Caste and Class Intersection: Protest and Re-assessment in Tagore’s Plays

Abstract

The paper analyses caste and class intersections in Rabindranath Tagore’s Plays. He was a staunch believer in the equality of all beings. As a person and as a writer he had strong views about the abominable practice of untouchability.  The paper discusses three powerful plays written by Tagore namely, Chandalika, Natir Puja and Sanyasi dealing with the theme of untouchability. His sensitive handling of the curse of untouchabilty lends these plays their power. Tagore was against discrimination based on caste, class, and gender and he opined that the oppressed must not yield to injustice. In these three plays he portrays characters that belong to lower strata of society but they show extraordinary courage to fight injustice.