रत्नावली नाटिका (सम्राट हर्षवर्धन - शास्त्रीय नाटिका रत्न सम्पूर्ण ४ अङ्क सान्वय सटीक)

ii RATNAVALI natural consequence of the fact that a number of given people of such and such disposition and impelled by such and such motives and passions are brought together in circumstances which give rise to an interplay of influence or clash of interests among them." "This being so, the evolution of the story in- evitably reveals their dispositions, motives and passions which are indeed actual forces behind the event of which the story is composed" (Hudson). Thus dramatic art is not the imitation of the persons actually but the imitation of action which qualifies the characters. Essential constituents—Drama in order to be successful and good should have the following elements as its constituents :—

1. Plot.—A well-constituted plot shorn of its unessential and engrossing scenes is one of the most important factors in the drama. As it is a दृश्यकाव्य and as Aristotle holds that it is intended to be of a single hearing, care must be taken to leave out un- necessary details and eliminate everything not absolutely essential for the purpose of the dramatist in consideration of the limitedness of the physical endurance of the spectator. .So the Sanskrit dramaturgy says :— युक्तो न बहुभिः कार्यैर्बीजसंहतिमान् न च । नानाविधानसंयुक्तो नातिप्रचुरपद्यवान् । आवश्यकानां कार्याणामविरोधाद्विनिर्मितः ॥ सा. द. । (६ परि) In order to avoid the practical difficulty of a drama being unpopular and uninteresting Arsitotle has given the warning that the playwright should not attempt to construct the plot on an epic plan which means an episode composed of many other incidents and episodes. The Sanskrit drama Mahávíracharita by Bhavabhuti can be cited as an instance of a play being written on an epic plan. There the whole of the epic Rámáyana