The Bull
- Bhimnidhi Tiwari
Bhimnidhi
Tiwari (1911-1973) is a well-known poet, story writer and dramatist from Nepal.
An ardent social reformer, Tiwari established Nepal Natak Sangh (Nepal Drama
Society) in 1949. Through this organization, he promoted the Nepali plays by staging
plays and encouraging the Nepali writers to write plays. In order to sustain
this organization, he also wrote plays like Matoko Maya, Shilanyas and
Sahansheela Sushila, among others. Tiwari won Madan Puraskar for literature in
1970. It was the late eighteenth century. Ranabahadur Shah, the grandson of
Prithvi Narayan Shah, was the king of Nepal. Ranabahadur Shah was fond of
bulls. In his one act play “The Bull,” Bhimnidhi Tiwari dramatizes an incident
related to Ranabahadur Shah’s craze for bulls to make a biting satire on the
feudal system, which dehumanizes human beings to such an extent that their
existence depends on their deferential treatment towards the four-footed
animals like bulls.
• Main characters:
Ranabahadur Shah - The king, 23
years
Laxminarayan Dahal (Jaisi) -
Subedar with Samarjug Company, bichari of the Ita Chapali court, and bull
doctor, around 40 years
Jitman - Cowherd
Gore - Cowherd
• Summary:
The Bull is a one-act play
written by Bhimnidhi Tiwari, a well-known Nepali poet and playwright. The play
criticized society’s feudal system at the time (18th century). The drama
depicts the death of King Rana Bahadur Shah’s bull, Male, and the terror that
three important characters, the bull doctor and two cowherds, Jitman and Gore, are
experiencing.
The play is set In the month of
Ashwin in the year 1854 B.S. At the start of the play, two panicked cowherds
named Gore and Jitman arrive at Laxminarayan’s house. They have come to notify
King Ranabahadur Shah about the death of his bull. Laxminarayan begins to
shiver after hearing their story. All of them get concerned about the king’s
impending punishment. The monarch has the power to put them to death.
Laxminarayan is frightened of being punished by having his head shaved. As a
punishment for speaking loudly in front of the monarch, Laxminarayan’s lips
were once burned. After that, Laxminarayan’s moustache never develops on that
side.
The bull died, according to both
cowherds, since it didn’t eat enough food (grass) and couldn’t digest fine rice
and split gram soup. The cowherds are instructed by Laxminarayan not to inform
the king that the bull has died. They will suffer a dreadful destiny if they
notify the king about the bull’s death. Following his advice to both cowherds,
Laxminarayan proceeds to the Basantpur palace to alert the monarch of the
bull’s bad health. Laxminarayan respectfully bends down in front of the king
and informs him that the bull is sick. He does not inform the king immediately
that the bull has died.
He Informs the king about the
sick bull’s condition. The bull sir, he claims, does not get up and have
breakfast. He doesn’t move or speak. He just looks at us with his eyes closed.
Laxminarayan begins by complimenting the bull’s beauty, walking style, and
heroic battle. He proposes that the bull be transported to the hill to help
with climate change and the bull’s health. After hearing Laxminarayan’s
statements, the king decides to personally inspect the bull’s condition and
leads a convoy on the palanquin to the cowshed at Thulo Gauchara.
Jitman and Gore, on the other
hand, are both waiting impatiently at the cowshed for the king’s decision. They
consider fleeing to save their lives, but they believe they will be caught and
killed again. The king is on his way there. At Thulo Gauchar, Laxminarayan runs
ahead of the convoy to advise the cowherds to massage the bull’s back feet and
wave the fan at the bull. They respond in kind. Laxminarayan even assures the
king that they have been caring for the bull since the early hours of the
morning. On the mattress, the bull is truly dead. There is no movement in the
area. It isn’t either breathing or eating. Its ears have drooped and its tail
has loosened. Fear prevents the cowherds and Laxminarayan from declaring it
dead. The bull, according to King Ranabahadur Shah, is dead.
Jitman begins to cry after
listening to the king and claims that he has been an orphan since the bull’s
death. The King gives him a 400-rupee tip and orders him to stay silent. Gore
begins to cry as well. He claims that the bull is more important to him than
his mother, father, wife, and children. He declares that he will either join
the bull or hang himself. The king grants a tip of 500 rupees after hearing his
speech. Finally, Laxminarayan begins to cry and act as if he is in pain. The king
taunts him and tells him to bury the bull, supervise the burial procedures, and
make sacrifices to the priest. Finally, Gore and Jitman express their joy at
being alive.
