Violence in the Plays of Tennessee Williams and Vijay Tendulkar A Comparative Study

Abstract

The word violence represents an extreme force. It causes newlinepain, suffering, rage, etc. It can be defined as an act by one or group of newlinepersons which may hurt another one or group of persons. Its causes, newlineforms and results can be different in different cases. It can also be at newlinevarious levels of caste, creed, colour, language, religion, gender, newlineindividual, family, group, social, regional, national and even newlineinternational. History of violence is almost as old as the history of newlinehuman race itself. The famous playwrights Tennessee Williams and newlineVijay Tendulkar saw violence since their early lives and, therefore, newlinethey depict it in their plays. The causes of violence which they show newlineare sexual lust, sadism and exploitation against the weaker sections of newlinethe society. newlineBoth of them wrote plays which made a deep impact on the art newlineof drama in their respective countries. The present study analyses five newlineselected plays of each of them with respect to violence found in them. newlineThe intention is to make an intensive and not an extensive study. The newlineplays of Williams which have been chosen are Not About Nightingales, newlineThe Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin newlineRoof and Suddenly the Last Summer. From among the plays of newlineTendulkar, The Vultures, Sakharam Binder, Ghashiram Kotwal, newlineKanyadaan and Silence! The Court is in Session are selected for the newlinestudy. newlineThese plays have been studied because they reveal differences newlinein the nature, forms and results of violence. Animals are assigned a newlinecrucial role in them. Animal sounds create a violent atmosphere. newlineViolence is, of course, shown in the form of blood shed. But there is newlinealso emotional and domestic violence in the society. In this case newlinewithout the shedding of blood, lasting injury is done to the victims who newlineare both men and women, but poetic or literary justice is not always newlinedone in the plays. newlineThe results of violence are made evident by Williams. In one newlineplay the convicts were roasted alive. In the second play a young girl is newlineheart-broken. In the third play a young woman was menta