King of the Dark Chamber

King of the Dark Chamber (Raja), with an Introduction by Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee and translated by the author playwright, poet, painter and Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore is one of his most iconic plays. An allegory of an individual’s spiritual and personal awakening in their quest for truth and beauty, the King of the title is invisible to his subjects, some of whom question his existence, while others are so loyal and worshipful to him that they do not even request to see him. Among many of the play’s central themes, the relationship between Sudarshana, the Queen and the King is symbolic for the relationship between man and the Divine; a romantic relationship between two equally powerful individuals. The notion of redemption is pivotal to this theme: Who is redeemed? The King or the humbled Queen? Or both?