The Recognition of Sakuntala

How are gender dynamics depicted in the play? What ideals and expectations regarding masculinity and femininity does the play present?

Sakuntala is often linked to the natural world in the text, while Dusyanta is more strongly associated with the urban world of the court. How do these connections shape their characterization? How do natural and urban settings affect the actions and experiences of the characters more broadly?

The play explores what it means to be a great ruler. What does the play suggest about the nature and duties of kingship? What makes a king effective or ineffective, just or unjust? In what ways does Dusyanta live up to this ideal, and in what ways does he fall short?

W. J. Johnson argues that those who consider Sakuntala a largely passive character in the play only need to look “at her economic dramatic prose in Act V to become aware of a more complex picture” (xxiv). In what ways does Sakuntala manage to grow and evolve as a character? To what extent, if any, does she learn to exercise her own agency?

The play explores the nature of the private and the public realms, and how these spheres can overlap or stand in opposition to one another. How are the private and public spheres depicted? In what ways are they different or similar? How do the characters navigate the different dynamics of each?

Using examples from the text, examine Kalidasa’s use of metaphors and similes. How does Kalidasa use figurative language to enhance the plot, characterization, and/or his key themes? What other literary techniques does he use in the play?

Mirroring and parallelisms are important features of the play’s plot and its narrative structure. How do these elements help to shape the play? How do they illustrate the play’s key themes and ideas?

Analyze the depiction and behavior of the gods in The Recognition of Sakuntala. What role does the divine have in the play? What does the play reveal about religious beliefs and practices in India during this era?