Romeo and Juliet in the light of the Theory of Rasa

Abstract

Indian poetics is nothing but a focus of Sanskrit and Tamil critical concerns. Among which the theory of Rasa is an ancient antiquity. The theory of Rasa is an earnest attempt to indicate the character of the emotional effect of the drama or it successfully explains the rise and nature of realisation of the aesthetic pleasure that a responsive audience experiences while witnessing the skillful enactment of a play. There are many thinkers who have propagated the theory like Abhinavgupta, Bhoja, Sri Sankuka, Bhattnayaka, Bhattlolata and Jagannatha. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story drama, in which the theory of Rasa has been applied on the basis of emotions, like love, mirth, pathos, zeal, anger, fear, disgust and wonders, enacted by the character and felt by the audience.