“The Bull” powerfully depicts the
feudal system of the time, in which ordinary people were oppressed, dominated,
and dehumanised. The animals of feudal lords deserved greater respect than the
animals of commoners. It explores the dehumanisation of common people by
rulers, the enslavement of Lords/Kings’ servants, and the domination of the
higher classes.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Why have Gore and Jitman come to see Laxminarayan?
Answer: Gore and Jitman come to
see Laxminarayan because they want to notify him of the death of King
Ranabahadur Shah’s bull (Male).
b. What, according to cowherds, is the reason behind the death of Male?
Answer: According to cowherds, the reason behind the
death of Male was caused by his eating less grass and being unable to digest
fine rice and split gram soup.
c. Why does Ranabahadur want to see the bull himself?
Answer: Ranabahadur wants to see the bull himself
because he wants to examine its condition and does not want the bull to be
transported to the hill if it can be cured or treated at Thulo Gauchar,
Kathmandu.
d. Why does Laxminarayan run ahead of the convoy at Thulo Gauchar?
Answer: Laxminarayan runs ahead of the convoy at Thulo
Gauchar because he wants to send a message to the cowherds telling them to
massage the bull’s back feet and wave the fan at the bull to please the king,
Ranabahadur Shah. If not, the king would become enraged and punish them. He
wants to show the king that they care about the bull.
e. Why do Gore and Jitman cry when the king declares that Male is dead?
Answer: Gore and Jitman cry when the king declares
that Male is dead to display their supposed affection for the bull. Both begin
to cry in a pompous manner, pleading for the king’s forgiveness. They are
hoping to be excused from the king’s punishment. Otherwise, the king may punish
them and hold them responsible for the bull’s death.
f. How do we learn that the bull is dead?
Answer: We learn that the bull is dead from the
conversation of Cowherds, Laxminarayan and the King. The words of cowherds and
the king are indicating that the bull is dead. The bull’s tail has loosened and
his eyes are motionless, according to both cowherds, and the king adds, “The
bull does not breathe, his tail has loosened, his ears have dropped down, and
he doesn’t eat anything either.
g. How does the play make a satire on the feudal system?
Answer: The feudal system and its horrific acts
towards ordinary people have been shown in this play. The feudal system’s
oppression, dominance, and dehumanisation of people can be seen here. The
cowherds, who survive on the mercy and grace of their lord, have been presented
in such a panic. These people live in terror because the lord’s animal receives
more comfort, respect, and care than they do. Both of them hide the reality of
the dead bull in order to save their lives in front of the king. The play is a
satire on the feudal system, depicting the feudal lord’s dehumanisation and
oppression of his workers.
h. Write down the plot of the play in a paragraph.
Answer: Bhimnidhi Tiwari, a well-known Nepali poet and
dramatist, wrote the one-act play “The Bull.” King Ranabahadur Shah was fond of
bulls. He had reared many bulls. Once, the bull named Male died. Then, the
cowherds and the bull doctor panicked because of the possible punishment from
the king. They pretended to be sad and mourning at the death of the bull. In
fact, they weren’t sad at the death of the bull rather they were afraid of the
possible punishment from the king. In order to save their life, they wept and
pretended to be heartbroken in front of the king. The king then gave them tips
seeing them crying. Finally, the cowherds were happy to be alive. The play
makes a satire on the feudal society of that time i.e. the 18th century.
Reference to the Context
a. Discuss the late eighteenth-century Nepali society as portrayed in terms of the relation between the king and his subjects as portrayed in the play.
Answer: The monarchy system was prevalent in Nepal
during the late eighteenth century. Nepal was controlled by the Shah Dynasty at
the time. Society at the time was rather strict. People lacked freedom in their
daily lives. People had to live under the king’s and his people’s dominance.
The play “The Bull” depicted a terrible society in which people were forced to
live in terror of the kings and lords. Ordinary people’s lifestyles were not
ideal. Their masters treated them horribly. If they rebelled against their lords,
they were severely punished. In this play, we may see a great example of
people’s miserable conditions.
The people were not given any
fundamental rights. The general public has a poor level of political knowledge.
In most societies, patriarchal rules and ideals existed. Women had to live
under male dominance for their entire lives. Males were permitted to marry a
large number of women. Laxminarayan is shown in the play with seven wives. He
even appears to have taken on another wife. The kings or the lords had complete
control over the lives of common people.
b. What does the relation between Laxminarayan and his wives tell us about the society of that time? To what extent has the Nepali society changed since then?
