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The Bull by Bhimnidhi Tiwari | Summary | Questions and Answers | Class 12 English
The Bull by Bhimnidhi Tiwari
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This one-act play "The Bull" was written by a famous Nepali poet and dramatist Bhimnidhi Tiwari. The play has satirised the feudal system of the then-society (18th century). The story of the play presents the death of King Rana Bahadur Shah's bull called Male and the panic situation of three major characters. The play portrays the feudal system, where ordinary people were suppressed, dominated and dehumanised, while animals deserved more respect. It explores themes such as dehumanization, servitude and the subjugation of women.
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SHORT SUMMARY
The Bull by Bhimnidhi Tiwari
"The Bull" is a one-act play that was written by a famous Nepali poet and dramatist, Bhimnidhi Tiwari. The play has satirised the feudal system of the then-society (18th century). The story of the play presents the death of King Rana Bahadur Shah's bull called Male and the panic situation of three major characters: bull doctor Laxminarayan Dahal and two cowherds called Jitman and Gore.
The play took place in the month of Ashwin in 1854 B.S. At the beginning of the play, we find two panic-stricken cowherds, Gore and Jitman, coming to the house of Laxminarayan. They have come there to inform about the death of the bull of King Ranabahadur Shah. After hearing their story, Laxminarayan starts trembling with fear. All of them became quite worried about the possible punishment from the king. The king can even give them the death penalty. Laxminarayan is afraid of being shaved as punishment. Once, Laxminarayan's mouth was burned as a punishment for speaking with a loud voice in front of the king. Laxminarayan's moustache never grows on that side after that.
Both cowherds state that the bull died because it didn't get enough food (grass) and couldn't digest fine rice and soup of split gram. Laxminarayan tells the cowherds not to tell the king that the bull has died. If they inform the king about the bull's death, they will have a terrible fate.
After advising both cowherds, Laxminarayan moves towards the Basantpur palace to inform the king about the ill health of the bull. Laxminarayan bows down in front of the king with reverence and informs him that the bull is ill. He doesn't directly tell the king that the bull has died.
He tells the king about the condition of the ill bull. According to him, the bull sir doesn't wake up and eat breakfast. He doesn't speak or move. He only stares with still eyes. Laxminarayan starts praising the beauty, walking style, and valiant fight of the bull. He proposes the bull be taken to the hill for climate change and to heal his health condition.
After hearing Laxminarayan's words, the king decides to check the bull's condition himself and moves to the cowshed located at Thulo Gauchar with a convoy on the palanquin.
On the other hand, both cowherds, Jitman and Gore, are waiting desperately at the cowshed to hear the decision of the king. They even think of escaping to save their lives, but they think they will be arrested again and killed. The king approaches there. Laxminarayan runs ahead of the convoy at Thulo Gauchar to tell the cowherds to massage the back feet of the bull and wave the fan at the bull. They do so accordingly. Laxminarayan even informs the king that they have been caring for the bull since midnight.
The bull is actually lying dead on the mattress. There is no movement. It is neither breathing nor eating anything. Its tail has loosened, and its ears have drooped down. Yet, the cowherds and Laxminarayan cannot declare their deaths due to fear. King Ranabahadur Shah himself says the bull is dead.
After listening to the king, Jitman starts crying and says he has become an orphan after the bull's death. The king declares a tip of 400 rupees after hearing his sentiments and tells him to be quiet.
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Gore also starts crying. He says that he loves the bull more than his mother, father, wife, and children. He says he will go with the bull or hang himself. Hearing his words, the king declares a tip of 500 rupees. At last, Laxminarayan himself starts weeping and pretends to be in agony. The king scolds him and orders him to bury the bull, manage the funeral rites, and give offerings to the priest himself. At last, Gore and Jitman express their happiness to be alive.
This play, "The Bull," vividly portrays the feudal system of the then-society, where ordinary human beings were suppressed, dominated, and dehumanized. The animals of the feudal lords deserved more respect than ordinary people. It deals with the themes of the dehumanisation of ordinary people by the feudal lords, the servitude of the servants of lords and kings, and the subjugation and dominance of women.
