The King and the Queen by Rabindranath Tagore | Summary | Phoenix of literature

     “The King and the Queen”
            -Rabindranath Tagore

Kings are never without flatterers to seduce them,
ambition to deprive them and desires to corrupt them.
                       - Plato

 “The King and the Queen” was written by Rabindranath Tagore. He was a Bengali playwright, philosopher, writer, poet, painter, educationist, social reformer etc... He got Nobel Prize in literature in 1913 for his collection of poems ‘Gitanjali’. He is known as the “Bard of Bengali” because of his huge contribution in Bengal literature. His themes are mostly based on God, divinity, women’s suffering, beauty of nature and the connection between human and nature. He praises the almighty god and Mother Nature in most of his works.

This play has two acts. It was published in the year of 1889. Act I begins with the conversation between the King Vikram and the Queen Sumitra in the palace garden. The king is deeply in love with the queen and he wants to spend all his time with her. So he didn’t concentrate on his kingdom and diverted from his duty of taking care of his country and people. He always wants to be near with the queen but the queen has disappointed with the attitude of the king Vikram. She thinks that they are like parents to the people of their kingdom so he wants the king to do his duty properly but the king feels the queen is not showing much love as he shows to her. He wants nothing more than the queen’s love. During their conversation, an attendant come and informs to the king that the minister wants to see him but he refused it because he has comes to talk about country’s affair and he didn’t want to leave her. Then the queen interferes the king’s   first priority is his kingdom and asks him to leave her for doing his duties to the kingdom.

The king Vikram leaves the place with disappointment on queen’s attitude. Then the queen hears some noise outside. At the time king’s Brahmin friend Devadatta enters and Sumitra enquires him about the noise. He replied that the people in their kingdom shouts because of unbearable poverty and hunger. The queen Sumitra is shocked to hear that their people eat only half a meal per day and suffered a lot because of starvation. Queen questions that it is the time for harvesting of corns “why should king’s subjects die of hunger?” Devadatta replies landlords would take all the credit but the poor people lives in poverty and she comes to know those landlords are relatives of her.

The queen enquires about Jaisen who is one of her relative. Devadatta replies that he rules the area of Singarh; takes over all the wealth of that place and the people seem “only the skin and bones remain”. Then she asks about Shila and knows that he has taken care of trade and gets all the profits from the merchants. Then Devadatta told about Ajit who lives in Vijaykote and takes everything whatever he get in his hands. He didn’t care about the people. After hearing all these things Sumitra breaks out in anger and felt ashamed of having such kind of relatives. She wants to talk to the king and banish them from her kingdom.

But the king refused to banish them and warns Devadatta not to tell about country’s affair to the queen because he thinks it spoils the happiness between both of them. Devadatta says that he only came to ask for his Brahmin due from the queen and explains that his family lead their life with empty stomachs. After Devadatta leaves the place, Minister enters and meets the king. The king Vikram orders Minister to banish all the “foreign robbers” from his kingdom. The minister advices the king that they want more soldiers to fight with them then only they go away from their kingdom. The king orders to prepares for fight but minister says that their general is also a foreigner. He didn’t accept to fight with his brothers who have came from his motherland. The king become upset and ask to dispute all the treasure, food and money to the people and he only wants to live happily and peacefully with the queen.

After he goes the queen Sumitra and Devadatta enters and talks to the minister that she asks him to call all the foreigners. He says it’s been a month that he invites them in the name of the king but they are not responding for that. The queen asks to make soldiers ready and says that they shall have to answer to her as her relatives. She says that the king shall fight with them but Devadatta replies that the king will not fight with her relatives. The queen says that then she will seeks the help of her brother and Kashmir’s king Kumarsen to fight with them. She wants Devadatta to help her to escape from Vikram’s kingdom.

