Ion (Euripides) and Karna (Mahabharat, Sanga Ilakkiyam) - Deconstruction of Binary Oppositions

Abstract

“Ion” is a Greek play authored by Euripides depicting the story of Ion. The “Mahabharata” is an epic written in both the Tamil and Sanskrit languages. The story of Karna is one of the sub plots in this epic. In the Greek play, Creusa who is impregnated by Apollo, the Sun God, keeps Ion in a casket together with a breast plate for his protection. In the Tamil myth, Kunti who is impregnated by the Sun God places her son Karna in a casket and sets it afloat in a river to conceal the birth of the child. Regarding the breast plate in this story, it is shown that Karna was born with the breast plate glued to his breast. Creusa, the mother of Ion, had had an illegitimate son born to her before marriage and remains childless for a long time after getting married to another person. Kunti too gave birth to a son before marriage and remains childless for a long time with her lawful husband. After that, Creusa had offspring by the grace of the God and Kunti too had offspring by the boon of the Gods. Thus, the parallels of binary oppositions and deconstruction are seen in these two myths. Noble birth and low birth, men and women, willing and out of compulsion, happiness and unhappiness are some of the binary oppositions. Theism and Atheism, biological mother and step mother are some of the deconstructions of binary opposition. This article deals with the parallels seen between these two myths, identifying the binary oppositions in these myths and deconstructing the binary oppositions by identifying their instabilities. Keywords: Ion, Karna, myth, Sanskrit, Tamil