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ALL PLAYS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The Bull by Bhimnidhi Tiwari
BEFORE READING
Answer the following questions.
a. Which animal do you like most? Why?
Answer:
I like the dog most because the dog is a quite lovely and loyal animal.
b. How do you take care of your domestic animal or pet?
Answer:
I take care of my domestic animal or pet nicely. I always provide every essential need of my pet on time.
c. How do you feel when your domestic animal or pet dies?
Answer:
I feel extremely sad when my domestic animal or pet dies.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
a. Why have Gore and Jitman come to see Laxminarayan?
Answer:
Both cowherds Gore and Jitman come to see Laxminarayan to inform him about the death of the bull (Male) of King Ranabahadur Shah.
b. What, according to cowherds, is the reason behind the death of Male?
Answer:
According to cowherds, the reason behind the death of Male is getting less food (grass) and being unable to digest fine rice and soup of split gram.
c. Why does Ranabahadur want to see the bull himself?
Answer:
Ranabahadur wants to see the bull himself because he wants to check the bull's condition and doesn't want the bull to be taken to the hill if it gets cured/treated at Thulo Gauchar, Kathmandu.
d. Why does Laxminarayan run ahead of the convoy at Thulo Gaucharan?
Answer:
At Thulo Gaucharan, Laxminarayan runs ahead of the convoy because he wants to convey a message to the cowherds to massage the hind feet of the bull and wave the fan at the bull to please the king, Ranabahadur Shah. Otherwise, the king would be angry and punish them. He wants to show their care towards the bull to the king.
e. Why do Gore and Jitman cry when the king declares that Male is dead?
Answer:
When the king declares that the Male is dead, Gore and Jitman cry to show their so-called care and attraction towards the bull. Both start crying in a very pretentious way to have mercy of the king upon them. They want themselves to be saved from the punishment of the king. Otherwise, the king might punish them and blame them for the death of the bull.
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f. How do we learn that the full is dead?
Answer:
We learn that the bull is dead from the statements of the cowherds and the king. Both cowherds say that the bull's tail has loosened and his eyes are still, and the king also says, "The bull does not breathe; his tail has loosened; his ears have drooped down; and he doesn't eat anything either."
g. How does the play make a satire on the feudal system?
Answer:
This play has presented the feudal system and its bad deeds against ordinary people. Here, we find suppression, domination, and dehumanisation of the feudal system. The cowherds have been presented with panic and live by the mercy and grace of their lord. These people have fearful lives where the lord's animal is given more facility, respect, and care than them. Both of them hide the fact of the dead bull and pretend in front of the king to save their lives. The play makes a satire of the feudal system by presenting the dehumanisation and suppression of the feudal lord against their workers.
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:
During the late eighteenth century, the monarchy system was prevalent in Nepal. At that time, Nepal was ruled by the Shah Dynasty. Then, society was quite rigid. People didn't have freedom in their lives. People had to live under the domination of the king and his people.
The play "The Bull" has presented a very harsh society where people had to live very fearful lives under the king or lords. The condition of ordinary people wasn't so good. They were badly treated by their lords. They got severe punishment if they acted against their lords. We can get a fine example of people's miserable conditions in this play. If people didn't do swosthi (bowing down to the lords with respect) to the lords or kings, they were punished for their disrespect. There were no fundamental rights provided to the people. The awareness of politics among the people was very low. The patriarchal norms and values were there in most societies. Women had to spend their lives under male domination. Males were allowed to marry many women. In the play, we find Laxminarayan with seven wives. He even seems to be adding one more wife. The lives of ordinary people or subjects were under the mercy of the kings or lords.
