An Investigation of Marginalized Masculinity in Girish Karnad's Play Bali: The Sacrifice
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Abstract
The notion of marginalized masculinity in Girish Karnad's Bali: The Sacrifice (1980) is investigated, with particular attention to how patriarchal power structures simultaneously privilege and constrain male identity through ritual, desire, and moral anxiety. Drawing upon R.W. Connell's theory of hegemonic and subordinated masculinities and Judith Butler's concept of performativity, the study explores how Karnad's male characters embody the contradictions of masculine power in a ritualized moral universe. The King reflects an internalized emasculation that undermines his hegemonic status. Conversely, the Mahout's marginal position exposes the intersections of class, desire, and subaltern masculinity. The analysis concludes that the play redefines masculinity as a site of vulnerability and ethical self-interrogation rather than dominance and control.
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