Q.

Explore societal attitudes toward unmarried women and motherhood, as reflected in the
play Silence the court is in Session.

Ans: In *Silence! The Court is in Session*, Vijay Tendulkar explores societal attitudes toward
unmarried women and motherhood through the character of Miss Leela Benare and the mock
trial she endures. The play, set in mid-20th century India, reflects the conservative and patriarchal
views prevalent at the time.

Miss Leela Benare, an unmarried and pregnant school teacher, becomes the focal point of the
mock trial. Her situation as an unmarried mother is used by her male colleagues to shame and
condemn her, reflecting the societal stigma attached to women who do not conform to traditional
roles. The mock trial, which starts as a rehearsal, quickly turns into a serious and vicious attack
on Benare’s character and personal life.

The societal attitudes toward unmarried women are harshly critical and unforgiving. Benare’s
independence and her decision to have a child out of wedlock are seen as transgressions against
societal norms. The male characters, particularly Sukhatme and Kashikar, use the trial to
reinforce traditional gender roles and moral standards. They repeatedly emphasize the sanctity of
motherhood, but their praise is laced with hypocrisy. Sukhatme’s statements about motherhood
being “sacred” and “pure” are not genuine acknowledgments of women’s value but rather tools
to control and subjugate them¹.

Motherhood, in the context of the play, is idealized to the point where it becomes a means of
oppression. The societal expectation is that a mother should be self-sacrificing and morally
impeccable. By holding Benare to these impossible standards, the male characters strip her of her
autonomy and humanity. Her “crime” of being an unmarried mother is portrayed as a moral
failing, and her intention to raise the child alone is seen as a challenge to the patriarchal order¹.
The mock trial also exposes the double standards in societal attitudes toward men and women.
While Benare is harshly judged for her personal choices, the men in the play, who have their own
moral failings, face no such scrutiny. This hypocrisy highlights the gender bias inherent in the
societal norms of the time. The men use the trial to assert their dominance and reinforce their
control over women, reflecting the broader societal tendency to police women’s behavior and
choices².

Tendulkar’s portrayal of Benare’s plight is a powerful critique of the societal attitudes toward
unmarried women and motherhood. Through her character, he exposes the cruelty and injustice
of a society that punishes women for their independence and autonomy. The play serves as a
poignant reminder of the need for societal change and the importance of challenging oppressive
norms.

In conclusion, *Silence! The Court is in Session* vividly depicts the oppressive societal attitudes
toward unmarried women and motherhood. Through the character of Miss Leela Benare and the
mock trial, Tendulkar critiques the patriarchal norms that seek to control and subjugate women.
The play remains a powerful commentary on the need for gender equality and the recognition of
women’s rights and autonomy²³.

Q. Highlight how the characters’ behavior during the trial reveals their true selves.

Ans: In *Silence! The Court is in Session*, Vijay Tendulkar uses the mock trial to reveal the true
selves of the characters, exposing their underlying motivations, hypocrisies, and societal
attitudes. This essay will explore how the behavior of each character during the trial serves as a
window into their true nature.

Sukhatme, who plays the role of the prosecutor, is a lawyer by profession. During the trial, he
presents himself as a champion of morality and justice. However, his behavior reveals his deep-
seated misogyny and hypocrisy. Sukhatme uses the trial to assert his intellectual superiority and
moral authority, but his arguments are often baseless and driven by personal vendetta rather than
genuine concern for justice. His relentless questioning of Benare and his eagerness to expose her
private life highlight his desire to control and dominate women.

Kashikar, who assumes the role of the judge, is a self-righteous and authoritarian figure. His
behavior during the trial reveals his rigid adherence to societal norms and his intolerance for any
deviation from them. Kashikar’s harsh treatment of Benare and his insistence on upholding
traditional values expose his patriarchal mindset. He uses the trial to reinforce his own sense of
power and authority, showing little regard for fairness or compassion.

