Characters
Long Questions
1. Sketch the character of Malini.
2. Show/ Draw a character sketch of
Supriya and show how he is different from Kemankar.
Short-Questions
1. Why does Kemankar leave the kingdom?
2. Why were the Brahmins demanding for
the banishment of Malini?
3. What is the reason that Malini asks
for her own banishment from the palace?
4. How is the character of Supriya
differed from that of Kemankar?
5. Give a character sketch of Malini.
6. Would you call Supriya a betrayer?
Give reasons for your answer.
14. Malini
Rabindranath Tagore
Characters
Malini : princess of Kashi, influenced by Buddhism
Kemankar : a Brahmin & kills Supriya
Supriya : friend of Kemankar
King : Malini's father
Queen : Malini's mother
Prince : Malini's brother
Great crowed of people; King's palace; Foreign soldiers; Hindu kingdom Kashi
Summary
The event takes place in a Hindu Kingdom, Kashi. In the beginning of the play the king, the queen and Malini are seen on the balcony of the palace. There is a great crowed of people outside the palace. They are chanting slogans demanding Malini's banishment. The king is worried because of Malini. She was taught by the Buddhist monks and she was influenced by them. So she followed Buddhism.
Because of this reason the Brahmins, Kemankar and somehow Supriya were angry with Malini. They called her heresy and demanded her banishment to protest the Hinduism. Malini lived very simple life and dressed simply. She wanted to live among poor people and serve them. She also didn't like to trouble her father because of her.
Slogans were going on outside. The Brahmins began to find a way to save their old religion. So, a Brahmin began to read some lines from their religious book. The Brahmins prayed to goddess to come and save religion. Suddenly Malini appeared and immediately convinced by her. And they followed her.
But Kemankar was firm (rigid) to his idea. He wanted to complete his work at any cost. So he decided to go to a foreign country and bring foreign soldiers to fight against the king's army. He asked Supriya to be faithful to him and send the message of the kingdom to him. But Malini influenced Supriya too.
As Malini and Supriya were talking in the palace garden, Malini asked him about Kemankar. Supriya told her everything about Kemankar and also said that he showed his letter to the king. The king sent his soldiers to arrest Kemankar. He was brought to the palace, tied with chains. The king wanted to kill him immediately. But Supriya requested the king not to kill Kemankar.
Kemankar was so firm to his idea that he chose his death rather than surrendering. He wanted to see Supriya as his last wish. Then Supriya went near to him, they debate sometime and being furious, Kemankar hit Supriya with the chain. Supriya was killed so king became angry and took sword to kill Kemankar. But Malini requested the king to pardon Kemankar.
Long Questions
1. Sketch the character of Malini.
Malini is the protagonist of Rabindranath Tagore’s play
“Malini”. She is the princess of Kashi, a land where Hinduism originated and
prospered and where her new thoughts encouraged the conservative Hindus.
Although she is a princess, she doesn’t wear dresses of ornaments like a
princess. This annoys her mother but Malini thinks her destiny is “to find
riches in the poverty”.
Malini is inspired by a divine force of heaven. She thinks she should leave the palace and go among people. It is important because she thinks only by bridging the gap between palace and people; she can preach and rescue them from the troubled life of earth. According to her the whole world is like a ship left by its captain on a stormy sea. The ship might destroy if she will not reach. However once she goes out, she finds the reality quite different from what she has supposed. She asks help from Supriya in her mission as she lacks words when she is among in human crowd. This might make the readers think that all her visions are in fact illusions. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean she posses any power at all. In fact she looks so bright than agitating Brahmins takes her as an incarnation of a goddess who has descended on the pious land of Kasi to rescue it from the possible bloodshed. Malini is taught by Buddhist monks. Accordingly she is very much influenced by its philosophy non- violence and peace. When Supriya tells about how he has informed the king about Kemanker’s plan. Who makes him a imprisoned, she doesn’t like it. She thinks her heart is big enough to greet even the opponent. Not only that when Kemankar kills Supriya, she pleads the king to forgive him. Remarkable thing is that Supriya is very dear to her and king wants her to marry him.
She is young and beautiful girl. She is kind hearted, gentle and sensitive girl. She loves to live simple life and high thinking. She is intelligent enough to convince Brahmins.
