2025, Vol. 11, Issue 3, Part A

author(s)
Debosree Debnath

abstract
This research paper analyzes the main male character of Kalidasa's play Abhijñānaśakuntalam, King duṣyanta, in the light of Sigmund Freud's psychological theory. Based on the three levels of the Freudian model—Id (primary desires and wishes), Ego (reality-conscious mind), and Superego (morality and social restrictions), an effort has been made to understand the inner conflicts, mental tendencies, and decision-making process of duṣyanta. In the play, duṣyanta's behavior shows that sometimes he is driven by love, and sometimes trapped by responsibility and social norms. For example, after seeing Shakuntala in the ashram, he falls in love and secretly marries her; this is due to the conflict between his Id and Ego. After that, when he cannot recognize his wife Shakuntala, it is the work of the Superego according to Freud; he denies love under the pressure of society and ethics. Although the play says that Durvasa loses his memory due to the curse of the sage, from a psychological perspective, this is a sign of the tension within Dushyant's mind, the dilemma between love and responsibility.