is with all the pomp and circumstance of the first minister in the State.

Unity of Action

Thus varied are the characters that have been created by the powerful imagination of the poet and brought together for the purposes of this play. What remains for us is to see how these different types bear upon the main action of the drama - MANONMANI'S marriage with PURUSHOTHAMA. An inartistic handling of this variegated group would certainly have destroyed the Unity of Action, so necessary for the dramatic effect. Here, however, the poet has successfully preserved the Unity by a skilful manipulation of characters so diverse. Both by appropriate plot-construction and by proper development of dialogue and incidents he has made the various characters forward materially the central episode, MANONMANI'S marriage. It is true that the poet himself has thrown that event out of human calculation and control and gives us to understand that it is brought about by an unseen power behind us and that nothing can defeat it. Still considering that the same power moves to its purpose only through human and other lesser agencies, it will not be altogether fanciful to try to analyse and understand how the various dramatis personae seemingly further or retard the attainment of such purpose. The easy over-credulous nature of JIVAKA and the wily schemes of KUDILA only tend to bring PURUSHOTHAMA nearer to the object of his affection. These serve the purpose of MANONMANI more than MANONMANI herself could have wished or anticipated. Further, JIVAKA'S paternal choice of PALADEVA as MANONMANI'S partner in life and KUDILA'S treacherous proposal to PURUSHOTHAMA to lead him into undisputed victory are supreme moral tests from which both the lovers emerge victorious. The character of this couple stands higher in our regard for the self-control and moderation they have shown in the most trying and tempting of circumstances. SUNDARA, by his fore-sight, is the first to suggest this marriage and is also the first to bless it when PURUSHOTHA'S unexpected presence in the Marriage Hall threw the whole company into an hostile attitude and uproarious clamour. NARAYANA stands as the good angel by the side of JIVAKA and protects him, thus furthering MANONMANI'S happiness by saving a life she loved more than herself. VANI'S and NATARAJAN'S love affords, as I have stated, a contrast-beauty of its own and brings the love of MANONMANI and PURUSHOTHAMA into greater prominence. As VANI and MANONMANI represent two opposite poles of character, one guided by feeling and the other by intellect, NATARAJAN and PURUSHOTHAMA represent two other types. NATARAJAN is contemplative and PURUSHOTHAMA is nothing if not active. Such contrast - beauty is of the highest moment to throw the main characters and the central incident into greater relief and importance.