The Subalterns Are the Most Fluid and Refreshing: Women Characters in the Plays of Girish Karnad

Women characters in the plays of Girish Karnad are not mere society?s obsession for beauty, the ?Shyama Nayikas? rarely to be found in the real world, but they are the true characters grounded in Indian milieu throughout ages. They are not only sensible and sensitive but also intelligent and bold. The vulnerability is their strength; subtle interpretation is their armor; sharp tongue is their sword; more so they are guided by spontaneity even in the most oppressed state of theirs. The queen Devyani to liberated Padmini to modern Vidula, they depict the trends of societal change, rather they are the instruments of change by following their raw impulse like fury, passion and desire even in a limited way in the space allotted to them by the man?s world. The double subalterns like Swarnalata, Sharmistha, Kurudavva are the most amazing. They are the ones who understand the reality and the meaning of life far more than other characters. When the characteristic traits of leading men characters are almost static with their patriarchal attitude and notion, it is the women who take the lead to reverse this notion by raising pertinent questions and acting differently. Men are always the towering figures and dominant characters in most of the plays but women are seen as having different and versatile roles which allows them to be the centre of the conflict or plot.