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 man who is a bichari (legal officer) and bull doctor of King Ranabahadur Shah. He has married seven women in his lifetime. He doesn't seem satisfied, even after having seven wives at home. He is still planning to marry another woman. At home, he calls his seven wives by derogatory names such as flat-nosed, beautiful, butterfly, swallow, ugly face, etc. He has provided his wives with different nicknames, which shows the patriarchal dominance as well as women's condition in the then-society. During that time, marrying many women was so common. Society was quite rigid, where males were considered superior beings and females as inferior beings. Married women had to spend their lives under the men's dominance and control. They had to be dependent and spend most of their time within the boundaries of the houses. The main cause behind all those aspects was illiteracy, child marriage, poverty, feudalism, a lack of awareness, etc. among the people.
In the context of Nepal, Nepali society has changed a lot since then. In the present time, the condition of Nepali women is far better than is expected. With time, Nepali women have gained a variety of rights according to the constitution of Nepal. In today's society, awareness as well as literacy among Nepali women have significantly increased. They are no longer dependent on their husbands. They are even on the way to earning similar to males. There is no domination of men in society. The Constitution of Nepal has provided equal opportunities to both males and females in Nepal. In Nepal, most females have been seen in the highest ranks in different sectors. There is a provision for harsh punishment in the constitution of Nepal for those who treat women badly. Many institutions in Nepal are working for the welfare of Nepalese women, their rights, and their empowerment.
c. Shed light on the practice of chakari as portrayed in the play. Have you noticed
this practice in your society?
Answer:
During the reign of the kings in Nepal, the concept of chakari was common. During the monarchy system, most people were in the business of doing chakari for their kings, leaders, and lords. Chakari was a kind of ritual with the help of which people expected to get profit and promotion in their lives. People had to do chakari for their kings and lords to be good in front of them all the time. If they failed to do proper chakari, they would get unexpectedly harsh punishments.
In this one-act play, "The Bull," we find the concept of chakari a lot. Here, we find the major characters in the play as Laxminarayn Dahal and two cowherds, Gore and Jitman, doing a lot of the chakari of King Ranabahadur Shah. They seem too fearful of the king. The fear of the king's punishment makes them so flattering.
Laxminarayan is a character who knows very well about the concept of chakari. He has even experienced the punishment of the king due to his bad deed of talking in a loud voice in front of the king. When the bull dies, both cowherds inform Laxminarayan about it. All of them became fearful of the king. Both cowherds even sleep on the cowshed along with the dead bull. They pretend to be very careful about the bull. To please the king, they start massaging the bull's feet and waving a fan at him. They even address the bull as "The Bull Sir" in front of the king. When the king himself declares the bull's death, both cowherds start sobbing with sentiment. Thus, the play is full of chakari.
Yes, I have seen this practice in my society a lot. Everyone is doing chakari for others. The concept of selfishness is at its height. People in the present time are too concerned about their well-being. Money, fine ranks, prosperity, etc. have become parts of their lives. Thus, chakari is still prevalent in the societies of Nepal. But the way of doing chakari is quite different from that of the then-society. Nowadays, people are seen doing the chakari of politicians a lot in Nepal.
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d. How does Laxminarayan outsmart Ranabahadur?
Answer:
Laxminarayan outsmarts Ranabahadur with his tactful acts. He is a forty-year-old legal officer as well as a doctor of the bull of the king. As soon as he hears about the king's bull death news from Gore and Jitman, he moves to the king's palace. He is quite good at flattering the king. He doesn't directly tell the king about the death of the bull because the king might get angry about the news. Instead of telling the king the facts, he tells the king about the bull's illness. While moving towards the cowshed, he even orders the cowherds to massage and wave a fan at the bull to impress the king and save their lives. The king supposes that the bull died despite proper care and treatment just in front of him. Due to Laxminarayan's tactics, the king doesn't doubt them, and they escape the harsh punishment of the king.
e. Sketch the character of Laxminarayan.
Answer:
Laxminarayan Dahal is one of the major characters in this one-act play. He is a forty-year-old legal officer as well as the bull doctor of King Ranabadur Shah. He has married seven women. There are his seven wives at home, but he seems quite dissatisfied with them. He is intending to marry the eighth woman. When he hears about the death of the king's bull, he makes proper use of his mind and acts very smartly to save himself and the cowherds' lives from the king's punishment. He moves to the king's palace but doesn't directly tell the king the news of the bull's death. He knows very well about the flattery (chakari) of the king. When the king himself moves to the cowshed at Thulo Gauchar to see the bull, he acts quite cleverly and orders the cowherds Gore and Jitman to massage and wave fans at the dead bull to please the king.