After their conversation; King Vikram enters and complaints that the Queen does not understand his love but the Queen replies that she wants the King to show more love on his kingdom and people. At the time, Devadatta conveys a message that the foreigners have denied King’s call and preparing for rebellion. After hearing a message, King shouts to him because of discussing country’s affairs in the palace garden instead of council-house. Devadatta says that it’s too rare to see the King in the Council-house. Then Sumitra interferes and ask the king to control rebels and banish them from their kingdom.
The king replies that their general is also a foreigner; it’s impossible to fight against them. Queen advices him to fight directly with the rebels but the King only worries about Queen does not understand his love and she always thinks about kingdom and people. After realizing King’s mindset; Sumitra decide to leave Vikram intentionally because she thinks that’s the only thing which makes King to concentrate on his kingdom and fight furiously with the rebels.

Sumitra sends letter to the king through attendant and conveys a message that “she is going to her brother in Kashmir to ask him to help her to quell the rebellion in this kingdom”. The King forgets to understand her purpose of leaving and takes her action as an insult and he wants to revenge the queen.
Act II begins in Kashmir where Vikram and the General discussing in tent. By their conversation, we came to know that King defeats all the rebels and comes to Kashmir along with them to beat King Kumarsen. King Vikram’s army destroyed all the soldiers in Kashmir and Kumarsen is disappeared to save his life. Now, General advice the king to return back to their kingdom but he refused it because he wants to fulfil his desire of taking revenge on his Queen Sumitra and Kumarsen.

Then General informs that Kumarsen’s uncle Chandrasen is too eager to be seated upon the vacant throne. He wants to make him the king before they are leaving Kashmir. At the time, one of the soldiers informs that the Queen Sumitra has come to see him for the third time but he refused to see her. After that old servant of the King Kumarsen named Shankar informs that the Queen is ready to accept his punishment. She only wants the King to pardon her and Kumarsen. The King replies that he wants only Kumarsen’s surrender to him after that he will stop the war.

But Shankar confidently says that the King Kumarsen will never surrender himself alive. Then Chandrasen and his wife Revati have come to see the King Vikram. He asks him to banish Kumarsen from Kashmir and make him as the king. Vikram replies that “Justice will be meted out to him, when he is captured”.

Then the Attendant came and informs that the Brahmin and Devadatta have come to see the King. He grants permission to meet Brahmin only. He comes in and introduces himself as Amaru who is the Chieftain of Trichur hills. Amaru says that he accepts Vikram as his king and desire to make her daughter Ila as his spouse. Ila enters and greets the King Vikram; then Ila says that she has already in love with Kumarsen and she does not like to marry him. King Vikram understands her love and promise to unite her with Kumarsen.

Then the Messenger enters and informs that Kumarsen have come in a closed carriage to surrender himself to the King Vikram. Shankar was shocked to hear the news and says that “Worse than a thousand lies”. Vikram is surprised and ready to welcome Kumarsen “I welcome you, my kingly friend, with all my heart”. But the Queen Sumitra enters with a covered tray in his hands. She carries a head of Kumarsen in a tray. Everyone is shocked to hear Kumarsen was died and the Queen Sumitra says “Sire, no longer your Queen; for merciful death has claimed me” then she falls and dies. Kumarsen’s old servant Shankar become happy because after that they never captured his king and says “God has allowed me to live for so long to witness this glory. And now, my days are done, and your servant will follow you”. The play “King and the Queen ends with Ila happily came out and search for her lover Kumarsen without knowing that he is already dead, “King, I hear the bridal music. Where is my lover? Iam ready”.  This play conveys the message of everything has limit. If something goes unconditional like King Vikram love for Queen Sumitra; it ends with tragedy.

Main Characters:

v  King Vikram
v  Queen Sumitra – Vikram’s  wife
v  Devadatta – King Vikram’s Brahmin friend
v  General – King Vikram’s court General and adviser  

v  Kumarsen – Kashmir’s King and Queen Sumitra’s brother
v  Shankar – Kumarsen’s loyal old servant
v  Chandrasen – Kumarsen’s Uncle
v  Revati – Chandrasen’s wife
v  Amaru – Chief of Trichur hills
v  Ila – Amaru’s daughter and lover of King Kumarsen

Minor Characters

v  Attendant
v  Messenger
v  Soldier