Answer: Laxminarayan is a forty-year-old bichari
(legal officer) and king Ranabahadur Shah’s bull doctor. In his lifespan, he
has married seven women. Even with seven women at home, he doesn’t seem
pleased. He has not dropped his plans to marry another woman. At home, he
refers to his seven wives as flat-nosed, beautiful, butterfly, swallow, ugly
face, and so on. He gave his wives various nicknames, demonstrating patriarchal
dominance as well as the state of women in the culture at the time. The
practice of marrying a large number of women was very widespread at the time.
Males were regarded as superior, while females were seen as their servants.
Married women had to live their lives under the dominance and control of their
husbands. They had to be reliant on their husbands and spend most of their time
within the boundaries of their homes. Illiteracy, child marriage, poverty,
feudalism, and a lack of understanding among the people were the major causes
of all of these issues.
The Nepalese society has altered
dramatically since then. The current state of Nepali women is significantly
better than imagined. According to Nepal’s constitution, Nepali women have
gained a range of rights over time. Nepali women’s consciousness and literacy
levels have substantially improved in today’s society. They aren’t as reliant
on their husbands as they formerly were. They’re even on their way to earning
the same as men. There is no masculine dominance in society. The Nepalese
constitution has a provision for heavy punishment for individuals who mistreat
women. Many organisations in Nepal seek to improve the well-being of Nepalese
women, as well as their rights and empowerment. Both males and females in Nepal
have equal opportunities under the Nepalese Constitution. In Nepal, the
majority of females have been seen at the top in several sectors.
c. Shed light on the practice of chakari as portrayed in the play. Have you noticed this practice in your society?
Answer: The concept of chakari was quite popular in
Nepal during the kings’ rule. During the royal system, the majority of people
were involved in the chakari of their monarchs, leaders, and lords. Chakari was
a type of practice by which individuals hoped to gain wealth and advancement in
their life. To be good in front of their kings and lords, people had to do
chakari of them all the time. They would face serious consequences if they did
not do the correct chakari.
The Idea of chakari appears
frequently in “The Bull,” a one-act play. The play’s main protagonists,
Laxminarayn Dahal and two cowherds Gore and Jitman, are frequently seen doing
the chakari of King Ranabahadur Shah. Due to his bad deed of speaking in a loud
voice in front of the monarch, Laxminarayan has even been punished by the king.
Both cowherds tell Laxminarayan of the bull’s death. The monarch has become a
source of great anxiety for all of them. They act as if they are very cautious
around the bull. They begin rubbing the bull’s feet and waving a fan at him in
order to appease the monarch. In front of the monarch, they even call the bull
as “The Bull Sir.” When the king personally announces the bull’s death, both
cowherds begin to cry uncontrollably. As a result, the play is filled with
chakari.
d. How does Laxminarayan outsmart Ranabahadur?
Answer: With his trickery, Laxminarayan outsmarts
Ranabahadur. He is a doctor of the king’s bull and a forty-year-old legal
officer. He rushes to the king’s palace as soon as Gore and Jitman inform him
of the king’s bull death. He has a talent for flattering the king. He does not
immediately inform the king of the bull’s death since the king may become
enraged by the news. Rather than telling the king the truth, he informs him of
the bull’s sickness. He even tells the cowherds to massage and waves a fan at
the bull as they approach the cowshed in order to please the monarch and
protect their lives. The king believes the bull died despite receiving
excellent care and treatment right in front of his eyes. The king does not
disbelieve them as a result of Laxminarayan’s techniques, and they survive the
king’s severe punishment.
e. Sketch the character of Laxminarayan.
Answer: One of the main characters in this one-act
play is Laxminarayan Dahal. He is a forty-year-old legal officer as well as
king Ranabadur Shah’s bull doctor. He is married to seven different women. He
has seven women at home, but he appears to be unsatisfied with all of them. He
plans on marrying the eighth woman. When he learns of the king’s bull’s death,
he makes good use of his intellect and moves quickly to spare himself and the
cowherds from the king’s punishment. He goes to the king’s palace, but he does
not immediately inform the monarch about the bull’s death. He is well aware of
the king’s flattery (chakari). When the king arrives at Thulo Gauchar’s cowshed
to see the bull, he tells the cowherds Gore and Jitman to massage and wave fans
at the dead bull in order to please the king. Laxminarayan’s witty acts have
contributed to the play’s humour. They were saved from the king’s heavy
punishment due to his trickery. As a result, we may claim that Laxminarayan is
the one who has outsmarted the king with his cunningness and chakari.
