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Unit 40 • Class 12Compulsory English (Eng.004)
One Act Play 3: The Bull
एकाङ्की नाटक ३: साँढे
Bhimnidhi Tiwari’s historical satire exposing feudal Rana cruelty and the terrifying subjugation of commoners after King Rana Bahadur Shah’s sacred bull falls ill.
Lesson Summary & Key Concepts
Pioneering Nepali playwright Bhimnidhi Tiwari’s renowned historical satire dramatizes the terrifying inhumanity of late 18th-century feudal Nepal under King Rana Bahadur Shah. When the king’s cherished royal bull Male suddenly dies of indigestion, the terrified cowherds and legal officer must engage in a desperate charade of sycophancy (chakari) to trick the king into announcing the death himself, escaping decapitation while human life remains subordinate to a royal beast.
Core Themes & Main Ideas
1
The devastating inhumanity and absurdity of the feudal monarchical system
2
The cultural institution of chakari: servile sycophancy performed for self-preservation
3
Subordination of human life and dignity to royal pets and livestock
4
Patriarchal domination and polygamy in 18th-century Nepali society (Laxminarayan’s seven wives)
5
The survival power of folk wit and linguistic deception in the face of absolute tyranny
6
The moral and educational function of satire as articulated by Boileau (Satire 9)
Key Figures & Historical / Literary Personalities
Laxminarayan DahalForty-year-old royal legal officer (ditha) and bull doctor
A shrewd, polygamous survivor of the feudal court whose linguistic agility tricks the king and saves the cowherds from execution.
King Rana Bahadur ShahMonarch of Nepal (reigned 1777–1799)
An eccentric, tyrannical ruler whose fanatical affection for his bull threatens death for anyone who brings bad news.
Gore and JitmanImpoverished royal cowherds
Terrified servants who must feign uncontrollable mourning and kiss the dead bull’s hooves to escape the executioner’s axe.
MaleThe king’s favorite royal four-footed bull
Doted on by the king, fed fine rice and split gram soup until he succumbs to fatal indigestion.
Textbook Exercises & Solutions
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Reference beyond the textEx 3Question b (b)• 5 Marks
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High-Yield Exam Focus Questions (1)
Practice questions curated specifically for One Act Play 3: The Bull.
Exam FocusExam Preparation Question5 Marks
Exam Rationale: CDC Specification Grid Section 2 (Literature - One Act Plays): Bhimnidhi Tiwari’s historical satire exposing Rana feudal tyranny, absurd royal privilege, and human subjugation.
Model Answer & Key Marking Points:
Key Criteria Needed for Full Marks:
- ✓
- ✓
- ✓
- ✓
Quick Revision Takeaways
Common Exam Pitfalls to Avoid
⚠️ Common Error: Believing the cowherds genuinely wept out of love for the bull.
✓ Correct Approach: Their crying was completely theatrical and calculated to avoid execution and solicit royal sympathy.
Why: In a feudal tyranny, performative obedience was often the only shield against arbitrary execution.