India also has an old and long-lasting tradition of full-length poetic plays, which are called Sanskrit Dramas because they were written mainly in Sanskrit. In fact, however, they combine both classical Sanskrit with Prakrit or different forms of vernacular languages.<\/p>\n
The tradition was maintained for nearly 1 200 years, which makes it the longest continuous performing tradition of any drama texts in the world. The tradition of performing Greek tragedies, for example, lasted only about half a millennium, while the continuous performing tradition of Shakespearean dramas lasted less than a century.<\/p>\n
The earliest Sanskrit plays were written in the early centuries AD and they gradually ceased to be performed at some time during the 15th<\/sup> century, when Sanskrit was no longer a living, spoken language, and the Muslims had invaded northern India, where the tradition had been thriving.<\/p>\n As has already been mentioned, the earliest Sanskrit dramas date from the early centuries AD. The problem, however, with this genre is that the plays are almost impossible to date accurately. This also means that very little is known about the lives of their authors. The use of the Sanskrit language of the learned upper castes indicates that most of the Sanskrit dramas represent court theatre, which was probably created and performed under royal patronage.<\/p>\n The Sanskrit dramas cover a wide range of subjects and types of play. They include full-length poetic love stories, political plays and palace intrigues, as well as shorter farces and one-act love monologues. The foremost drama genre centred on the character of a noble hero. These \u201cheroic dramas\u201d, often with plots derived from tradition, are called natakas<\/i>. Another important type of drama is a kind of social play dealing with various kinds of human relationships. These plays, mostly invented by their authors, are called prakranas<\/i>.<\/p>\n The earliest existing plays are attributed to Bhasa. The best known is a kind of political romance called The Vision of Vasavadatta<\/i>. Other writers include the poet-king Sudraka, to whom three plays are attributed. The most famous of them is The Little Clay Cart<\/i>, in which a love story and political intrigue intermingle.<\/p>\n Ratnavali<\/i> is a complicated intrigue set in harem by the poet Harsha, while Bhavabhuti is known for his Ramayana<\/i>-derived play, The Latter Story of Rama<\/i>, and a love story, Malati and Madhava<\/i>. The Minister\u2019s Seal<\/i>, the only existing complete play by Visakhadatta, with its ruthless political plot, is a kind of thriller of its time. The most famous of all Sanskrit playwrights, both in India and in the West, is, however, Kalidasa.<\/p>\n As is the case with most of the Sanskrit dramatists, very little is known about the life of Kalidasa, the most celebrated poet in the history of India. It is believed that he belonged to the priestly Brahman caste and that he lived in North India at some time during the late 4th<\/sup> to mid 5th<\/sup> centuries AD, that is, during the classical Gupta Period.<\/p>\n His known works include three lengthy narrative poems, and three plays: Malavika and Agnimitra<\/i>, Urvasi Won by Valour<\/i>, and the famous Shakuntala<\/i> (also The Recognition of Shakuntala<\/i>). Kalidasa\u2019s poetry has been praised for its beauty and \u201climpidity\u201d or a kind of transparency. It has been seen as reflecting the \u201cease and largeness of vision\u201d, characteristics of the mature classical Gupta period.<\/p>\n The Recognition of Shakuntala<\/i>, or more often just Shakuntala<\/i>, is regarded as the epitome of Sanskrit dramas. The basic story of this lyric, fairytale-like play in seven acts is derived from the Mahabharata<\/i>. It was certainly common practice to borrow and enhance elaborate characters and events from the epic literature.<\/p>\nPlaywrights and their Works<\/h2>\n
Kalidasa<\/h2>\n
Shakuntala<\/h2>\n