The Bull

The Bull is a one-act play written by Bhimnidhi Tiwari, a well-known Nepali poet and dramatist. The drama depicts Ranabahadur Shah's deep affection for four-footed creatures. He was fond of bulls. The play is a satire of the feudal system, which dehumanizes people in the 18th century. The play revolves around the death of King Ranabahadur's bull and the subsequent fear among the bull doctor and cowherds. The drama is set in the yard of Laxminarayan. It takes place at dawn in the month of Ashwin (1854 B.S.). The two cowherds, Gore and Jitman, arrive frightened and worried. They arrive to report the death of King Ranabahadur Shah's bull. Now, Laxmi, Jitman, and Gore are all concerned about the king's potential retribution. He can even sentence them to death. Laxmi is terrified of saving them from the situation. Gore states that the bull perished due to a lack of nourishment (grass) and an inability to digest fine rice and split gram soup. Laxmi advises Gore and Jitman not to say "The bull has died".

He also instructs them to see the bull and care for it before returning to the palace to report the bull's ailment. Laxmi arrives at Basantpur Palace's courtyard to inform them about the bull's illness. Laxmi bends down to the king with utmost respect, chanting Swosti, and informs him that the bull is unwell rather than dead. He explains, "The bull does not get up to eat breakfast. He does not speak or move. "He appears to be sleeping peacefully." Laxmi describes the bull's positive habits and advises taking him to the hill to treat his health. Because of climate change. The monarch then decides to inspect the bull's condition and leads a convoy to the cowshed at Thulo Gauchar via palanquin. Before the king arrives, Jitman and Gore anxiously await the king's decision. They are in the cowshed with the dead bull.

They consider fleeing to save their lives, but they fear being captured and killed again. Laxmi runs ahead of the convoy at Thulo Gauchar, instructing Gore and Jitman to massage the bull's back feet and wave a fan at it. They do as Laxmi suggests. Laxmi grinds medicine for the bull. Ranabahadur arrives and beckons the bull, but he does not get up. Laxmi informs the king that they've been caring for the bull since midnight. The bull is lying dead on the mattress. It is not breathing or ingesting anything. Its tail has loosened and its ears have drooped downward. However, out of fear, the cowherds and Laxmi are unable to announce their deaths. King Ranabahadur Shah declares the bull dead. After listening to the king, Jitman begins to cry and claims that he has been an orphan since the bull's death. The King wants Dahal to console him. He also declares a 400-rupee tip and urges everyone to be quiet. Gore does the same as Jitman.

The monarch again declares a tip of 500 rupees for Gore. Finally, Laxminarayan begins wailing and seems to be in anguish. The monarch tells him to shut talking and instructs him to bury the bull with his own hands. He also requests him to oversee the burial rites and make donations to the priest himself. Jitman and Gore finally breathe a big breath in relief that they are still alive. In this fashion, the one-act drama concludes. The drama depicts the feudal society of the period. It also depicts the state of the citizens, how they are drained by the rulers, and what their situation is.

Some Important Questions

1. What does the relationship between Laxminarayan and his wives tell us about the society of that time? To what extent has the Nepali society changed since then?

ans: The play's main character, Laxminarayan, is a forty-year-old law official and the king's bull doctor. Taking into account his relationship with his spouses, he has seven. However, he is dissatisfied with all of them and plans to marry his eighth wife. He calls his women by various nicknames. The practice of having more spouses reflects the male-dominated society. Men are free to marry several wives, however, women are forced to live under their husbands' complete authority and abuse. Women were ignorant and unaware of their rights. People, particularly women, are deprived of political and economic education. Child marriages were common at the time. Male superiority was a societal norm.

However, Nepalese society has changed the situation drastically since then. The contemporary state of Nepali society, particularly Nepali women, is substantially improved. Human and women's rights exist to preserve their basic rights. The literacy rate among women has also increased significantly. They had greater economic and political influence. The concept of equality and equity is prevalent in Nepalese society. Many patriarchal customs, such as child marriage and prathas, have come to an end. Many groups strive to improve the lives of women. Overall, the society has seen tremendous changes.

2. How does Laxminarayan outsmart Rana Bahadur?

ans: Laxminarayan outsmarts Rana Bahadur with his cunning. Laxminarayan is a 40-year-old law officer and doctor for the king's bull. As Gore and Jitman inform him of the bull's death, he hurries to the king's palace. He has an exceptional skill at drawing the king's attention away from his emotions. He knew the monarch would be upset and enraged at the bull's death, so Laxminarayan did not inform him right away. Instead of stating the truth right away, he tells the bull about the bull's illness to the King. He even instructs cowherds to massage and wave fans at the bull. The monarch feels that the bull died of disease despite receiving superb care and treatment. It contributes to the safety of cattle herders. With this method, Laxminarayan appeased the monarch while also protecting the lives of his cowherds from the king's harsh penalty.

3. Sketch the character of Laxminarayan.

ans: Laxmi Narayan Dahal is a key character in the play 'The Bull'. He is forty years old, a legal officer, and the doctor for the king's bull. He is married to seven wives. Despite having seven different women at home, he appears to be dissatisfied with all of them. He plans to marry his ninth wife. When he learns of the king's bull's death, he flatters him with his cerebral moves. Instead of breaking the news right once, he informs the king about the bull's illness first. When the monarch visits the cowshed at Thulo Gauchar to view his bull, Laxminarayan instructs the cowherds to massage and wave fans at the bull to appease the king and preserve his life. Laxminarayan and the cowherd were spared the king's sentence as a result of their actions. As a result, we might conclude that Laxminarayan was a shrewd guy who used deceit to defeat the monarch.