5.1 THE SHIRT

UNIT V – 5.1 THE SHIRT

• Francis Dillon

 

 

Introduction:

 

This is a satirical (comedy) play written by Francis Dillon who produced many plays for B.B.C.  The play highlights on the emptiness of modern life, where we have lost our joy and the capacity to live happily which was brought out in the most entertaining fashion in this play through the life of the King who suffers from melancholy.

 

Summary:

 

The play takes place in the King’s court where the Queen conducts a meeting with the Chancellor, nobles, councilors, magicians, and some commoners. The Queen convenes a meeting to solve the problem faced by the kingdom. The chancellor says that the whole kingdom shares the Queen’s sorrow since the disease called melancholy (sadness) has overtaken the King drastically and the Queen want the remedy to cure the disease. She asked the court physician to speak, and he says that the King is affected by Melancholy humor and this can be cured by developing humor and laughter.

 

Buckram is a commoner who feels that the jester (entertainers) must introduce new jokes. Buckram brings a physician from Germany who says that the king must wear the shirt of a happy man for seven days to be happy.  Then a committee is formed to form a workable definition of happiness. The committee consists of forty two definitions. The forty two definitions were reduced to two. One definition favors the brain, and the other favors the brawn.

 

Queen wants the King to be tempted any way or the other to come out of the disease.  She invites the court poet to sing in praise of the King in order to bring him out from sadness since the poet was one of the most lovable poets of all time. The poet tries to cure the king’s troubled mind saying about Unicorns which should be hunted by the king.  Buckram (common man) interrupts and says that he will offer fifty thousand gold dinars for a Unicorn dead or alive. Buckram promises the Queen that he will bring entertainers and physicians from the neighboring states to entertain the king to cure his sadness.  Few days later the King’s court hall is filled up with Buckram’s entertainers. Buckram’s physician examines the King and says that the King fears death and old age and the melancholy disease can be cured by wearing the shirt of a completely happy man for 7 days.  The king replies that every man in the kingdom is happy except him.  The Chancellor promised the King that he will bring the happiest man and leaves the court.  He asked the secretary to arrange for a selection committee to find the happy man.

 

 

Suddenly there was a fight between the people who are armed and those who are not.  It took place between the Brain party and the Brawn party. By that time the Queen came across a beggar and she asked him whether he was a rich beggar. The queen was still unhappy. She searches for a happy man throughout the country and she was disappointed. She wants to give up her search and return to her country.  At that time, she sees a beggar. The beggar is singing happily. He says that he has no money.  He does not need money. He sings because he likes to sing. The queen was happy. At last, she has found a happy man.

 

 

The queen offers to take the beggar to the palace, but he prefers to remain at the gate. Finally, he is taken to the Court. The king asks for his shirt, but the beggar replies that he has no shirt. The king is so much amused and he starts laughing.

He could not control his laughter, and he continues to laugh. Thus his melancholy is gone completely, and everybody is happy.

 

CONCLUSION:

In this play the author Francis Dillon portrays the emptiness of modern life, where men had lost the innate joy and capacity to live happily in their hot pursuits of material wealth.