Part 2b - The Characters (3) Madhavya

Madhavya is the jester, but be does not jest. He is not introduced with a view to illustrate any particular moral principle. A cripple and an idiot, he does very little work himself, but furnishes otherswith opportunity to do their work. For instance, when the king is in a fix and finds he has to disobey either, his mother or the ascetics, Madhavya acts as his deputy and indirectly helps the king in the pursuit of his love. When told by the king that the Sakuntala-affair, was joke (c f. uffi :) he believes it, acts according to this belief, and thus indirectly becomes a material helper in the development of the plot. Again, when sent to soothe Hamsapadika, through sheer idiocy he suffers himself to be seized by her and detained while Sakuntala is brought in by her relative and dis-owned by the king. This would not have been if Madhavya were present before the king at the time. The fool knew that there was the risk of detention. Yet he was taken (cf. zzatai aur qc- ki istah sikhanda ke tadyamanasa apsarasa iva vitaragasa nasti idanom me mautah &c.) Yet again at the approach of Vasumati it is Madhavya who runs away with protrait of sakuntala and gives Matali an opportunity to rouse the king form his lethargy.