Laxminarayan and his clever acts have made this play so humorous. Due to his tactfulness, they have been saved from the king's harsh punishment. Thus, we can say that Laxminarayan is the main person who has outsmarted the king with his tactful acts as well as flattery.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Write an essay in about 300 words on “The Nepali Society: Past, Present and Future”.
Answer:
The Nepali Society: Past, Present and Future
By society, we mean a long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behaviour, and artistic forms. Nepali society has a mixed culture. Even though different cultures live together, cultural practices are often mixed, and one cultural group can be seen practicing the traditions of another. People are free to choose their own cultural practices, and no one is forced to follow any particular pattern.
As a Nepali citizen, I like Nepali society very much. I have seen and read about Nepali society and its change. Over time, many changes have been seen in the context of Nepali society. The condition of Nepali society wasn't good in the past. Nepali society was so rigid in the past. Most people were uneducated, and there was a lack of awareness among the people. Patriarchal norms and values were at their height. Class, as well as sex subjection, have played a vital role in every society. The concept of feudalism was prevalent everywhere. Ordinary people had to face a miserable life under the feudalists. They were quite far away from the concept of rights and opportunities in life. Life was so difficult for most of the peasants. There was a lack of facilities in people's lives. In most societies, there were feudalists or lords who used to determine others fates.Talking about women's lives during that time, women had very bad conditions. They were living as dependents on men. The patriarchal norms and values had made them remain limited within the boundaries of their houses. Child marriage was so common. Life in the past was really not favourable for ordinary people, including women.
In the present time, different changes are seen in various sectors of Nepal. Nepali societies seem quite different from those of past Nepalese societies. In the present, Nepali society is on the way to development. In the matter of facilities such as electricity, drinking water, roads and transportation, education, etc., Nepali society has changed. People in the present time have various rights regarding various things. If there is one thing that upsets me about Nepali society, it is the political aspect. People in the present time are totally involved in the dirty game of politics. Due to this, Nepali society is facing disorders every single day. At present, the condition of Nepali women is much better than expected. Over time, Nepali women have gained many rights according to the constitution of Nepal.
I think the future of Nepali society will be so good if we all, as Nepali citizens, choose the right candidates for the betterment of Nepalese society. We should be away from this dirty game of politics and think about the bright future of Nepali people and society.
b. In his “Satire 9”, Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux says:
But satire, ever moral, ever new
Delights the reader and instructs him, too.
She, if good sense, refine her sterling page,
Oft shakes some rooted folly of the age.
Do you agree with the poet? Discuss the lines with reference to Bhimnidhi Tiwari’s
play “The Bull”.
GLOSSARY FOR YOU
avid (adj.): passionate, obsessive, keen
bichari (n.): a legal officer in the court
baje (n.): (In Nepal) a grandfather; a Brahman, out of respect, is also called baje (grandpa) regardless of age
pathi (n.): a unit of measuring grains, a pot to measure grains (one pathi is approximately
equal to3.2 kg.)
dharni (n.): a unit of measuring weight (one dharni is approximately equal to 2.5 kg)
ana (n.): twenty five paisa, one fourth of a rupee
swosti (n.): a way of greeting, especially made by the subjects to their masters and mistresses in the feudal Hindu society
convoy (n.): a procession of horses or vehicles
wethers (n.): castrated male goats
palanquin (n.): (in the Asian countries like Nepal) a covered litter for one passenger, consisting of a large box carried on two horizontal poles by four or six bearers
chakari (n.): a service rendered to a person of higher rank with an expectation of receiving favour, an effort to appeal to a person of high ran by demonstrating one’s poverty or distress, sycophancy
carrion (n.): the dead body of an animal or a human being
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