The Theory of Rasa Applied to Shakespeare’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream

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The Theory of Rasa applied to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream By: Aditi Anil Mahajan Introduction to The Theory of Rasa The Theory of Rasa has had a pre-imminent place in Indian Poetics since the classical Sanskrit period. Bharata’s work on dramatics, the Natyashastra has referred to Rasa as ‘the delight that the audience derives from its experience of the generalized emotions presented in the drama.’ According to general sense Rasa means taste or relish. In the technical sense it means the well known prime human emotions. Bharata is of the opinion that, Rasa is referred to by the term Rasa because, it is relished and enjoyed. At the time of eating a person relishes the flavor of his food to a great extent. Similarly, a perceiver whose mind is engrossed enjoys the presentation of various emotions and derives immense pleasure out of his experience. It can be explained as aesthetic delight. While talking about Rasa it is important to mention Bharata’s maxim: Vibhāvānubhāva-vyabhicāri-samyogādrasanispattiḥ i.e. the Rasa is accomplished as a result of the conjunction of Vibhāva, Anubhāva, and Vyabhicāribhāva. Vibhāva is the objective condition producing an emotion. It can be of two kinds: i) Alambana-Vibhāva: which means a person or persons with reference to whom the emotion is manifested and ii) Uddipana-Vibhāva: which means the circumstances that have excited the emotion. Anubhāva means bodily expression by which the emotion is expressed. Vyabhicāri means a series of diverse emotions that feed the dominant emotions. All these together leads to Rasa-nispatti- manifestation or completion of Rasa. In the discussion of Rasa the notable terms are Vibhāva, Anubhāva, Vyabhicāribhāva and Sthāyibhāva. Bharata opines that these first three terms mean cause, effect and related cause. Sthāyibhāva are the permanent moods, lying in
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