தினசெய்தி – 3 12 2023
பக்கம் எண் : 4
அருந்தமிழும் அன்றாட வழக்கும் – 190
EPILOGUE
முனைவர் ஔவை அருள்
தில்லிப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் யான் 28 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு வழங்கிய
முனைவர் பட்ட ஆய்வின் நாற்பதாம் பகுதி வருமாறு:
What has been discussed so far, clearly demonstrates the extent to which Shakespeare has influenced Indian dramaturgy in general and Tamil Literature in particular.
This influence acquires an importance all the more, in view of the fact that after the great dramatic tradition of Sanskrit had died out, drama in India became just a source of entertainment and not a great literary medium of human expression.
With the advent of Shakespeare into India there came a renewed sense of realization that drama as a literary form could be a true mirror of life.
Shakespeare began to exercise a refining influence in that, the concepts of comedy and tragedy opened up new and unprecedented vistas before Indian dramatists.
Portraying the inner conflicts of the soul became progressively popular.
Greater attention was given to the delineation of character imitating the Shakesperean model.
Shakespeare went on gaining ground for reasons already stated and translators wished to impart their knowledge of Shakespeare, to those who were not familiar with Shakespeare through translations and adaptations.
Students of various educational institutions staged the originals as well as the translations and adaptations.
Tamil stage, as well as Tamil dramatic literature, began to imbibe the influence of Shakespeare.
Tamil dramaturgy became enriched in matters of plot, construction, planning, technique, stage craft and acting.
Having had an overview of the translations through passages, the various styles in translation and the kind of tweaking to suit local sensibilities, one can surmise that:
1) Shakespeare’s advent created a new awareness and exerted a new kind of influence.
2) What has been seen so far in the various 39 chapters above can be said to have laid a foundation for a further intensive study of translations and adaptations of Shakespeare.
3) The Tamils were responsive and sensitive to Shakespeare’s drama and poetry.
4) The critical sensibility of the Tamils in understanding Shakespeare was sharpened.
Translation efforts assume all forms, demonstrative of this sensibility.
To restrict the problems to Tamil-English operations is to lose sight of the phenomenon as a whole.
5) Those who attempted translations and adaptations realized the potential of Tamil as the medium of translation.
The Tamil appreciation of Shakespeare was activated when prescribed as a text and the inherent appreciation of the Tamils for classical prose and poetry made it easy.
Given the many translations and the flavors in translation, one can safely say that Shakespeare came to India with an undisguised directness.
While his work was read with pleasure in the original, the translations took them to the native language speaker and especially, translations of Shakespearein Tamil, were an art of self-expression, bringing out the creative genius of the Tamils.
In the hands of Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar the exotic became demotic and helped the masses appreciate literary creations.
Translations, thus became an art of literary imitation.
This effect of translation extended over a long stretch of time.
Translation afforded freedom to those who wanted to indulge in it as a literary exercise.
Curiosity, led the Tamils to touch and taste everything.
Tamils saw the medley of Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar ranging from Shakespearean translations and a few farces from As You like it and Henry IV and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the poetics of V.G.Suryanarayana Sastri, the aesthetics of Swami Vibulanandha, and the dramatics of Prof. Sundaram Pillai.
The efforts compassed a tumultuous period of sixty years from 1870.
The first half of this sixty-year period may be defined as the Age of the play, rather than what is generally accepted as a period of literary excellence – this was also touched upon earlier and it can be described as a period of excitement and adventure more than the poetic translations.
Meanwhile, touched by the Bard, the classical in Tamil had a reawakening and rediscovered its own strength.
The texts became tales, renditions and adaptations.
The classroom rated playing above watching.
The year of 1930 in the 1870- 1990 segment is significant as reminiscence gave way to artistry at this point.
Kallapiran Pillai and T.N.Seshachalam learned to lose themselves in the creative effort.
There was a new energy and in this, T.N.Seshachalam touched the peak.
English and Shakespeare were no longer alien.
A language that fascinated a few and frightened the rest, became accessable to the natives.
Ardent lovers of literature stretched out their arms for the beauty of the language and the dramatist.
It is with this informed desire that translators like Justice Maharajan, Dr. K.R.Srinivasa Iyengar, Prof.A.S.Narayanaswamy Naidu and Pulavar Ekambaranathan went in for conscious creation, while T.Lakshamana Pillai had also attempted metrical translation of Cymbeline, earlier.
Thus, Shakespeare was properly appropriated and translations acquired a significance and media gave an impetus to them.
– முனைவர் ஔவை அருள்
தொடர்புக்கு dr.n.arul@gmail.com
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