I find this play very interesting, because it is very different from all of the passages or plays that we’ve read in class (for an example Medea). In my opinion, it is less dramatic than the others, very mellow, , and also focuses, much more on the emotional aspect of love and beauty, as well as sexuality. When I read the poem, I envision a garden scenery or a royal palace in the background. I feel like, I can definitely paint a picture just by reading this play.

Also I found that the characters would compare their emotions or feelings to nouns or verbs such as seasons, flowers and scents. For an example, when the King sees Sakuntala on pg 913 of line 114 – 117, he says “ Who is she? Carefully veiled to barely reveal her body’s beauty, surrounded by the ascetics like a bud among withered leaves”. The King compares her beauty to a bud among withered leaves. I’m assuming he referring to how natural and pure she looks, which makes her beautiful to him.

Image of “a bud from withered leaves”

Later on in the play, the King has seems to have lost his ring (The ring of recollection), which was later found by a fisherman, that was in the belly of a fish. The chief, Magistrate reports the missing ring to the King, which he rewarded the fisherman a “sum equal to the ring” (pg. 920, line 46). The Magistrate stated that he didn’t believe the King really valued the stone, but perhaps when he had seen the stone; it must have brought a memory of someone he loved (Hmm, could that be Sakuntala?).  Although, the stone itself wasn’t of much value in his eyes, it was the memory that came along with stone that added value to it. What I found quite funny, was once the fisherman received his reward for finding this ring, he suddenly became the Chief “greatest and dearest friend” and offered him to celebrate with him. ( Pg. 920, Line 52-54)

After the King regained his memory from the ring ( it was stated that he was put under the Durvasas curse, which could only be broken if he had seen the ring)(Pg.941, line 340-342) he went to return the ring to Sakuntala. Sakuntala learns that she wasn’t intentionally rejected by her husband, however because of the curse that was caste on him,

My question to the class, do you truly think love at first sight is real? and if you believe so, do you think what made the person fall in love in beginning can eventually disappear? because physical beauty usually depreciates over time as we age, don’t it?

Here’s some paintings of a few characters.

Raja Ravi Varma (In the red dress)

Shakuntala (In the white dress)

and Sakhism ( In the yellow gown)

Website of Image:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raja_Ravi_Varma,_Shakuntala_and_Sakhis_(Oleographic_print).jpg

“Dushyanta and Shakuntala – Love at First Sight”