Les femmes et les mythes hindous dans le théâtre hindi

Abstract

This article examines the portrayal of women in Hindi drama. In the following, we will examine the cultural segments that have influenced the development of the dramatic genre of Hindi. We will analyze Hindu images of the feminine according to three mythical figures. We propose to understand the interpretation of the feminine through these three mythical figures of great importance in the Hindu tradition. In support of our theoretical discussion, we have chosen to focus on the dramas of three representative playwrights, Bharatendu Harishcandra, Jayshankar Prasad and Jagdishcandra Mathur. We will deal with the ways Hindu images of the feminine have been reinterpreted in Hindi theater of pre-independence India. By means of a thematic analysis and ideological criticism, we aim to understand how Hindu myths have been used in order to affirm or contest Hindu female models of the submissive woman or the independent woman.