The Fire and the Rain: A Study of Human Passions

Abstract

This paper primarily focuses upon human impulses, emotions and passions expressed in the play The Fire and the Rain by Girish Karnad. Selecting a small story from one of India’s epics Mahabharatha, the playwright has discovered the desires and emotions at psychological level. An attempt has been made to bring out these elements in this paper. Karnad juxtaposes the instinctive feelings and the acquired knowledge obtained as per the society’s demand. At one level all this intellectual and acquired knowledge becomes futile and meaningless. Through the female characters like Vishaka and Nitthilai, the playwright has attempted to show how human passions are uncontrollable as well as natural and true to the nature. All these issues have been analysed. And further it is studied here how the playwright has tried to show that myths and social taboos are critcised and ridiculed in the circumstances of life.