2. Show/ Draw a character sketch of Supriya and show how he is different
from Kemankar.
Kemankar and Supriya were closed friends. They were leading the revolution together. We first meet Supriya with Kemankar when the Brahmins were protesting against Malini. All of a sudden, Malini comes there. The other Brahmins became in her side and Kemankar was left alone. Supriya was with Kemankar. Supriya is a learned man and he is not conservative like his friend. He does not like to prove the supremacy of religion by physical force. He knew that there were many drawbacks of the religion and so we find him in the favour of correcting them. He is very bold because he told all these things to the Brahmins. However, Supriya has certain weakness. His weakness is that he does not have his own standing. Till Kemankar was there, he was influenced by him and when he went in next country, he was influenced by Malini.
As a whole, Supriya is a nice gentleman. He did not like that there should be bloodshed in the name of religion. So, he showed Kemankar’s letter to the king. He loves his friend so he repeatedly requested the king to forgive Kemankar. He is really genuine because he didn’t become ready to marry Malini.
Though Kemankar and Supriya are closed friends. There are many differences between the two. First, Kemankar is stricter in determination than Supriya. Kemankar is more conservative. Supriya is liberal. He is ready to accept the drawbacks of his religion and the good things of other’s religion. But, Kemankar is blind to his religion.
Short-Questions
1. Why does Kemankar leave the kingdom?
Kemankar leaves the kingdom to collect arms and armies. So, he can attack the kingdom to change the kingship. He wants to punish Malini to interrupting the old Hindu religion. He leaves the kingdom just to come back with a threat to stop the spread of the Buddhism.
2. Why were the Brahmins demanding for the banishment of Malini?
The Brahmins were demanding for the king's daughter Malini's banishment because of her new religion. Buddhism was quite opposite than their old Hindu religion. They thought that she was heretic (a person who is against the particular religion). She was spreading the Buddhism all around the kingdom. It was intolerable to those Brahmins. So, they were demanding her banishment from the palace.
3. What is the reason that Malini asks for her own banishment from the
palace?
She thinks that she is born for the world not for the palace. As people demand for her banishment, she thinks their request must be granted. She doesn't like to be disobedient. She doesn't like to give trouble to anybody. So, Malini asks her own banishment to free the king from the trouble. These are the reasons that Malini asks her own banishment from the palace.
4. How is the character of Supriya differed from that of Kemankar?
Supriya was flexible and changeable. He believes in reality. He is kind hearted, faithful and non- violent person. He believes everyone without any doubts. He is simple- minded. Supriya is different from Kemankar in many points. Supriya is dilemma to follow Kemankar or Malini. But Kemankar is so firm of his own land. Supriya is betrayer of his own friend. Supriya is influenced by Malini but Kemankar is not. Supriya is non- violent but Kemankar loves it. Kemankar is more brave and courageous than Supriya. Supriya supports the Malini at last but Kemankar always hates her. Supriya wants to save Kemankar's life but Kemankar kills Supriya.
5. Give a character sketch of Malini.
Malini is an image of love. Forgiving is the good aspect that we find in her. She loves to live simple life and dress. She doesn't like to hurt anyone. She wanted to win hatred with love. She is young and sensitive, intelligent and peace lover. She is not a common girl.
6. Would you call Supriya a betrayer? Give reasons for your answer.
In a glance he is a betrayer. Because he betrays the Kemankar to give his letter to king But. I don't call Supriya is betrayer. Because he is so afraid that Kemankar is going to kill the Malini. So, he just wants to stop murder and violent in the palace. His desire is not arrested the Kemankar, so that he is not interested king's prize. And he request to the king to forgive the Kemankar. If he is a betrayer, he won't go near the Kemankar knowing his anger. So, he is an innocent.
7. What was the revolt against? Against Malini? Against the king? Against Buddhism?Kashi is one of the centers, where Hinduism originated and prospered. It is also the place highly dominated by Brahmins. Remarkable things are that the Brahmins enjoy the great freedom in Hindu society. In such condition any blow to the dominant religious creed may result in disadvantage of all Brahmins. Therefore when Malini comes out with a new concept influenced by Buddhism all the Brahmins get united against her and shouted for her banishment.
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