THE FIRE AND THE RAIN
GIRISH KARNAD
SKETCH THE CHARACTER OF PARAVASU
Paravasu is the eldest son of Raibhya. He goes about as the
Chief Priest in the fire sacrifice for a considerable length of seven years in
the king's Palace in order to propitiate Lord Indra, the Lord of rains. He is
learned, knowledgeable with the Vedas. He is purposefully mean and vindictive,
and abuses his knowledge for the satisfaction of his selfish motives. His
married life with Vishakha is arid and joyless, bone-dry and dismal. He
purposefully kills his own dad. Raibhya and accuses his younger sibling.
Aravasu for patricide and urges him to notice compensation and expiation for
death of their dad. He insults, humiliates, affronts and embarrasses Aravasu in
the fire ceremony and incites royal guards to throw him out of the sacred place
and beat him lethally. Finally, Paravasu is consumed in fire for the wrongdoing
he has carried out. Paravasu is presented the honor of being the Chief Priest
of the fire sacrifice. In any case, similar to his dad, his activities also
digress a long way from the individual he is supposed to be a result of the
halo surrounding his profession and social status.
SKETCH THE CHARACTER OF YAVAKRI
Yavakri is portrayed with precision, accuracy, minuteness and
profundity. He is advanced learned but resentful yet angry. He feels that his
dad a profoundly educated sage, is humiliated by his sibling, Raibhya and his
son Paravasu. He burns with revenge and vengeance. He really wants knowledge
for taking revenge for getting payback. Thus, he goes to the jungle to perform
austerities and penance for ten long years. One night Indra gives knowledge on
him. He abuses it for getting back and taking revenge on Raibhya and Paravasu.
He has fornicated Vishakha and invites Raibhya's rage. He takes the assistance
of powerful, supernatural agency and wrecks him.
SKETCH THE CHARACTER OF RAIBHYA
Raibhya is Yavakri's uncle and Paravasu's dad. He plays a
negative part in the play "The Fire and The Rain. He is mean, malicious,
ambitious, deceitful, jealous and lustful, noxious, aggressive, underhanded,
envious and lewd. He is a holy person and a saint but he is a stigma as
sainthood. He attacks and molests his daughter-in-law, Vishakha, without her
significant in the absence of her husband, Paravasu. He also abuses his insight
and he too misuses his knowledge. He is desirous and jealous of his son whom
the king has appointed the Chief Priest of the fire sacrifice. He is so frustrated
person and he invokes Kritya, Brahma Rakshasa to kill Yavakri to take his
revenge.
SKETCH THE CHARACTER OF ARAVASU
Aravasu is the younger son of Raibhya and sibling of Paravasu.
He isn't intelligent, erudite like his dad and brother. He is so innocent to
follow orders of his elders. He falls in love with Nittilai, a tribal girl and
he has decided to change his caste to get marry her. He joins the troupe of
actors and entertainers since he is interested in singing and dancing. In those
days acting profession is reserved only for low castes people. He claims the
responsibility of patricide, a contemptible crime which his brother committed.
He expects the evil job in play within play which uncovers his real self. He is
instrumental to the defilement of the sacrificial precincts and the demise of
Paravasu. He sacrifices his own happiness with Nittilai for the reclamation of
Brahma Rakshasa. It's a respectable and notable act in light of a legitimate
concern for the community. At last, it rains and people start dancing with joy
and euphoria.
SKETCH THE CHARACTER OF VISHAKHA
Vishakha is a very different character in the play "The
Fire and The rain”. She is Paravasu’s wife and Raibhya’s daughter-in-law. She
is depicted as a victim and survivor of society. Vishakha has no individuality
and independence. She is portrayed and depicted merely as a sex toy in the
play. Paravasu, her husband uses her body for making different and various
sexual experiments and trials. In Paravasu long absence her father-in-law,
Raibhya tortures and torments her physically as well as mentally. Her old
sweetheart and lover, Yavakri, has fornicated her. Vishakha is a miserable and
hopeless woman and deserves sympathy and compassion. Her personality uncovers
and reveals how women were abused and
ill- treated by society in those days.
SKETCH THE CHARACTER OF NITTILAI
Nittilai is depicted as bold, determined, courageous, virtuous and ethical tribal young girl who experiences passionate feelings for Aravasu and she falls in love with him. The elders of tribe do not approve her marriage with Aravasu. Nittilai loves Aravasu from deepest of her heart and sensing, detecting that his life is in danger, she leaves her husband, brother and her family and her everything for her love Aravasu. When she sees him wounded, she cares him and cures him. Her love and adoration are not sensual however spiritual and otherworldly. She decides that she will live with Aravasu not as a wife but as a sister. She permits Aravasu to wed a girl of his choice. As we notice expectation always hurts, similar thing has happened in the end of the play, Nittilai is killed by her husband and Aravasu again remains in grief.
