Introduction
It was the late eighteenth century. Ranabahadur Shah, the grandson of Prithvi Narayan Shah, was the king of Nepal. Ranabahadur Shah was fond of bulls. In his one-act play “The Bull,” Bhimnidhi Tiwari dramatizes an incident related to Ranabahadur Shah’s craze for bulls to make a biting satire on the feudal system, which dehumanizes human beings to such an extent that their existence depends on their deferential treatment towards the four-footed animals like bulls.
About the writer of The Bull
Bhimnidhi Tiwari (1911-1973) is a well-known poet, story writer and dramatist from Nepal. An ardent social reformer, Tiwari established Nepal Natak Sangh (Nepal Drama Society) in 1949. Through this organization, he promoted Nepali plays by staging plays and encouraging Nepali writers to write plays. To sustain this organization, he also wrote plays like Matoko Maya, Shilanyas and Sahansheela Sushila, among others. Tiwari won Madan Puraskar for literature in 1970.
Summary of The Bull
The Bull is a one-act drama created by Nepali poet and playwright Bhimnidhi Tiwari. The drama questioned the feudal system that existed at the time (18th century). The drama chronicles the death of King Rana Bahadur Shah’s bull, Male, as well as the dread felt by three key characters, the bull doctor and two cowherds, Jitman and Gore.
The action takes place in the month of Ashwin in the year 1854 B.S. Two scared cowherds called Gore and Jitman come at Laxminarayan’s residence at the outset of the play. They have arrived to inform King Ranabahadur Shah about the death of his bull. After hearing their narrative, Laxminarayan begins to tremble. They are all worried about the king’s imminent retribution. The king has the authority to execute them. Laxminarayan is terrified of getting his head shaved as punishment. Laxminarayan’s lips were once burnt as a punishment for speaking loudly in front of the emperor. Laxminarayan’s moustache never grows back on that side after that.
According to both cowherds, the bull died because it didn’t consume enough grass and couldn’t digest fine rice and split gram soup. Laxminarayan instructs the cowherds not to notify the monarch that the bull has died. They will face a terrible fate if they inform the king about the bull’s death. Following his counsel to both cowherds, Laxminarayan travels to the Basantpur palace to inform the monarch of the bull’s deteriorating condition. Laxminarayan bows politely in front of the king, informing him that the bull is ill. He does not immediately notify the king that the bull has died.
He notifies the king of the status of the ill bull. He reports that the bull sir does not get up for breakfast. He makes no movement or speaks. He merely closes his eyes and stares at us. Laxminarayan begins by praising the bull’s beauty, gait, and brave combat. He suggests transporting the bull to the hill to aid with climate change and the bull’s health. Following Laxminarayan’s claims, the king decides to personally assess the bull’s condition and leads a convoy to the cowshed at Thulo Gauchara on the palanquin.
Jitman and Gore, on the other hand, are both eagerly waiting for the king’s decision in the cowshed. They ponder running to save their lives, but they fear being apprehended and slain again. The king is already on his way. Laxminarayan dashes ahead of the caravan at Thulo Gauchar to urge the cowherds to massage the bull’s back feet and wave the fan at the bull. They return the favor. Laxminarayan even informs the king that they have been taking care of the bull from the early morning hours. The bull is actually dead on the mattress. There is no movement in the vicinity. It’s not breathing or eating. Its ears have drooped and its tail has become sloppy. Fear prevents the cowherds and Laxminarayan from declaring it dead. The bull, according to King Ranabahadur Shah, is dead.
After hearing the king, Jitman begins to cry and declares that he has been an orphan since the bull’s death. The King tips him 400 rupees and asks him to remain silent. Gore starts crying as well. He states that he values the bull more than his mother, father, wife, and children. He proclaims that either he will join the bull or he will hang himself. After hearing his speech, the monarch gives him a 500 rupee tip. Finally, Laxminarayan starts crying and acting as if he is in agony. The king mocks him and orders him to bury the bull, supervise the burial rites, and perform priestly sacrifices. Finally, Gore and Jitman express their happiness at still being alive.
The feudal society of the time, in which common people were oppressed, subjugated, and dehumanized, is vividly shown in “The Bull.” The animals owned by feudal lords should be treated with more respect than those owned by commoners. It examines how rulers dehumanize regular people, how slaves of lords and kings are forced into servitude, and how the upper classes dominate.
