Kalidasa is considered the Hindu counterpart of which Western playwright?

• A. Shakespeare
• B. Rabindranath Tagore
• C. Vyasa
• D. T. S. Eliot

Answer: (A)

Kalidasa is revered as the supreme master of classical Sanskrit drama and poetry, and he is often described as the Hindu counterpart of Shakespeare because both are seen as foundational geniuses who defined their languages’ drama and lyric expression. Kalidasa’s plays, especially Shakuntala, blend refined verse with sharp character insight and deep emotional resonance, much like Shakespeare does in English. This parallel helps explain why Kalidasa is held up as the Indian counterpart to Shakespeare—each set the standard for their literary traditions and left a lasting impact on how drama and poetry are written and understood. The other figures come from different contexts or periods: Tagore is a later Bengali-language giant, Vyasa is the ancient epic author rather than a classical Sanskrit dramatist, and T. S. Eliot is a Western modernist.