MYTH AND REALITY IN GIRISH KARNAD’S 'YAYAT' (Pages 182-189) by Ms. M. Nirmaladevi* and Dr. R. Venkataraman** in THE ENGLISH RESEARCH EXPRESS / ISSN:2321-1164 (Online); 2347-2642 (Print)

Girish Karnad has been the playwright who impacted the Indian English Drama in a big positive manner. Through his first play-“Yayati” in the year 1961, Karnad embarked on what was going to be a splendid set of contribution to the Indian English Drama. His plays are primarily written in Kannada and then are translated into other languages. The English translation of his plays is his own. They have brought him international recognition as a preeminent contemporary playwright. He has been widely acclaimed by both the theatre and drama critics for certain aspects of his plays: plot construction, characterization, symbolism, use of myth and folktales, reinterpretation of history, projection of contemporary social problems “Yayati” displays the complex structure of relationship between the trio of Devayani, Sharmishtha and king Yayati on one hand and Puru and Chitralekha on the other. Karnad has taken this myth from Mahabharata with a view to expose the absurdity of human life with all its elemental passions and conflicts, man’s eternal struggle to achieve perfection , escapism from responsibilities and self sacrifice, dreams and desire, identity crises and women predicaments.contemporary social problems “Yayati” displays the complex structure of relationship between the trio of Devayani, Sharmishtha and king Yayati on one hand and Puru and Chitralekha on the other. Karnad has taken this myth from Mahabharata with a view to expose the absurdity of human life with all its elemental passions and conflicts, man’s eternal struggle to achieve perfection , escapism from responsibilities and self sacrifice, dreams and desire, identity crises and women predicaments.Keywords: Myth, Folktales, Feminism, Identity Crisis, Absurdity, Selfishness.