Sunday, November 11, 2007

Review
The King Who Limped
The King Who Limped is a satirical drama which criticizes the sycophancy of the officials in his palace. It’s a highly meaningful and effective drama, as a satire. It’s also a drama with a great sense of humor. Monika Throne is a successful writer an of course she is a writer with an amazing talent of humor. Here the author presents the satire with a multiple view that is she depicts not only about the sycophancy of the palace members but also about the way a King should preside over his country. She also provided us indirectly the traits of a King should be?
The plot of the story is very good with its exposition, rising action, climax and falling action. The exposition is perfectly calculated, she could give an idea of almost all the characters of the drama in the first scene itself. The rising action starts with the arrival of the King in a strange look! She promotes the play with superb crisis along the story which is interesting and highly dramatic. Climax is wonderful with such an unexpected behavior of the King before the spectators, and it’s stunning! The falling action comprises of the great responsibilities a King should take into consideration, it also deals with how a King should be? Thus the plot of the storyline is managed fantastically, and the events of the story occur logically.
The main characters in the play are the Prime Minister, the King, the Chancellor, a Courtier and two ladies in waiting. The King is the commanding character in the play, the Courtier and the First lady in waiting plays a positive character in the play. The Prime Minister, Chancellor and Second lady in waiting plays the negative role in the play. The sub characters are two Heralds, two neighbors, a page and a dog. The King is a man with much high aptitude and with some common sense. The sub characters and the King himself play a good role in rising action of the play. The King here plays a tricky character; his character is altering suddenly in between.
The setting of the story is in a palace hall where one could see the road through an open window. It comprises of a throne for the King and many other seats for the other officials in the palace.
The story is a satire. The satirical element of the story is sycophancy or simply flattery. The plot and setting helps it very well.
Above all this is a work with superb hilarity and with an excellent suspense in it. Anyone can enjoy it.

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2 comments:

Makayiram Thirunal Marthanda Varma said...

A satire is intended to reform the society by making them aware of the goods and bads in their surrounding and living environment. There is a saying that “pen is mightier than the sword” which does not advice anybody how he or she should be but how the contemporary life is. It is a choice of the wise what should be selected and rejected. Monica Thorne has written a very simple drama with a deep awareness to ordinary readers including the definitions for many day to day examples with the dialogues of the first and second ladies-in-waiting.

It is another general principle that every deed of a person of high authority or position should be accepted and considered as right, so as to escape from the punishment. The human tendency to imitate the ways of Superiors is also disclosed through the way of limping by the three.
There are several other stories in this category in the Indian as well as western literature on the same theme (1) The Emperor’s New Clothes – from Denmark, (2) The Invisible Silk Robe – from Srilanka, (3) The King’s New Turban – from Turkey, The King and the Clever Girl (India) and so on.

Makayiram Thirunal Marthanda Varma said...

The drama – the King who limped written by Monica Thorne can be called a satire to show some sycophant, ( 'Satire' (hnaÀi\w) is usually a humorous piece of writing (or a literary example of writing that makes fun of a situation or people.) In this drama, the prime minister and chancellor and one second lady in waiting are of in this category, who represents the half of the population of the country – surviving without any harm and making employer happy by opting their words and deeds are always right. Whatever the King or superiors say or do are appreciated by them irrespective of its honesty or reliability.
It is seen in every Nation, every state and every society a few supporters to every leaders, who has no other source of earning and depend the leader. In a democratic rule also, this drama can draw people’s attention to their own problems due to the activities of political statesmen of Ministers and their men as well as many employers of private sector companies, who are arrogant and reiterate frequently that “I spend for my enjoyment” and so on. This drama advocates how a king should be more than how the courtiers or kinsmen are. However, while looking from the shoes of the King as well as the Courtiers, both are right from their own point of view because there are Kings or Administers who kick out the critics or those whom they dislike as well as there are people who are suffering at even the lowest level of poverty to choose any and every work at poor return, who has no other choice than to accept others blindly.
This drama has also highlighted that the previous King was a person who was a doll of the prime minister, chancellor and the second lady, which is why they are still adopt the way of their service.

A satire is intended to reform the society by making them aware of the goods and bads in their surrounding and living environment. There is a saying that “pen is mightier than the sword” which does not advice anybody how he or she should be but how the contemporary life is. It is a choice of the wise what should be selected and rejected. Monica Thorne has written a very simple drama with a deep awareness to ordinary readers including the definitions for many day to day examples with the dialogues of the first and second ladies-in-waiting.

It is another general principle that every deed of a person of high authority or position should be accepted and considered as right, so as to escape from the punishment. The human tendency to imitate the ways of Superiors is also disclosed through the way of limping by the three.
There are several other stories in this category in the Indian as well as western literature on the same theme (1) The Emperor’s New Clothes – from Denmark, (2) The Invisible Silk Robe – from Srilanka, (3) The King’s New Turban – from Turkey, The King and the Clever Girl (India) and so on.