Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

Focus story: Drona

Synopsis:

• Drupada vows to end Drona after what he has done to his kingdom after Drona fulfills his plan of revenge on Drupuda. He performed a ritual that resulted in the birth of his son, Dhrishtadyumna, and his daughter, Draupadi. His son was destined to end Drona.
• Not much is focused on Drona's story in part B other than the development of Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi as well as the Pandavas gaining more and more power. In a way, the success of Arjuna and Bhima can be regarded as the result of training with Drona.

Storytelling Ideas: 

Sticking to my original idea from part A, I think it will be very interesting to have Drona as a football coach in a high school setting. While reading the Mahabharata, as a reader I felt like Drona's character is the foundation of all the important warriors such as Arjuna. He made them into the brilliant warriors they have become. It's really sad that in the end, they were against each other, especially since Arjuna was Drona's favorite. For my story, I want to integrate the original idea by maybe having Arjuna transfer schools to another football team. 

Extra thought:

The Arjuna was a really popular figure in Indonesian culture. At school, we used to make wayangs in arts and crafts. Because I am familiar with Arjuna, I want to do something out of my comfort zone and focus more on Drona, a figure I am not super familiar with.

Arjuna Wayang (Source: Wikimedia)

Bibliography: "Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition" Part B by Laura Gibbs. Web source.