Yugpurush - the Play

The Banner of the Play:

Short Documentaries on the Play and the Person - Shrimad Rajchandra

The Official Website:

http://www.yugpurush.org/

SHRIMAD RAJCHANDRAJI

Shrimad Rajchandraji is the epitome of an intense and incessant pursuit of spirituality. Shrimadji was born on the auspicious day of Kartik Purnima on 9th November, 1867 in Vavania, Gujarat. A perfect blend of pure knowledge, selfless devotion, and complete detachment, Shrimadji attained self-realisation at the age of 23. He spent months in seclusion, absorbed in the ecstasy of the Self. His compassion for the world flowed in the form of Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra, a masterpiece in philosophical literature. On Chaitra Vad Pancham, 9th April 1901, at the age of 33, Shrimadji left His mortal body in Rajkot. His preachings have been published in an invaluable volume 'Shrimad Rajchandra', which continues to quench the thirst of true seekers. Through ashrams, temples, and institutions dedicated to Shrimadji around the world, lakhs of devotees are benefiting from His teachings and progressing on the spiritual path. (From www.yugpurush.org)

Responses of Students and Educationists:

Review:

The play is an excellent piece of art. One cannot find a space in any of the parts of the play and suggest any changes to make it better than this. The acting of all the actors is marvelous. The plot unfolds in very gripping way. The flashback technique and the frame within the frame adds beauty and harmoniously binds events from the life of Shrimad Rajchandra and Mahatma Gandhi.The character of Shrimad Rajchandra and Mahatma Gandhi are very well outlined.

 The dialogues (in Gujarati) are very apt. The diction preserves the auro of spirituality which is the central thought of the play. The central thought - the man who lived briefly on the Earth was so potential that he inspired Mahatma Gandhi who later on inspired innumerable world leaders and revolutions with the ideas of Ahimsa, non-violence which he got from his brief contact with Shrimad Rajchandra. The music of Sachin-Jigar is excellent. The title song is very soothing and appeals poignantly to the spiritual self. The spectacle is just amazing. The swiftness with which the setting changes, the use of light and shades, the props - everything is out of this world. The play should be watched, if not for spiritual legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, for the spectacle it creates on the stage.

The Critique:

However, the play also arouses twitchy and fidgety sentiments. When watched purely from the perspective of an art, we find that there is too much of goody- goody, sweety-sweety spiritual aura aroung both these protagonist - Shrimad Rajchandra and Mahatma Gandhi. With absolutely no gray shade in the character of Rajchandra, the play turns out to be Morality play of the Dark Ages and protagonist, personification if moral spirituality. It is not possible that somebody can be out and out good. It is not possible that a person do not make anybody unhappy or jealous or . . . enemy. There were many who hated Mahatma. Didn't anybody disliked Rajchandraji? Where is that gray shade which make us all human beings?

The excellent artistic endeavor in acting, spectacle, and music is lost to too much of moralizing. The fine balance, which literary critics down the centuries from Greeks to the Vedic times maintained, between the aesthetic beauty and moralizing instruction is, more-soever, inclined towards moralizing. The art has desperately suffered because of this inclination.

Final Verdict:

     

कला जब धर्म की सुंदरी बने तो एक अच्छे भले इंसान को बिना वजह अवतारी पुरुष या ईश्वर बना देती है।

— Dilip Barad (@dilipbarad) February 11, 2017

A heart-touching portrayal of the profound spiritual relationship between Shrimad Rajchandraji and Gandhiji. Know more about Yugpurush - Mahatma Na Mahatma

Dryden's Essay: Of Dramatic Poesie: Short Video Lectures and Quiz

Short Video Lectures on 

Dryden's Essay Of Dramatick Poesie, 

Quiz and Tasks to 'Think and Write'

1) Short Video Lecture on Dryden as Father of English Criticism, Neo-Classical Critic and definition of Play:

2) Short Video Lecture on Dryden as Critic & Title of the Essay:

3) SVL on Dryden's Definition of Play:

4) SVL on the comparative criticism of the Ancients, the Moderns and the French Playwrights:

5) SVL on the debate regarding appropriateness of rhyme and blank verse:

6) SVL on the controversy regarding the Rhymes lines vs the Blank Verse:

Presentations:

1) Sir Philip Sidney's An Apology for Poetrie:

Sir Philip Sidney's Defence of Poesie from Dilip Barad

After viewing these videos and presentation, check your understanding about Dryden's Essay. 

Click here to appear in the Online Quiz.

Tasks:

Please give your response as a COMMENT below this post:

1) Do you any difference between Aristotle's definition of Tragedy and Dryden's definition of Play?
2) If you are supposed to give your personal predilection, would you be on the side of the Ancient or the Modern? Please give reasons.
3) Do you think that the arguments presented in favour of the French plays and against English plays are appropriate? (Say for example, Death should not be performed as it is neither 'just' not 'liely' image, displaying duel fight with blunted swords, thousands of soldiers marching represented as five on stage, mingling of mirth and serious, multiple plots etc.)
4) What would be your preference so far as poetic or prosaic dialogues are concerned in the play? 

Worksheet: Dr. Faustus: A Play by Christopher Marlowe

(Draft of the post)

Doctor Faustus: Christopher Marlowe

Quiz on the Play: Dr. Faustus

Thinking activity :

1) The play directed by Matthew Dunster for Globe theatre ends with this scene (see the image of Lucifer). What does it signify?

