in there. He dictated his stories to his students at the 'NOOK', usually starting after 10 pm. He was a chain smoker. Kailasam was initially criticised for modern use of the Kannada language in his plays, but his work became very popular and is considered among the best in Kannada theatre, known for wit and satirical commentary on society.

1)Interpret the 'end' of all Acts and scenes. (We discussed this while reading the text)

“The Cuse or Karna” is the play which is based on the character of Mahabharata’s ‘Karna’. And it is written by the famous Indian writer T.P. Kailasam. It is divided into five acts. When we see the ends of the acts T.P. Kailasam has out the tragic tone of the character Karna very successfully.

Act one, scene two:

Raama: Forgive my choler, child! But then in grasp of thy child’s hands doth lie the power to raze to very ground my ancient vow to venge My father’s cruel death at hands of Kshatriyas! I cannot, even if I would, recall the CURSE! That stands Karna! My love for thee reveals to me that Fate hath wove thy life and death in threads of tragedy! And yet, for all eternity thy name shall stand for VALOUR, BOUNTY, PURITY! Adieu, my child! May HE that watches over all this world, may HE in all HIS love and MERCY, grant thee strength of mind and soul to combat stormy life before thee, UNSULLIED OF MANLINESS, despite this BRAHMIN’S CURSE! (Kisses Karna on the brow. Karna prostrates; kisses the Guru’s feet and rises; With great effort restraining a fresh spasm of sobs mutters.

Karna: God bless you for your kindness, Gurujee.

(Walks to the path in the foreground, shoulders his belongings and walking along the path fades out of sight. Raama, sighing deeply, watches the departing pupil with wistful eyes mumbling to himself.)

POOR KARNA! POOR, POOR KARNA!

When we go further, we find it in Act two Scene one:

Anga:(with eyes welling with tears of anger and impotent agony)

It is a curse, my lord of Gaandhaara,

That robb’d mine arms and trunk of strength and life:

A mighty Brahmin’s potent curse that rules:

Whensoe’er my lowly birth is flung at me,

And made to cross my mind, my brain refuses thought

My heart refuses beat! Mine arms remain inert!

Pray pity me, my lord, a helpless, hapless victim of

A BRAHMJN’s CURSE!

(Collapses into Gaandhaara’s arms. Gaandhaara gathers him in his arms and half carries him out, muttering tearfully:)

POOR ANGA! POOR POOR HONEST ANGA!

Furtherly, Act three scene two:

Anga:(In abject agony)

Forgive me, Sire, but ‘twas that woman! Her Voice!

Her haughty words deriding me, my blood,

My birth! You know it not, my liege! I am

Accurs’d! The curse that numb’d my limbs today

It is my Guru Raama’s potent curse!

It rules that whensoe’er my lowly birth

Is made to cross my mind, my limbs, my mind,

My heart, they all are paralys’d! And I

Am stricken dead to sense of shame; of love,

Of honour, loyalty! Without a peer

In use of every weapon of war, I’m yet

A victim of Dread Jaamadagni’s Curse!

Forgive me, Sire, and in thy generous heart

Find room for pity for a friendless waif,

A helpless victim of A BRAHMIN’S CURSE!

(Anga collapses forward;

The king catches him from falling and gathering him up in his arms, carries him out—muttering ‘neath his breath:)

The King: POOR ANGA! OUR POOR GREAT ANGA!

Again, when we go ahead, at the end of the play, act five scene two:

Anga: (Raising his head with great effort:)

“Happy man” forsooth! You fool! You fool!

Take back thy curse! Take back thy curse!

WHY, THOU HAST SWORN BUT TO EXTIRPATE

MY OWN… MY OWN… MY VERY… (Sinks back, mustering the very last few driblets of strength in his frame from which his life is fast ebbing away, Anga raises his head for the last time:)

WOE BE THE HOUR I SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY!

WHILST ALL MY LIFE A BRAHMIN’S POTENT CURSE

HATH HOUNDED ME AND MADE ME FATAL TO

MY LOVERS AND MY FRIENDS….E’EN THIS,

THIS VERY MOMENT OF MY DYING FINDS

ME STARTING YET ANOTHER BRAHMIN’S CURSE!

(Anga ‘s head drops and he falls back DEAD. Aswattha and Maadra bury their heart bursting sobs in the bosom of the Dead Marshal Anga whimpering:)

“OUR ANGAI” “OUR GREAT ANGA!” “OUR POOR POOR ANGA!”

So, these are the ends of acts and scenes that we find very tragic itself and the other characters are feeling pity for the Karna.

2) Is 'moral conflict' and 'Hamartia' there in Karna's character?

What is ‘Hamartia”?

Hamartia arose from the Greek verb hamartanein, meaning "to miss the mark" or "to err." Aristotle introduced the term in the Poetics to describe the error of judgment which ultimately brings about the tragic hero's downfall. As you can imagine, the word is most often found in literary criticism. However, media writers occasionally employ the word when discussing the unexplainable misfortune or missteps of celebrities regarded as immortal gods and goddesses before being felled by their own shortcomings.

When we look into the character of Karna, for definitely we find here hamartia cause his entire life was totally tragic and fated. He was the disciple of Parasuraman and from the there to his death we see that Karna was having curses from his Guru and for that he was suffering in various ways. Even at the end of his life, for his mother Kunti he decides to die and died by his own promise.

3) Karna - The voice of Subaltern

A person holding a subordinate position specifically: a junior officer (as in the British army)

Whenever, we get the subaltern in the literature we get the name of Gayatri Spivak. Who has contributed a lot in this literature. “Can the Subaltern Speak?” this is the Spivak’s work and in this she has talked about the subaltern theory and they can speck or not, how they are marginalized, how they have to suffer. In this the author has used the ideas of other philosophers even.

The historiography of Indian nationalism has for a long time been dominated by elitism - colonialist elitism and bourgeois-nationalist elitism . . . shar [Ing] the prejudice that the making of the Indian nation and the development of the consciousness-nationalism which confirmed this process were exclusively or predominantly elite achievements. In the colonialist and neo-colonialist historiographies these achievements are credited to British colonial rulers, administrators, policies, institutions, and culture; in the nationalist and neo-nationalist writings - to Indian elite personalities, institutions, activities and ideas. (Guha 1982: 1)

This is how she has talked about elitism that Indian nationalism has dominated by elites only and they did it entirely.

1. Dominant foreign groups. 2. Dominant indigenous groups on the all-India level. 3. Dominant indigenous groups at the regional and local levels. 4. The terms ‘people’ and ‘subaltern classes’ [are] used as synonymous throughout [Guha’s definition]. The social groups and elements included in this category represent the demographic difference between the total Indian population and all those whom we have described as the ‘elite.’ In this, first two are elite groups and she put it in her work.

Now when we see the Karna’s character, we find that he was the sutha’s son and his identity was at the edge. He was even suffering from his identity. Even many times we see that he is more capable than the other characters who were against him in the battlefields or in any things. But because of his tragic identity he could never raise his voice for his own justice.

THANK YOU!