πŸ“š Chitra- A Play in One-act : An Introduction πŸ“š

πŸ“š CHITRA πŸ“š

-Rabindranath Tagore


Chitra,the one-act play  was first published in English in 1913 by the India Society of London. The play adapts part of the story from the Mahabharata and centers upon the character of Chitrangada, a female warrior who tries to attract the attention of Arjuna. It's quite an interesting play.
A shorter version of the full length play is a one-act play.

A one-act play should be completed in one sitting.A play should have a beginning, a middle and an end.A one- act play play should maintain the three unites - the unity of action, place and character.
Brevity is the soul of one act play.

Lets go through 
Rabindra Nath Tagore's  Chitra- prescribed for this Semester.The play has Nine Scenes.

Chitra, the daughter of king of Manipur. and  Arjuna the warrior prince are the centre of interest in the play Tagore is known for his aesthetic and pantheistic attitude and his spiritually inclined mind. 

The source for this play, Mahabharata – an episode from Arjuna’s life during his vanvaas (forest life exile). This small episode is made beautiful (by) the hands of Tagore. It has answers to some intriguing aesthetic questions as to what is Love and Beauty,  Is Beauty ethereal, is Love instigated by the beautiful and is Love and Beauty same words for one feeling.

Chitrangada (Chitra) is the daughter of Chitravahaana, not so very beautiful, brought up as prince would have been (very manly). To quote 

“I know no feminine wiles for winning hearts. My hands are strong to bend the bow” .

 One day in the forest she meets Arjuna (in man’s attire) and falls in love  with him. She wants to serve him as a man but Arjuna does not comply.

Then with the help of Madana (Cupid), lord of Love and Vasantha, the Lord of Spring and Beauty, she gains transient beauty for one year to woo Arjuna.

She succeeds and Arjuna and Chitrangada stay together enjoying all their youth and beauty (beauty of surroundings as well). 

The beauty of Chitra is portrayed beautifully in lines like For eg.,

 “She bound up her tresses, drew her veil over her arms, and sighing slowly, walked away like a beauteous evening fading into the night." 

To me the supreme fulfillment of desire seemed to have been revealed in a flash and then to have vanished

. . (Scene II). 
Nothing is ever permanent in this world – the year is complete – and Arjuna comes to know the truth during a crisis where Chitra, the princess has to save the villagers from robbers.

Chitra reveals herself to Arjuna,
 she is even tired of the burden of the beauty that was carrying her for one year and very gladly says

 “I am Chitra. No goddess to be worshipped, nor yet the object of common pity to be brushed aside like a moth with indifference. If you deign to keep me by your side in the path of danger and daring, if you allow me to share the great duties of your life, then you will know my true self. If your babe, whom I am nourishing in my womb, be born a son, I shall myself teach him to be a second Arjuna, and send him to you when the time comes, and then at last you says

 “My Life is Full”.

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