Last Scene: Lucifer with wide wings

2) Is God present in the play? If yes, where and how? If No, why?

3) What reading and interpretation can be given to this image (see the image of Daedalus and Icarus) with reference to central theme of the play Dr. Faustus?

Father Daedalus and Son Icarus

4) How do you interpret this painting?

5) Read this article by Bhagat Singh. In light of the arguments made by Bhagat Singh in this article, can you re-write last monologue of Doctor Faustus?

6) Summarise articles discussed in the class:

• Marlowe and God: Tragic Theology of Dr. Faustus
• Myth, Psychology and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus

You can take help of below given reading resources.

1) View presentation on contribution of Christopher Marlowe to English Drama:

Christopher Marlowe's Contribution to English Drama from Dilip Barad

Themes in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus from Dilip Barad

Teaching Literature through Technology: Play / Drama

As the use of technology in classroom is increasing day by day, it becomes important to make some serious observations on its usage and impact on the learners. I wish to write a trilogy of blog posts on poetry and fiction, as well. This is the first one one Play / Drama. 

Gujarat University, Ahmedabad

 I make extensive use of technology in my literature classes. The statement is not made in self-eulogy or from a sense of pride. I know, all teachers these days are using technology in their classrooms. So, it is neither new nor unique. Mine is just a humble attempt to see how far it works in the literature classrooms. And if I get some success with it, I am happy to share it with other teachers. This presentation was made for/in the Refresher Course in English Literature, organised by Academic Staff College, Gujarat University.
These were the points discussed with the help of various videos and select scenes from the stage performance of the plays:

Happy-Sad: Twin Masks

• Literature is made up of words. Colours, visuals, musical notes etc have no space in the aesthetic delight which literature gives through words to the readers.
• The use of visual mars the free play of imagination which words are capable of.
• There should be no medium between the words and the reader - if the literature is to be relished.
• But when it comes to plays, it becomes necessary to understand that plays are not meant to be read as poems or fictions are.
• Plays are to be performed and visuals of the performance is to be relished. Words on the page are not enough to give the beauty of play - the aesthetic delight lies in viewing the performance, rather than in reading it. Though, reading a play is also equally satisfying.
• To prove this point an interesting example is given in the presentation: refer to the slide on which Tom Stoppard and performance of 'The Tempest' is discussed.
• Well, some interesting scenes from 'Doctor Faustus' by Christopher Marlowe, 'Hamlet' by Shakespeare, 'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett, "The Birthday Party' by Harold Pinter were presented with important points. 

  

  All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players

• It was proved that the nuances of plays lies in the acting, dialogue delivery, pauses, silences, stage spectacle and several other stage devices. Reading a play, never gives the satisfaction which viewing a performance gives.
• However, in the classroom, while teaching the plays as texts, we cannot take students to the theatre to view the plays. Henceforth, we have bring in the video recordings of the play performances.
• Hey, there is a rub! There is a problem. The problem is inherent in video recordings of the performance which happens through 'camera'.
• This limitation is discussed in the slide on 'Camera as Technopoly'.
• Your queries, observations, suggestion are welcome in the comments below this blogpost.

Teaching Ideas: Teaching English Literature with the help of technology from Dilip Barad

Teaching Literature Through Technology: Play / Drama from Dilip Barad

Teaching Literatuer through Web 2.0 Tools: Does it Really Help? from Dilip Barad

Dilip Barad: In deliberation with participants of RC, ASC, Guj. Uni

Questions on session by Dilip Barad on ‘Teaching Drama through Technology’.

1.      The word ‘theatre’ has Greek theatron < theasthai at the root of its meaning. What does it mean?

a.       To read

b.      To watch

c.       To peform

d.      To act

2.      Which of the following gives appropriate difference between ‘Play’ and ‘Drama’?

a.       Play is a literary composition consisting of dialogues between various characters, epilogue, monologue, prologue and an end. Drama is the set up of the play, which includes the theater, the hall, the accessories, the green room, costumes, music and the like.

b.      They are synonymous without any difference as such.

c.       Play is ‘performance text’ and Drama is ‘play text’

d.      Drama is a literary composition consisting of dialogues between various characters, epilogue, monologue, prologue and an end. Play is the set up of the play, which includes the theater, the hall, the accessories, the green room, costumes, music and the like.

3.      With reference to which play, Tom Stoppard explained the difference between the performance text and play text to prove the point that visual/spectacle of the play is more important than textual reading?

a.       The Tempest

b.      Othello

c.       Hamlet

d.      Ariel

4.      In movie adaptation of which of the following play director has replaced curtains with mirror?

a.       The Birthday Party

b.      Waiting for Godot

c.       Doctor Faustus

d.      Hamlet

5.      In which of the following play, the menacing effect of silence and pause is generated with the help of tearing sound of newspaper and no dialogue or background score?

a.       Hamlet

b.      The Tempest

c.       The Birthday Party

d.      Doctor Faustus

6.      In which of the following play’s stage performance the fight between Good Angel and Bad Angel is presented quite dramatically?

a.       Doctor Faustus

b.      Waiting for Godot

c.       The Birthday Party
d.    Hamlet