Ponkshe, who plays the role of the witness, is a science teacher with aspirations of becoming a
scientist. His behavior during the trial reveals his insecurity and desire for social acceptance.
Ponkshe’s willingness to participate in the mock trial and his eagerness to condemn Benare
reflect his need to align himself with the dominant group. His actions are driven by a desire to fit
in and gain approval, rather than any genuine belief in the accusations against Benare.
Karnik, another participant in the trial, is an amateur actor. His behavior reveals his opportunism
and lack of moral conviction. Karnik’s participation in the trial is motivated by a desire for
entertainment and a chance to showcase his acting skills. He treats the trial as a performance,
showing little empathy for Benare’s plight. His behavior highlights the casual cruelty and
indifference that can arise from a desire for personal gain.

Mrs. Kashikar, the judge’s wife, plays a minor role in the trial but her behavior reveals her
internalized patriarchy. She supports her husband’s actions and participates in the condemnation
of Benare, reflecting the societal pressure on women to conform to patriarchal norms. Mrs.
Kashikar’s behavior highlights how women can also perpetuate the oppression of other women
by upholding and enforcing societal expectations.

Rokde, the clerk, is a timid and submissive character. His behavior during the trial reveals his
fear of authority and his desire to avoid conflict. Rokde’s reluctance to speak up or challenge the
proceedings reflects the broader societal tendency to conform and remain silent in the face of
injustice.

Miss Leela Benare, the defendant, is the most complex character. Her behavior during the trial
reveals her strength, resilience, and vulnerability. Despite the relentless persecution, Benare
maintains her dignity and defends herself with courage and intelligence. Her spirited responses
and emotional monologue at the end of the play expose the deep emotional toll of the trial and
highlight her resistance against the oppressive societal norms.

The mock trial in *Silence! The Court is in Session* serves as a powerful tool to reveal the true
selves of the characters. Their behavior during the trial exposes their motivations, hypocrisies,
and societal attitudes, providing a critical commentary on the patriarchal society and its
oppressive structures. Through this dramatic device, Tendulkar not only critiques the societal
norms but also highlights the resilience and strength of individuals like Benare who resist and
challenge these oppressive forces.

Q. Symbols and Images in Silence! The Court is in Session

The word symbol derives from the Greek verb symballein, ‘to throw together, and its noun
symbolon,’mark’ or ‘sign’. A literary symbol combines an image with a concept. A work may
also be structurally symbolic. Tendulkar, like other dramatists of naturalist’ plays, has made use
of a small amount of dramatic symbols to create certain dramatic situations.

A clock is found to be out of order. It seems to suggest that the time is out of joint because of the
moral lapse of the intellectuals like Prof Damle in the private sphere of the society.

The door latch that hurts Benare at the beginning of the play locks her into the hall where her
colleagues behave like enemies torturing her through cross-examinations and giving harsh
witnesses against her. It creates a claustrophobic situation symbolizing a no-escape plight for
woman.

Samant’s act of showing how the magic takes place through tongue-cutting seems to suggest that
it is Samant who will unwittingly create magic by reading a portion from a sensational novel
because the set piece from the novel would resemble Benare’s affairs with Prof Damle in her real
life. Once the love-affair is exposed in the public, Benare’s colleagues will have the chance of
silencing her voice of protest against their interference into her personal life. It is almost like the
act of cutting tongue. She will have tongue but it will be made inactive by the strokes of the
judge’s gavel.

Again there are some bird images such as the sparrow, the parrot and the crow. The sparrow
symbolizes Benare who wanted to build nest in one’s house but the crow has destroyed it.

The cloth parrot becomes a living parrot at the end of the play. It seems to symbolize Benare’s
son whom she will be telling the story of her oppressed life. Samant’s act of putting parrot in
front of Benare seems to symbolize a bond between brother and sister because what he was
carrying for his nephew is placed for another baby whom he is going to accept as another
nephew. This sort of bond grows out of fellow-feeling.

The bond between parrot and sparrow seems to symbolize the bond between mother and son. On
the other hand, as Samant emerges as a symbol of modesty and sympathy, the other colleagues of
Benare who represent a cross-section of urban middle- class people are transformed into a
symbol of cruelty, sadism and malice.

Finally, the play emerges as a symbol of conflict between wed motherhood and unwed
motherhood, between tradition-bound mother and liberty loving daughter, between woman’s
struggle for emancipation and oppressive patriarchal social customs, between the culture of
fellow-feeling and the dominant urban male culture of sadism, between imperialism and
enlightenment.