Indeed, nature seemed in tune with the deeds of the men. In the face of having an obvious catastrophic flaw, the tragic hero remained vulnerable. As usual, the foil kept on highlighting the inherent weaknesses of the tragic hero while enhancing themes and character dynamics. The dramatic irony was provided by a female reportedly possessing supernatural powers. Her surprised entry caught the eye of an otherwise bored-to-death audience. Glimpses of bloodshed and violence kept reverberating in the smoky environment. The comic relief was provided by the one whose determination often defied his actions on the ground. The play that started with a complicated situation had all the requisite elements of suspense in it – from the beginning to the abrupt ending. Subsequently, the two protagonists were quietly provided a safe passage – perhaps to give them time to memorize their lines for the next show.

The Shakespearean drama played in Islamabad on Nov 26 disappointed all and sundry while leaving the twin city gasping and wondering - why the procession was not ‘managed’ before it reached the D-chowk if dispersing it in a jiffy was such a piece of cake? To the dismay of particularly those ‘quiet’ hopeful people who wished to see the revolution on their tv sets, PTI’s last ditch effort to release Khan ended in raising additional questions rather than addressing the existing ones. Undoubtedly, the thesis that all prevailing political issues stemmed from the ‘managed and maneuvered’ results of the Feb 8 general elections was squarely rebutted when the people of........

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