Influence of Shakespeare on Bengali Literature: The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Abstract

The nineteenth century Bengali literature appeared to be the inception of modernity blended with the sprit of flourishing its widespread impact. With the dominance of the British rule all over the world the English perhaps carry and cherish their Shakespeare with them which they never contemplated of using for any imperial or colonial aptitude. Shakespeare is to be gleaned and sought in Bengali drama, translation and criticism with meticulous introspection of his plays and it has become indispensable to find out the subsistence of Shakespeare so as to measure how much and to what extent Shakespeare holds his image and influence on us or how much accessible he is in Bengali drama alias Bengali literature. Shakespeare is a matter of real contribution as he is the greatest dramatist of the world certified by many scholars and the critics around the world obviously deem Shakespeare as the greatest dramatist for his tremendous appeal and acceptability irrespective of the collapse of time, space, race and cultural ambit. Accordingly, the national as well as the cultural growth or revival of Bengali drama is to be ventilated through the projection of accepting him on the basis of his imitation and influence working in the dramatic presentation of the Bengali dramatists. Immense possibility of Shakespeare and the limitations of Bengali literature do not appear to be measured in the same formula. Educated Bengalis since the beginning of the nineteenth century happened to be in close touch with Shakespeare which still works fervently. The juxtaposition of the present condition of both the Bengali and English literature can be measured as the aftermath of the rapid growth of contact and comparative studies contributed by both the two. Gradual progress and development of Bengali literature has come to be recognized as the input of the literary contributors with a chorological ladder. Literature appears to be the prolific and most ancient branch of knowledge manifesting the aspects of life and nature related to human beings. From Rabindranath to Shamsur Rahman or from Girish Chandra to Syed Shamsul Haque, most of the nineteenth and twentieth century legendary literary contributors are thought to have been impressed by Shakespeare. In fact, Shakespeare has not only fulfilled the demands and interests of English literature but also filled up the gap held by the distinct branch in the context of dramatic products of world literature. Genius of Shakespeare has been institutionalized although he did not have any scope to have institutional certificates. England, if glories in her literature, has none but her Shakespeare to proclaim her image positively. There is a need of Shakespeare in every nation's literature. Hence, Shakespeare has been structured as the 'Icon standard' for the contributors of literature of the whole world. Bengali drama is the most significant chapter of Bengali literature which embraced Shakespeare earlier with the inception of the British cultural programs or theatrical presentation in west Bengal. Shakespeare came to be a dramatic personality and a geneus of dramatic literature and a set of traditions had developed under the inevitable impact of the same. The same tradition provided his existence which was followed by the Bengali playwrights for the basic materials with which to work, perhaps, the growth and studies of Bengali literature, in particular, dramatic literature has marked the impressive evolution which seems to have thwarted the rise of Shakespearean drama and its vehement theatrical presentation throughout all the levels of the country. In the year 1854 Parimothon Basu had arranged the historical play Julius Caesar of Shakespeare which was acted at a school located at Jorashako, Kolkata. There was spontaneous spread of Shakespeare which perhaps is measured as a credit to renascent England and as the evidence of historical obligation that Shakespeare was a Renaissance man.Human genius can never remain furtive and suffocated when there is the tendency of volcanic eruption in the growth of creative faculties of the genius. Genius attracts the genius in the way the magnet attracts the iron. There is no way to be prejudiced about the genius of a literary artist Shakespeare when there are reasons to be impressed by the radiance of the genius. Shakespeare of English literature influenced Rabindranath of Bengali literature. So the communion and contact between nations, geniuses, poets or playwrights are a psycho- scientific phenomenon which can never be examined as an isolated component. Even Shakespeare had the evidence of being influenced by his predecessors so it has been proved scientifically true that knowledge begets knowledge and the present follows the past with a veiw to making progress. During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Shakespearean influence started to work in Bengal when there began to grow an impetus among the Bengali intelligentsia, Bengali playwrights or writers in creating original works of Bengali dramatic literature. Indeed, there was none available but Shakespesre before them and he appeared to be a model for the growth of the individual skills of the playwrights representing the scenario of the Bengali dramatic literature. The Benali literary personalities accepted Shakespeare greatly in borrowing ideas about dramatic styles and techniques, stagecraft, creation of characters in the mode of imitation, adaptation, modification as and through the way of Indianaisation of Shakespeare's plays and were spontaneous in receiving Shakespeare. Depth of Shakespeare's plays impressed the Bengali literati with a tremendous effect on their minds of absorbing Shakespearean tradition as an inevitable aftermath as quoted by I. Habib who thinks for any one to escape Shakespearean influence is a difficult task with reference to the case of Shakespeare studies where the accretions of four centuries are bound to leave some impress even on the most original mind. But the rise and demand of Shakespeare have not been able to create awareness of the same among the Bengali mind as expected to be. Perusal of the original plays or reading of his translated plays, studies of the playwrights would open the milieu of newer vision and pave the way of proper study of Shakespeare for both the general and English educated readers with more of the efforts and enterprises of Bengali talent which can represent and reach the products of Shakespearean contribution to the commoners of the Bengali community. The tendency of showing any inertia of being far from Shakespeare is obsolete now -a days as the global net work and the impact of Shakespeare upon the whole world would never keep the Bengalis remaining untouched from the vicinity of Shakespeare. So to be influenced or affected by Shakespeare is not an uncommon incident but a mark of the flow of spontaneity and naturalness emerging from an Institutional Shakespeare not an Individual Shakespeare. The growth of the genius has every reason to entertain and accept every one as it's an inherent pursuit of being spread among those coming into the contact with the genius like Shakespeare.