ABSTRACT
In India, people do not have one, but multiple theatre traditions. And the Sanskrit drama that stretches from Bhasa to Bhavabhuti is the strongest of our theatrical traditions. Apart from this, there are several jaanapada or folk traditions in the many languages of our country. Curiously, independent theatre traditions had not developed in these languages until the 19th Century. Tamil, however, is claimed to be an exception to this rule. Now, juxtaposing folk theatre with Shakespeare’s drama would be as inappropriate as comparing domestic folksong styles to Goethe’s poetry. Shakespeare’s plays mostly contain a specific message. The only Indian theatre form with the scope, diversity, and strength to endure comparison with Shakespeare’s drama is the Sanskrit drama. There is one fundamental similarity between Shakespeare’s dramas and Sanskrit dramas. Sanskrit dramatists are comparable with Shakespeare in the way they combine prose and poetry and mixing of the serious with the humorous.
