Charudatta in Sudraka’s Mricchakatika :

Character Analysis

Ans- Charudatta is an impoverished Brahman, who is one of the

central characters in Sudraka’s play Mricchakatika. Sudraka presents
Charudatta as a noble and sensitive man, of respectable social
position. His state of poverty is a result of his charitable nature,
which is also shown as a positive trait.

Charudatta as a Nayaka
According to Bharata’s Natyasastra, there are four types of heroes
or Nayakas: Dhirodhata (brave and haughty), Dhiralalita (brave and
sportive), Dhirodatta (brave and generous)
and Dhiroprashanta (brave and calm). Judging from Charudatta’s
innate nature and qualities he may be classified as a Dhirodatta
Nayaka, with added qualities of calmness at some points. Sudraka
was a highly innovative writer who improvised on many of Bharata’s
rules. In matter of characterization too, especially in the delineation
of the hero, Sudraka attempted to go beyond the exact
categorizations laid down.

Various Shades of Charudatta

As the play begins, Charudatta is shown to be in a gloomy mood,

talking about his friends who have left him because of his poverty.
His loyal companion Maitreya is seen as a merry support who tries to
enliven him. The first act serves as an exposition to establish
Charudatta’s calm and melancholic nature. At the same time, his
treatment of Vasantasena shows his chivalrous generosity. As the
play progresses, other qualities of Charudatta come to light. In the
storm scene he is shown to be full of poetic imagination:

“The untimely storm afflicts the blackened sky

And the wistful lover’s heart”

He goes on to describe the clouds, the rain and the lightening with
beautiful imagery and simile. His poetry is born out of his biraha, his
longing for his lady-love Vasantasena.

Is Charudatta Heroic?

One might argue that it is not noble for a married man to have desire
for a woman other than his wife. In the first act we find Charudatta
feeling ashamed of himself when he openly admires Vasantasena,
thinking that she is another man’s wife: “I may not gaze upon
another’s wife”. However, Maitreya assures him that he should not
feel shame because Vasantasena is a courtesan. When the play was
written, having a relationship with a courtesan or prostitute was
sanctioned by society. It was not considered to be a sinful act, even
for married men. Later, in the play, we also see that Charudatta’s
wife sees this relationship as a socially licensed one. However, it
must be remembered that the voice of the woman was hardly
expressed at that age.

Some might question Charudatta’s claim to heroism on another

ground as well. He is a very passive character. In his relationship with
Vasantasena, he does not actively initiate anything. He lets things
happen to him He accepts his fate, even when he faces death.
However, despite his passivity, he is at the centre of the plot and his
presence is highly important. Again, he shows a unique confidence in
his abilities to please Vasantasena even without any wealth.
Charudatta’s Passivity

Charudatta’s passive acceptance of death sentence was perhaps

caused by his feeling that he did not wish to live without
Vasantasena. The news of her death robbed him of any will to
survive. Yet, before the final moments, he wished to see his son.
His vatsalya, his love for his child is shown in a very emotional light.
At the same time, he wishes to protect his child from the pain of
watching him die. He wants his son to be taken away from the site of
execution.

Charudatta as a Representative of Common Man

Charudatta is presented as a sensitive, noble man. He plays no active
role in the revolution going on during that time. However, Sudraka’s
story is not a Nataka, but a Prakarana. The play is not about royal
revolution or history. It is about a common man, his love, his
disappointments and his common sphere of existence. From this
perspective, Charudatta is indeed the hero or Nayaka of Sudraka’s
Mricchakatika.