Publisher's Synopsis
This is a Research conducted on the comparative behavioural aspects between the Literary Shakuntala believed to have lived nearly two millennia ago in India and the present day Real Sakunthala who currently lives in Sri Lanka. Quintessentially, in order to delve deeply into the traits and characteristics portrayed by the two protagonist heroines mentioned above, the Researcher needs to peruse diligently and meticulously Abhijnanasakuntala written by the Great Indian Poet Kalidasa nearly two thousand years ago and The Two Shakuntalas--The Tale of Shakuntala of the Yore and Sakunthala of the Modern Era written by Vidanage P. Karunaratne in the 21st century in the year 2016. In so doing, it becomes extremely surprising to note the verisimilitudes in behavioural patterns exhibited by the two heroines who seem to be in the same age category although poles apart in time period. Both of them meeting their lovers for the first time when they were passing their nineteenth year in life and in spite of the fact that their parents and elders being present continuously in the vicinity, on their own free-will they give themselves to their new-found lovers thus becoming guilty of fornication but nevertheless being deceived and duped by their own lovers ultimately. Therefore, one could conclude that their obstinate stubbornness had been amply rewarded by this splendid deception which scenario culminated in both Shakuntala and Sakunthala being named as sluts in King Dushyantha's Courts in India and in the Tertiary Educational Institute in Sri Lanka respectively which phenomenon earned them much insult, ignominy and social odium to their dismay.
