Subverting the Serpent_ Myth, Performance, and Female Agency in Girish Karnad's Naga-Mandala.pptx

This presentation offers a critical feminist analysis of Girish Karnad's iconic play, Naga-Mandala (1990). It explores how Karnad masterfully uses Indian folklore and mythology not to celebrate tradition, but to subvert it and critique patriarchal structures.

The deck breaks down how the protagonist, Rani, moves from a state of confinement and silence to one of agency and power. Key themes include:

The architecture of patriarchy and the male gaze.

Feminist re-writing of myths like the chastity test and the Ahalya legend.

The female body as a site of resistance.

The role of oral storytelling and performance in empowering the subaltern voice.

A critical discussion on whether the play's ending represents true empowerment or an ambiguous compromise within the system.

1. Prepared by: Rutvi Pal Department of English M.K. Bhavnagar University (MKBU) Subverting the Serpent: Myth, Performance, and Female Agency in Girish Karnad's Naga-Mandala

2. Table of Contents Introduction: Contextualizing Karnad's Feminist Project The Architecture of Patriarchy: Confinement and the Male Gaze Feminist Subversion Through Mythopoeia Agency, Performance, and the Subaltern Voice The Body as a Site of Patriarchal Contestation Theoretical Frameworks: A Global Dialogue Empowerment or Ambiguous Compromise? Conclusion

3. Introduction: Contextualizing Karnad's Feminist Project 1938 – Born in Matheran, Maharashtra; grew up in Karnataka. 1961 – First play Yayati written at Oxford. 1964 – Tughlaq – landmark political play. 1970 – Hayavadana staged; acted in Samskara (parallel cinema). 1974–75 – Director, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). 1988 – Naga-Mandala – feminist reworking of folktales. 1988–93 – Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi. 1990 – Tale-Danda – caste and reform issues. 1992–98 – Director, Nehru Centre, London. 2004 – The Dreams of Tipu Sultan. 2011 – Awarded Jnanpith Award. 2019 – Died in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

4. A towering figure in Indian drama who masterfully uses ancient myths and folktales to critique contemporary social issues. The Play: Naga-Mandala (1990) is a "play with a cobra," weaving together two Kannada folktales. Karnad uses the structure of myth and oral performance not to celebrate tradition, but to subvert it. He exposes the injustices of patriarchy and creates a space for female agency and transformation. As Roy argues, Karnad uses myth to "disrupt, dismantle and erase biased differences and hierarchical polarities... giving voice to many silenced micro-narratives of suffering and exclusion." (Souparna Roy, 254)

5. The Architecture of Patriarchy: Confinement and the Male Gaze Rani's World: A metaphor for the condition of women in a patriarchal society. Confinement: Literally locked inside her house by her husband, Appanna ("any man"). Isolation: "A caged bird" (Karnad, 257) with no social interaction. Neglect: Appanna visits his concubine, ignoring Rani's emotional, physical, and sexual needs.

6. The "Second Sex": Rani is stripped of identity and dignity. Her name means "Queen," but she is treated as a servant (Mahato, 19). Her existence is defined solely by her relationship to her husband. The Male Gaze: Society, represented by the Village Elders, only scrutinizes Rani's chastity, while Appanna's infidelity is ignored (Roy, 643).

7. Feminist Subversion Through Mythopoeia (Myth-Making) Karnad doesn't just use myth; he rewrites it to challenge patriarchal norms. Subverting the 'Chastity Test' Myth: In the Ramayana, Sita undergoes a fire ordeal to prove her purity to Rama. Rani undergoes a snake ordeal. However, her success doesn't reaffirm patriarchal control but inverts it, leading to her deification and power (Dagar, 158-159).

8. Re-imagining the 'Ahalya' Myth: Like Ahalya seduced by Indra in disguise, Rani is tricked by the Naga. But unlike Ahalya who is cursed, Rani's encounter leads to her liberation, confidence, and motherhood (Dagar, 155). The Naga: A Complex Symbol: The cobra is both divine and destructive. It symbolizes male desire but also becomes the unlikely instrument of Rani's empowerment, providing the love and affection her husband denies (Mahato, 20; Dagar, 152).

