1. Comparison between Hester Prynne and
Shakuntala :-
Heerva Bhatt
M.A. Sem.3
Smt.S.B.Gardi. Department of English,
Bhavnagar, MKBU.
2. Hester Prynne:-
“The Scarlet Letter:A Romance”,and 1850 novel,It tells the
story of Hester Prynne,who conceives a daughter through
an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance.
As she struggles to raise her boisterous daughter,Pearl,on
her own, the father of her child is revealed and is shown to
be experiencing severe guilt.
Hawthorne explores theme of legalism,sin and guilt.
3. • Hester Prynne is portrayed
as a women condemned
by her Puritan neighbours.
• The Character has been
called “among the first and
most important female
protagonists in American
Literature.”
4. Shakuntala :-
• In Hinduism Shakuntala is the wife
of Dushyant and the mother of
Emperor Bharata.
• Her story is told in the Mahabharata
and dramatized by many writers,the
most famous adaptation being
Kalidasa’s play
“Abhigyanshakuntalam”.
5. Comparison :-
Shakuntala is “a tale of human frailty and sorrow.” located
in social and cultural contexts vastly dissimilar.
While The Scarlet Letter probes the moral and
psychological effects of sin.
Shakuntala is a romance and The Scarlet Letter gloomy in
tone and atmosphere.
They both are women of great beauty.
6. They both make an overpowering impact on
their lovers.
Shakuntala and Hester are of an impulsive and
passionate nature and give themselves
unreservedly to the men they love.
Hester and Shakuntala both becomes a sinner
in the eyes of society.
7. Hester and Shakuntala are equally generous
and forgiving towards their lovers.
Both Shakuntala and Hester bear adversity and
public disgrace with remarkable
courage,showing grace under pressure.
8. Conclusion :-
Kalidasa and
Hawthorne both described
the characters Shakuntala
and Hester Prynne very
well in their
works.Shakuntala and
Hester both are similar as
well as dissimilar in many
ways.
