There shalt thou see the royal city, known
  Afar, and win the lover’s fee complete,
    If thou subdue thy thunders to a tone
  Of murmurous gentleness, and taste the sweet,
  Love-rippling features of the river at thy feet.

Yet in Kalidasa’s day, the glories of the Sunga dynasty were long departed, nor can we see why the poet should have chosen his hero and his era as he did.

There follows an analysis of the plot and some slight criticism.

In addition to the stage-director and his assistant, who appear in the prologue, the characters of the play are these: 

AGNIMITRA, king in Vidisha.

GAUTAMA, a clown, his friend.

GANADASA }
} dancing-masters. 
HARADATTA }

DHARINI, the senior queen.

IRAVATI, the junior queen.

MALAVIKA, maid to Queen Dharini, later discovered to be a princess.

KAUSHIKI, a Buddhist nun.

  BAKULAVALIKA, a maid, friend of Malavika.

  NIPUNIKA, maid to Queen Iravati.

  A counsellor, a chamberlain, a humpback, two court poets, maids,
  and mute attendants.

The scene is the palace and gardens of King Agnimitra, the time a few days.

ACT I.—­After the usual prologue, the maid Bakulavalika appears with another maid.  From their conversation we learn that King Agnimitra has seen in the palace picture-gallery a new painting of Queen Dharini with her attendants.  So beautiful is one of these, Malavika, that the king is smitten with love, but is prevented by the jealous queen from viewing the original.  At this point the dancing-master Ganadasa enters.  From him Bakulavalika learns that Malavika is a wonderfully proficient pupil, while he learns from her that Malavika had been sent as a present to Queen Dharini by a general commanding a border fortress, the queen’s brother.

After this introductory scene, the king enters, and listens to a letter sent by the king of Vidarbha.  The rival monarch had imprisoned a prince and princess, cousins of Agnimitra, and in response to Agnimitra’s demand that they be set free, he declares that the princess has escaped, but that the prince shall not be liberated except on certain conditions.  This letter so angers Agnimitra that he despatches an army against the king of Vidarbha.

Gautama, the clown, informs Agnimitra that he has devised a plan for bringing Malavika into the king’s presence.  He has stirred an envious rivalry in the bosoms of the two dancing-masters, who soon appear, each abusing the other vigorously, and claiming for himself the pre-eminence in their art.  It is agreed that each shall exhibit his best pupil before the king, Queen Dharini, and the learned Buddhist nun, Kaushiki.  The nun, who is in the secret of the king’s desire, is made mistress of ceremonies, and the queen’s jealous opposition is overborne.