9. Agency, Performance, and the Subaltern Voice Finding a Voice: Rani transforms from a silent, "stupid, ignorant girl" into a confident woman who declares, "I am not a parrot." (Karnad, 32 cited in Roy, 644). Performance of Truth: The snake ordeal is a public performance. By holding the cobra and speaking her truth, she performs a powerful act that shames the patriarchal court and forces it to recognize her power (Dagar, 159). The Frame Narrative: The play begins with talking Flames sharing stories. This represents the oral, female tradition of storytelling—a "parallel system of communication among women" (Karnad, cited in Roy, 257). The play itself is an act of giving voice to subaltern (marginalized) narratives.

10. The Body as a Site of Patriarchal Contestation A Body to be Controlled: Rani's body is confined, her sexuality ignored, and her fertility questioned. It is a site for patriarchal rules and chastity tests. Reclaiming the Body: Through her relationship with the Naga (a product of a magical root from a female character, Kurudavva), Rani: Overcomes frigidity. Discovers sexual pleasure and affection. Achieves motherhood. Her pregnant body becomes the very evidence that challenges patriarchal law and grants her new social power (Roy, 645).

11. Theoretical Frameworks: A Global Dialogue Karnad's work speaks to global feminist and philosophical theories. Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex" : Rani is the quintessential "Other," defined entirely by her relationship to the male (Appanna). Her journey is one of overcoming this imposed identity (Mahato, 20).

12. Shulamith Firestone's "Dialectic of Sex": The play critiques the patriarchal structure of society as an unnatural system designed to control female sexuality and reproduction (Mahato, 22). Bertolt Brecht's "Epic Theatre": The play's frame (the Flames and the Man) creates "alienation effect," forcing the audience to think critically about the social issues presented, rather than just feel emotion (Dagar, 160).

13. Empowerment or Ambiguous Compromise? The Triumphant Reading: Rani ends as the head of the household, revered as a goddess. Appanna submits to her will. She achieves everything she lacked: respect, authority, and motherhood.

14. The Ambiguous Reading: Her empowerment is still tied to her role as a mother within the patriarchal structure. Has the system truly been overturned, or has she just been granted a more powerful role within it? The death of the Naga (her true lover) suggests a bittersweet victory. As Roy notes, the ending shows "the need to provide great space to the woman is accepted," but it cannot completely dispel "the hidden, suppressed desire for greater love and personal fulfilment" (Roy, 645).

15. Conclusion Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala is a powerful work of feminist subversion. It masterfully uses the very tools of tradition—myth, folklore, and ritual—to critique and dismantle the patriarchal values they often uphold. Through Rani’s journey, Karnad charts a path from silent subjugation to vocal agency, using the female body as the ultimate site of resistance and transformation. The play does not offer a simple happy ending but a complex, provocative vision of empowerment that forces us to question the very foundations of social power and gender roles.

16. Dagar, Itika Dahiya. “The Representation of Folktales and Mythology in Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala: Play with a Cobra.” Language in India, vol. 23, no. 10, Oct. 2023, p. 151. languageinindia.com/oct2023/dritikanagamandala.pdf . Maurya, Mukesh Kumar. “Subjugation of Women through Mythepistemic Concepts in Girish Karnad’s Play Naga-Mandala.” The Voice of Creative Research, vol. 7, no. 1, 2025, pp. 284–289. www.thevoiceofcreativeresearch.com/index.php/vcr/article/view/69 . Roy, Janardan. “Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala – A Challenge to the Patriarchal Moral Code.” International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, vol. 3, no. 4, Aug. 2015, pp. 54–61. d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/53434118/JANARDAN-ARTICLE-FINAL-libre.pdf . Roy, Souparna. “Unearthing the Subversive Potential in Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala and Hayavadana.” Tripura Theatre, 2023, p. 254. www.tripuratheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tripura-Theatre-FINAL-2023.pdf#page=254 References: