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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2






SECTION LIII

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Endued with great prowess and eager for victory,
even as the sons themselves of Pandu are, so are their followers, who are
all resolved to sacrifice their lives and determined to win victory. Even
thou, O son, hast told me of my mighty enemies, viz., the kings of the
Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and the Magadhas. He, again, who at
his will can bring under his subjection all the three worlds with Indra
at their head, even that Creator of the universe, the mighty Krishna is
bent on giving victory upon the Pandavas. As regards Satyaki, he acquired
in no time the whole science of arms from Arjuna. That scion of Sini's
race will stand on the battle-field, shooting his shafts like husbandmen
sowing seeds. The prince of Panchala, Dhristadyumna, that mighty
car-warrior of merciless deeds, acquainted with all superior weapons,
will fight with my host. Great is my fear, O child from the wrath of
Yudhishthira, from the prowess of Arjuna, and from the Twins and
Bhimasena. When those lords of men will, in the midst of my army, spread
their superhuman net of arrows, I fear my troops will not come out of it.
It is for this, O Sanjaya, that I weep. That son of Pandu, Yudhishthira,
is handsome, endued with great energy, highly blessed, possessed of
Brahma force, intelligent, of great wisdom, and virtuous soul. Having
allies and counsellors, united with persons ready for battle, and
possessing brothers and father-in-law who are all heroes and mighty
car-warriors, that tiger among men, the son of Pandu, is also endued with
patience, capable of keeping his counsels, compassionate, modest, of
powers incapable of being baffled, possessed of great learning, with soul
under proper control, ever waiting upon the aged, and subdued senses;
possessed thus of every accomplishment, he is like unto a blazing fire.
What fool, doomed to destruction and deprived of sense, will jump,
moth-like, into that blazing and irresistible Pandava fire! Alas, I have
behaved deceitfully towards him. The king, like unto a fire of long
flames, will destroy all my foolish sons in battle without leaving any
alive. I, therefore, think that it is not proper to fight with them. Ye
Kauravas, be ye of the same mind. Without doubt, the whole race of Kuru
will be destroyed, in case of hostilities being waged. This appears to me
very clearly, and if we act accordingly, my mind may have peace. If war
with them doth not seem beneficial to you, then we will strive to bring
about peace. Yudhishthira will never be indifferent when he sees us
distressed, for he censures me only as the cause of this unjust war.'"



SECTION LIV

"Sanjaya said, It is even so, O great king, as thou, O Bharata, sayest.
On the event of battle, the destruction of the Kshatriyas by means of
Gandiva is certain. This, however, I do not understand, how when thou art
always wise and especially acquainted with the prowess of Savyasachin,
thou followest yet the counsels of thy sons. Having O bull of the Bharata
race, injured the sons of Pritha from the very beginning, having in fact,
committed sins repeatedly, this is not, O great king, the time (to
grieve). He that occupies the position of a father and a friend, if he is
always watchful and of good heart, should seek the welfare (of his
children); but he that injures, cannot be called a father. Hearing of the
defeat of the Pandavas at dice, thou hadst, O king, laughed like a child,
saying, 'This is won, this is acquired!' When the harshest speeches were
addressed to the sons of Pritha, thou didst not then interfere, pleased
at the prospect of thy sons winning the whole kingdom. Thou couldst not
however, then see before thee inevitable fall. The country of the Kurus,
including the region called Jangala is, O king, thy paternal kingdom.
Thou hast, however, obtained the whole earth by those heroes. Won by the
strength of their arms, the sons of Pritha made over thee this extensive
empire. Thou thinkest, however, O best of kings, that all this was
acquired by thee. When thy sons, seized by the king of the Gandharvas,
were about to sink in a shoreless sea without a raft to save them, it was
Partha, O king, that brought them back. Thou hadst, like a child,
repeatedly laughed, O monarch, at the Pandavas when they were defeated at
dice and were going into exile. When Arjuna poureth a shower of keen
arrows, the very oceans dry up, let alone beings of flesh and blood.
Falguna is the foremost of all shooters; Gandiva is the foremost of all
bows; Kesava is the foremost of all beings; the Sudarsana is the foremost
of all weapons; and of cars, that furnished with the banner bearing the
blazing Ape on it is the foremost. That car of his, bearing all these and
drawn by white steeds, will, O king, consume us all in battle like the
upraised wheel of Time. O bull of the Bharata race, his is even now the
whole earth and he is the foremost of all kings, who hath Bhima and
Arjuna to fight for him. Beholding the host sinking in despair when
smitten by Bhima, the Kauravas headed by Duryodhana will all meet
destruction. Struck with the fear of Bhima and Arjuna, the sons, O king,
and the kings following them, will not, O lord, be able to win victory.
The Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Salways and the Surasenas, all decline to
pay thee homage now and all disregard thee. Acquainted with the energy of
that wise king, all of them, however, have joined that son of Pritha, and
for their devotion to him they are always opposed to thy sons. He that,
by his evil deeds, afflicted the sons of Pandu, who are all wedded to
virtue and undeserving of destruction, he that hateth them even
now,--that sinful man, O monarch, who is none else than thy son,--should,
with all his adherents, be checked by all means. It behoveth thee not to
bewail in this strain. Even this was said by myself as well as by the
wise Vidura at the time of the gambling match at dice. These thy
lamentations in connection with the Pandavas, as if thou wert a helpless
person, are, O king, all useless.'"



SECTION LV

"Duryodhana said, 'Fear not, O king. Nor shouldest thou grieve for us. O
monarch, O lord, we are quite able to vanquish the foe in battle. When
the Parthas had been exiled to the woods, there came unto them the slayer
of Madhu with a vast army in battle array and capable of crushing hostile
kingdoms; and there also came unto them the Kekayas, and Dhrishtaketu,
and Dhrishtadyumna of Pritha's race and numerous other kings in their
train; and all those great car-warriors were assembled in a place not far
from Indraprastha; and having assembled together they censured thee and
all the Kurus. And O Bharata, all those warriors with Krishna at their
head paid their homage unto Yudhishthira clad in deerskin and seated in
their midst. And all those kings then suggested to Yudhishthira that he
should take back the kingdom. And all of them desired to slay thee with
all the followers. And hearing of all this, O bull of the Bharata race, I
addressed Bhishma and Drona and Kripa, struck with fear, O king, at the
prospect of the ruin that threatened our kindred. And I said unto them,
'I think the Pandavas will not abide by the agreement made by them;
Vasudeva desireth our utter extinction. I think also that with the
exception of Vidura all of you will be slain, although the chief of the
Kurus, Dhritarashtra, conversant with morality, will not be included in
the slaughter, O sire, effecting our complete destruction, Janardana
wisheth to bestow upon Yudhishthira the entire kingdom of the Kurus. What
should be done? Shall we surrender, or fly, or shall we fight the foe
giving up every hope of life? If, indeed, we stand up against them, our
defeat is certain, for all the kings of the earth are under
Yudhishthira's command. The people of the realm are all annoyed with us,
and all our friends also are angry with us. All the kings of the earth
are speaking ill of us, and especially all our friends and relatives.
There can be no fault in our surrender, for from time immemorial, the
weaker party is known to conclude peace. I grieve, however, for that lord
of men, my, blind father, who may, on my account, be overtaken by woe and
misery that is endless. [It is known to thee, O king, even before this,
that thy other sons were all opposed to the foe for pleasing me only].
Those mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu, will, indeed, avenge their
wrongs by destroying the whole race of king Dhritarashtra with all his
counsellors.--(It was thus that I addressed them, and) seeing me
afflicted by great anxiety and my senses tortured, Drona and Bhishma and
Kripa and Drona's son then addressed me, saying, 'Fear not, O represser
of foes, for if the foe wage hostilities with us, they will not be able
to vanquish us when we take the field. Every one of us is singly capable
of vanquishing all the kings of the earth. Let them come. With keen-edged
arrows we will curb their pride. Inflamed with anger upon the death of
his father, this Bhishma (amongst us) in days of old had conquered all
the kings of the earth, on a single car. O Bharata, his wrath excited,
that best of the Kurus smote numberless ones amongst them, whereupon from
fear, they are surrendered to this Devavrata seeking his protection. That
Bhishma, united with us, is still capable of vanquishing the foe in
battle. Let thy fears, therefore, O bull of the Bharata race, be all
dispelled.'

"Duryodhana continued, 'Even this was the resolve then formed by these
heroes of immeasurable energy. The whole earth was formerly under the
foe's command. Now, however, they are incapable of vanquishing us in
battle, for our enemies, the sons of Pandu, are now without allies and
destitute of energy. O bull of the Bharata race, the sovereignty of the
earth now resteth in me, and the kings also, assembled by me, are of the
same mind with me in weal or woe. Know thou, O best of the Kuru race,
that all these kings, O slayer of foes, can, for my sake, enter into the
fire or the sea. They are all laughing at thee, beholding thee filled
with grief and including in these lamentations like one out of his wits,
and affrighted at the praises of the foe. Every one amongst these kings
is able to withstand the Pandavas. Indeed, sire, every one regardeth
himself; let thy fears, therefore, be dispelled. Even Vasava himself is
not capable of vanquishing my vast host. The Self-create Brahma himself,
if desirous of slaying it, cannot annihilate it. Having given up all
hopes of a city, Yudhishthira craveth only five villages, affrighted, O
lord, at the army I have assembled and at my power. The belief thou
entertainest in the prowess of Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, is unfounded.
O Bharata, thou knowest not the extent of my prowess. There is none on
earth equal to me in an encounter with the mace. None have ever surpassed
me in such an encounter, nor will any surpass me. With devoted
application and undergoing many privations, I have lived in my
preceptor's abode. I have completed my knowledge and exercises there. It
is for this that I have no fear either of Bhima or of others. When I
humbly waited upon Sankarshana (my preceptor), blessed be thou, it was
his firm conviction that Duryodhana hath no equal in the mace. In battle
I am Sankarshana's equal, and in might there is none superior to me on
earth. Bhima will never be able to bear the blow of my mace in battle. A
single blow, O king, that I may wrathfully deal unto Bhima will
certainly, O hero, carry him without delay to the abode of Yama. O king,
I wish to see Vrikodara mace in hand. This hath been my long-cherished
desire. Struck in battle with my mace, Vrikodara, the son of Pritha, will
fall dead on the ground, his limbs shattered. Smitten with a blow of my
mace, the mountains of Himavat may split into a hundred thousands
fragments. Vrikodra himself knoweth this truth, as also Vasudeva and
Arjuna, that there is no one equal to Duryodhana in the use of mace. Let
thy fears, therefore, caused by Vrikodara. be dispelled, for I will
certainly slay him in fierce conflict. Do not, O king, give way to
melancholy. And after I have slain him, numerous car-warriors of equal or
superior energy, will, O bull among the Bharatas, speedily throw Arjuna
down. Bhishma, Drona Kripa and Drona's son, Karna and, Bhurisravas,
Salya, the king of Pragjyotish, and Jayadratha, the king of the
Sindhus,--every one of these, O Bharata, is singly capable of slaying the
Pandavas. When united together, they will, within a moment, send Arjuna
to the abode of Yama. There, indeed, is no reason why the united army of
all the kings will be incapable of vanquishing Dhananjaya singly. A
hundred times shrouded by immeasurable arrows shot by Bhishma and Drona
and Drona's son and Kripa, and deprived of strength, Partha will have to
go unto Yama's abode. Our grandsire born of Ganga is, O Bharata, superior
to Santanu himself. Like unto a regenerate saint, and incapable of being
withstood by the very celestials, he took his birth amongst men. There is
no slayer of Bhishma, O king, on earth, for his father, being gratified,
gave him the boon,--Thou shalt not die except when it is thy own wish.
And Drona took his birth in a water-pot from the regenerate saint
Bharadwaja. And from Drona hath taken birth his son, having a knowledge
of the highest weapons. And this the foremost of preceptors. Kripa also,
hath taken his birth from the great Rishi Gautama. Born in a clump of
heath this illustrious one, I think, is incapable of being slain. Then
again, O king, the father, mother and maternal uncle of
Aswatthaman,--these three,--are not born of woman's womb. I have that
hero also on my side. All these mighty car-warriors, O king, are like
unto celestials, and can, O bull of the Bharata race, inflict pain on
Sakra himself in battle. Arjuna is incapable of even looking at any one
of these singly. When united together, these tigers among men will
certainly slay Dhananjaya. Karna also, I suppose, is equal unto Bhishma
and Drona and Kripa. O Bharata, Rama himself had told him,--Thou art
equal unto me. Karna had two ear-rings born with him, of great brilliance
and beauty; for Sachi's gratification Indra begged them of that repressor
of foes, in exchange, O king, of an infallible and terrible shaft. How
would Dhananjaya, therefore, escape with life from Karna who is protected
by that arrow? My success, therefore, O king, is as certain as a fruit
held fast in my own grasp. The utter defeat also of my foes is already
bruited about on earth. This Bhishma, O Bharata, killeth every day ten
thousand soldiers. Equal unto him are these bowmen, Drona, Drona's son
and Kripa. Then, O repressor of foes, the ranks of the Samsaptaka
warriors have made this resolution,--Either we will slay Arjuna or that
Ape-bannered warrior will slay us. There are other kings also, who firm
in their resolve of slaying Savyasachin, regard him as unequal to
themselves. Why dost thou then apprehend danger from the Pandavas? When
Bhimasena will be slain, O Bharata, who else (amongst them) will fight?
Tell me this, O repressor of foes, if thou knowest any amongst the foes.
The five brothers, with Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki,--these seven warriors
of the enemy, O king, are regarded as their chief strength. Those,
however, amongst us, that are our chief warriors, are Bhishma, Drona,
Kripa, Drona's son, Karna, Somadatta, Vahlika, and Salya, the king of
Pragjyotisha, the two kings (Vindha and Anuvinda) of Avanti, and
Jayadratha; and then, O king, thy sons Dussasana, Durmukha, Dussaha,
Srutayu; Chitrasena, Purumitra, Vivingsati, Sala, Bhurisravas, and
Vikarna. O king, I have assembled one and ten Akshauhinis. The army of
the enemy is less than mine, amounting only to seven Akshauhinis. How
then can I be defeated? Vrihaspati hath said that an army which is less
by a third ought to be encountered. My army, O king, exceedeth that of
the foe by a third. Besides, O Bharata, I know that the enemy hath many
defects, while mine, O lord, are endued with many good virtues. Knowing
all this, O Bharata, as also the superiority of my force and the
inferiority of the Pandavas, it behoveth thee not to lose thy senses.

'Having said this, O Bharata, that conqueror of hostile chiefs,
Duryodhana, asked Sanjaya again, anxious to known more about the doings
of the Pandavas.'"



SECTION LVI

"Duryodhana said, 'Having obtained, O Sanjaya, an army numbering seven
Akshauhinis, what is Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, with the other kings
in his company, doing in view of the war?'

"Sanjaya said, 'Yudhishthira, O king, is very cheerful in view of the
battle. And so also are Bhimasena and Arjuna. The twins also are
perfectly fearless. Desirous of making an experiment of the mantras
(obtained by him). Vibhatsu, the son of Kunti, yoked his celestial car
illuminating all the directions. Accoutred in mail, he looked like a mass
of clouds charged with lightning. After reflecting for a while, he
cheerfully addressed me, saying,--Behold, O Sanjaya, these preliminary
signs. We will certainly conquer.' Indeed, what Vibhatsu said unto me
appeared to me to be true.'

"Duryodhana said, 'Thou rejoicest to applaud those sons of Pritha
defeated at dice. Tell us now what sort of steeds are yoked unto Arjuna's
car and what sort of banners are set up on it?'

"Sanjaya said, 'O great king, the celestial artificer called Tashtri or
Bhaumana, aided by Sakra and Dhatri, created forms of diverse kinds and
great beauty for Arjuna's car. And displaying divine illusion they placed
on his flagstaff those celestial forms, large and small, of great value.
And at Bhimasena's request, Hanumat, the son of the Wind-god, will also
place his own image on it. And Bhaumana has, in its creation, had
recourse to such illusion that that banner covers, both perpendicularly
and laterally, an area of one yojana, and even if trees stand in its way,
its course cannot be impeded. Indeed, even as Sakra's bow of diverse
colours is exhibited in the firmament, and nobody knows of what it is
made, so hath that banner been contrived by Bhaumana, for its form is
varied and ever varying. And as column of smoke mixed with fire riseth
up, covering the sky and displaying many bright hues and elegant shapes,
so doth that banner contrived by Bhaumana rear its head. Indeed, it hath
no weight, nor is it capable of being obstructed. And unto that car are a
century of excellent celestial steeds of white hue and endued with the
speed of the mind, all presented by Chitrasena (the king of the
Gandharvas). And neither on earth, O king, nor in the sky, nor in heaven,
their course can be impeded. And formerly a boon hath been granted to the
effect that their number would always remain full how often so ever they
might be slain. And unto Yudhishthira's car are yoked large steeds of
equal energy and white in colour like ivory. And unto Bhimasena's car are
yoked courses endued with the speed of the wind and the splendour of the
seven Rishis. And steeds of sable bodies and backs variegated like the
wings of the Tittri bird, all presented by his gratified brother Falguna,
and superior to those of the heroic Falguna himself, cheerfully carry
Sahadeva. And Nakula of Ajamida's race, the son of Madri, is borne, like
Indra the slayer of Vritra, by excellent steeds, presented by the great
Indra himself, all mighty as the wind and endued with great speed. And
excellent steed of large size, equal unto those of the Pandavas
themselves in years and strength, endued with great swiftness and of
handsome make, and all presented by the celestials, carry those youthful
princes, the sons of Subhadra and Draupadi.'"



SECTION LVII

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Whom hast thou, O Sanjaya, seen to have, from
affection, arrived there, and who will, on behalf of the Pandavas, fight
my son's forces?'

"Sanjaya said, 'I have seen Krishna, the foremost of the Andhakas and the
Vrishnis, arrived there, and Chekitana, as also Satyaki, otherwise called
Yuyudhana. And those two mighty car-warriors, proud of their strength and
famed over all the world, have joined the Pandavas, each with a separate
Akshauhini of troops. And Drupada, the king of the Panchalas, surrounded
by his ten heroic sons--Satyajit and others--headed by Dhrishtadyumna,
and well-protected by Sikhandin, and having furnished his soldiers with
every necessary thing, hath come there with a full Akshauhini, desirous
of honouring Yudhishthira. And that lord of earth, Virata, with his two
sons Sankha and Uttara, as also with those heroes Suryadatta and
others--headed by Madiraksha and surrounded by one Akshauhini of troops,
hath thus accompanied by brothers and sons, joined the son of Pritha. And
the son of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, and Dhrishtaketu, the king of
the Chedis, have separately come there, each accompanied by an Akshauhini
of troops. And the five brothers of Kekaya, all having purple flags, have
joined the Pandavas, surrounded by an Akshauhini of troops. Then
numbering to this extent, have I seen assembled there, and these, on
behalf of the Pandavas, will encounter the Dhartarashtra host. That great
car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, who is acquainted with human, celestial,
Gandharva and Asura arrays of battle, leadeth that host. O king, Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, has been assigned to Sikhandin as his share; and
Virata with all his Matsya warriors will support Sikhandin. The mighty
king of the Madras hath been assigned to the eldest son of Pandu as his
share, though some are of opinion that those two are not well-matched.
Duryodhana with his sons and his ninety-nine brothers, as also the rulers
of the east and the south, have been assigned to Bhimasena as his share.
Karna, the son of Vikartana, and Jayadratha the king of the Sindhus, have
been assigned to Arjuna as his share. And those heroes also on the earth
who are incapable of being withstood and who are proud of their might,
have been accepted by Arjuna as his share. And those mighty bowmen, the
five royal brothers of Kekaya, will put forth their strength in battle,
accepting the Kekaya warriors (on Dhritarashtra's side) as antagonists.
And in their share are included the Malavas also, and the Salwakas, as
also, the two famous warriors of the Trigarta host who have sworn to
conquer or die. And all the sons of Duryodhana and Dussasana, as also
king Vrihadvala, have been assigned to Subhadra's son as his share. And
those great bowmen, the sons of Draupadi, having cars furnished with
gold-embroidered banners, all headed by Dhrishtadyumna, will, O Bharata,
advance against Drona. And Chekitana on his car desireth to encounter
Somadatta in single combat with him, while Satyaki is anxious to battle
against the Bhoja chief, Kritavarman. And the heroic son of Madri,
Sahadeva, who setteth up terrible roars in battle, hath intended to take
as his share thy brother-in-law, the son of Suvala. And Nakula also, the
son of Madravati, hath intended to take as his share the deceitful Uluka
and the tribes of the Saraswatas. As for all the other kings of the
earth, O Monarch, who will go to battle, the sons of Pandu have, by
naming them, distributed them in their own respective shares. Thus hath
the Pandava host been distributed into divisions. Do thou now, without
delay, with thy sons, act as thou thinkest best.'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Alas, all my foolish sons, addicted to deceitful
dice, are already dead when it is the mighty Bhima with whom they desire
to encounter in the field of battle. All the kings of the earth too,
consecrated by Death himself for sacrifice, will rush to the Gandiva,
like so many moths into fire. Methinks my host is already put to flight
by those illustrious warriors formerly injured by me. Who, indeed, shall
follow to battle my warriors, whose ranks will be broken by the sons of
Pandu in the encounter? All of them are mighty car-warriors, possessed of
great bravery, of famous achievements, endued with great prowess, equal
unto the fiery sun in energy, and all victorious in battle. Those that
have Yudhishthira for their leader, the slayer of Madhu for their
protector, the heroic Savyasachin and Vrikodara for their warriors, and
Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and
Satyaki, and Drupada, and Dhrishtaketu with his son, and Uttamaujas, and
the unconquerable Yudhamanyu of the Panchalas, and Sikhandin, and
Kshatradeva, and Uttara, the son of Virata, and Kasayas, the Chedis, the
Matsyas, the Srinjayas, Vabhru the son of Virata, the Panchalas, and the
Prabhadrakas, for fighting for them, those, indeed, from whom Indra
himself cannot, if they are unwilling, snatch this earth,--those heroes,
cool and steady, in fight, who can split the very mountains--alas, it is
with them that are endued with every virtue and possessed of superhuman
prowess that this wicked son of mine, O Sanjaya, desireth to fight,
disregarding me even though I am crying myself hoarse!'

"Duryodhana said, 'Both the Pandavas and ourselves are of the same race;
both they and we tread upon the same earth, why dost thou think that
victory will declare itself for only the Pandavas? Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,
the unconquerable Karna, Jayadratha, Somadatta, and Aswatthaman-all
mighty bowmen and endued with great energy,--are incapable of being
vanquished by Indra himself united with the celestials. What sayst thou
then, O father of the Pandavas? Ali these noble and heroic kings of the
earth, bearing weapons, O father, are quite capable, for my sake, of
withstanding the Pandavas, while the latter are not capable of even
gazing at my troops. I am powerful enough to encounter in battle the
Pandavas with their sons. O Bharata, all those rulers of the earth, who
are anxious for my welfare, will certainly seize all the Pandavas like a
herd of young deer by means of net. I tell thee, in consequence of our
crowds of cars and snares of arrows, the Panchalas and the Pandavas will
all be routed.'

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Sylvia Plath's only play was never intended for the stage, being broadcast instead on BBC radio in August 1962. Less than six months later, Plath killed herself, but not before the burst of astonishing creative energy that produced her extraordinary, terrifying Ariel poems.

Anyone who knows Plath's poetry will see the connection between Three Women and Plath's subsequent poems, particularly in the way she talks about the agony of childbirth, the rush of love for this tiny alien being, and both the wonder and wounded rawness of motherhood. It is a beautiful piece, full of startling imagery that draws you in through the sheer intensity of its femaleness, and because it so precisely articulates the emotions that are often thought but seldom voiced by women - certainly not in the early 1960s - about men, motherhood and our relationship to our bodies.

It's been 20 years since there has been an attempt at a professional stage version and - in a theatre world that happily accepts the poetic offerings of Sarah Kane and Debbie Tucker Green, or the staged possibilities of The Waves, one of Plath's own inspirations for the piece, I see no reason why it shouldn't be brought to life. Sadly, it doesn't breathe here, in a production by Robert Shaw that is clearly a labour of love, but which never finds a way to give the internal a physical reality. Plath's poetry, like most babies, is more robust than it appears - and won't break if treated with a little less reverence and considerably more grit.

Instead, what we are offered is tinkling piano music, mournful mood lighting, an innocuous pale setting, as well as three perfectly good but indisputably ladylike performances that capture none of the wounded redness of Plath's poetry, and do her the disservice of making her sound bleached and somewhat prissy. It's a pity. What might have been a wonder ends up a mere curiosity.

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