By Sukanta Kumar Rout

Jajpur Road, Sept.7: Macbeth speaks to the contemporary viewers and readers, today, with as much intimacy as it spoke to the seventeenth century theatre-goers because the game of throne and the blood-spilling feud do not commence or conclude with ‘Macbeth’, the most popular and enduring play of the greatest Bard of the world-William Shakespeare, the illustrious speakers from across the world opined in an International Webinar entitled as Understanding Shakespeare in Today’s Context: Macbeth in Special Focus, organized by the Department of English, Byasanagar Autonomous College, Jajpur Road in the Sunday  evening, on 5^th September.

The webinar commenced with the principal, patron and the chief organizer of this historic event, Prof. Dr. Kusha Chandra Pradhan’s welcome address followed by an enthralling and mesmerizing Odissi dance performance by Miss Monali Pati, a student of +3 IIIrd year Arts with English.

Mr. Pradeep Kumar Biswal, chief patron of the programme and President, Governing Body of the college, delivered his address on the relevance of Macbeth to the contemporary society and world. He pointed out that ambition, power and money in the story of Macbeth makes it timeless and universal.

 Prof. Dr. Steve Dooner of Quincy College, Massachusetts, USA, and actor-director of Macbeth produced by The Company Theater Center for Arts, Boston, as the first speaker of the session, indeed, set the screen ablaze with his insightful deliberations on timelessness of Macbeth with dramatic deliverance of dialogues from the play. In his speech Mr. Dooner drew an analogy of the theme of the play with modern man’s pursuit of wealth and fame, and also with soul annihilating goals of social media. In a curious interpretation of the play he said, “The spooky and weirdly delightful witch sisters show Macbeth the impotence of his power as political ecology in the past as well as at present are seen frequently being polluted by it . Real power is love that springs from the tantrum of the children and is passed on through generations of them which the Macbeth couple unfortunately lacks.”

The Director, AIR, Cuttack, Tarun Kanti Rout who spoke next, surprised all by dismissing the long-held belief that ambition is the tragic flaw in this black tragedy. “It’s the challenge to his sense of security and complacency that drove Macbeth, a loyal and kindhearted general, spill blood. First, his Lady taunted his incompetency, and then the threat from Banquo and his son made him go crazy. All these sent him on this macabre mission”, he claimed.

  Prof. Dr. Krushna Chandra Mishra, HOD, Department of English, Rajiv Gandhi Central University, Arunachal Pradesh, delivered an erudite and exciting speech on the topic in an impressive and enlightening way. “The plotline of the play, Macbeth, is splashed with blood resulting from treasonous violence,” he stressed in his talk.

The key-note speaker Prof. Dr. Tushar Raman Oza from Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA, enthralled the participants with his incisive analysis from different angles. “Ego, Ambition, violence, bloodshed, war and treason weave the texture of the plot of this Scottish play. In abiding by the superstition attached with the stage production of this cursed tragedy I prefer not uttering its name. Just like Draupadi of the Mahabharata seeking to soak her disheveled hair with blood of Dushasan before tying a knot, Lady Macbeth wishes all the perfumes of Arabia to sweeten her blood-stinking hands. Macbeth lived before Shakespeare brought him alive on the stage and he will go on living forever as long as the man is the victim of his instincts. The entire world is a stage.  Macbeth will continue to be enacted till the extinction of the world,” he brought forth these points very persuasively. He also claimed that the porter scene was not originally meant for coming relief and that Shakespeare added it for its stage adaptability. It was inserted in order to let the actor playing Macbeth to wash his blood-stained hands and change costume, he added.

In the interactive session many participants from across the country started a lively discussion rasing very pertinent and also interesting questions .Prof. Dr. Payal Trivedi from Gujarat Prof. Somali Gupta from Jharkhand and Mr. Dabashis Patra from Balasore to name a few,  added   their words of wisdom on the topic.

Prof. Upendra Kumar Swain, the coordinator of the event introduced the esteemed Guests and Resource persons while Prof. Pragyan Prabartika Dash moderated the webinar. Prof. Dillip Kumar Rout, the associate convener, moved the vote of thanks to all at the end.