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

iv RATNAVALI 3. Three unities—This means the unity of place, unity of time and unity of action. These are the three principles governing the structure of a drama and were introduced by Aristotle in his Poetics and derived by the writers of the French Classical school. As rigidly formulated they required that the action of the play be represented as occuring in one place, within one day and with nothing irrelevant to the plot. "Let the stage be occupied to the end by a single completed action, which takes place in one spot in one day." These theories were upheld by the Neoclassicists and challenged by the writers of romantic bent. The utility of three unities, specially those of time and place in the Greek dramas, is owing to the prominence of Chorus. But gradually the French Neoclassicists adopted them as a dramatic convention. The utilitiy of the unities of time and place was disregarded by the romantic playwrights, and the unity of action was faithfully followed in all dramas, as its utility could not be avoided. Here is an observation of a romantic writer against the unities of time and place—"By their servile observations of the unities of time and place, and integrity of scenes, they have brought themselves the dearth of plot and narrowness of imagination, which may be observed in their plays. How many beautiful accidents might naturally happen in two or three days which cannot arrive with any probability in the compass of twenty-four hours ?" In the Sanskrit drama the provision of the unity of time has been made so far as an act of the drama is concerned, but not the whole drama as in Greek plays ; in Sanskrit Dramaturgy much liberality as to the unity of time is found as the unity of time is extended from twenty-four hours (as in Greek plays) up to one year— या च स्याद्वर्षपर्यन्तं कथा दिनद्वयादिजा—साः दः ( ६ परि ) But this is also violated by eminent playwrights like Bhava- bhuti and others. The unity of place meaning that the dramatic subject-matter should be represented as occurring in one place is