Symbols and Metaphors on Stage – Class 9 Arts Chapter 3 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 9ArtsChapter 3NCERT book: Madhurima - Arts Class 9

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 3 of the NCERT Class 9 Arts book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 3: Symbols and Metaphors on Stage (Theatre)

Introduction

This chapter opens the Theatre section under the sign of Śhṛiṅgāra Rasa — the rasa of beauty and love. Its big idea is simple but powerful: on stage, everything speaks. Not only the actors, but also the lights, props, set, music, costumes and even a red scarf worn by an actor communicate something to the audience. That is why every member of a theatre team must think carefully before putting anything on stage.

The chapter begins with Activity 3.1 "Beyond words", where you look at a stage set before the performance begins and ask: What do the two levels on stage imply? What caught your eye first, and what might it represent? There is no single correct answer — your perception matters.

Key Ideas

Symbolism and metaphor

Symbolism is when an object, action, colour, sound or movement stands for something deeper than its literal meaning. A single lamp can symbolise hope; a closed door can symbolise fear or opportunity; a red light can symbolise passion or energy.

Metaphors compare two seemingly different things. A character walking in circles can be a metaphor for confusion or being trapped; a torn costume can be a metaphor for a broken identity.

Metaphors help the story speak in images, not just words.

Why theatre needs them

Deeper meaning — the audience discovers meaning for itself, so the experience is richer and more memorable.

Emotional connection — symbols express what words cannot: fear, love, loss.

Creativity on stage — with limited sets, one object or movement can stand for many ideas.

Cultural expression — in Indian traditions like Kathakali and Yakṣhagāna, gestures, colours and costumes are symbolic.

Visual impact — images such as a candle blowing out at the end, or a flower handed over to show forgiveness, stay with viewers.

Symbolism using colour

Colour is the element the eye notices first and it has the strongest impact on the mind. Common associations given in the book:

Red — anger, danger, power, passion

Blue — calmness, sadness, night, mystery

Yellow — hope, divinity, joy, enlightenment

Green — nature, growth, jealousy

Purple — magic, royalty, dream-like moods

Black — mystery, authority, fear

White — purity, truth, focus, surrender

These meanings can change with geographical location, time period, local culture and traditions, and situation or context. The Nāṭyaśhāstra also links colours to rasas, for example: Śhṛiṅgāra — sky blue; Hāsya — white; Karuṇa — grey; Raudra — red; Vīra — yellowish white; Bhayānaka — black; Bībhatsa — blue; Adbhuta — yellow.

Symbolism using music

A snake's hiss when a character enters tells the audience the character is dangerous; a soothing flute makes the same character seem calm and endearing. The book quotes the Nāṭyaśhāstra (Ch. 17):

Hāsyaśhṛṅgārayoḥ kāryau svarau madhyamapañchamau | Ṣhaḍjaṛiṣhabhau cha kartavyau vīraraudrādbhuteṣhvatha ||

Its meaning, as the book explains:

Madhyama (M) and Pañchama (P) — for joy, playfulness and love (Hāsya, Śhṛiṅgāra).

Ṣhaḍja (S) and Ṛiṣhabha (R) — for courage, anger, amazement (Vīra, Raudra, Adbhuta).

Gāndhāra (G) and Niṣhāda (N) — for grief and compassion (Karuṇa); they have a soft, "melting" quality.

Dhaivata (D) — for dread, fear and revulsion.

The book notes that today's composers may not follow this exactly, and encourages your own creative choices.

Symbolism using costumes and make-up

Style and texture: heavy, rich fabrics suggest royalty; simple cotton suggests humility; flowing costumes suggest softness; sharp structured lines suggest rigidity.

Transformation: a change of costume shows inner change or passage of time — e.g., the same character in cotton, then a raincoat, then woollens and gloves shows the seasons changing.

Make-up shows age and experience (wrinkles, grey shading), cultural identity (markings, motifs) and abstract ideas (half the face painted differently for duality). Make-up must always be done safely, with skin-safe, non-allergenic products.

Symbolism in sets and props

Scale and space: a huge empty stage suggests loneliness; a cluttered set suggests confusion.

Levels: higher platforms show authority; lower levels show vulnerability.

Props: repeated objects become motifs; an empty chair can stand for loss; a rope for connection or constraint; a broken mirror for inner conflict; a key for freedom or secrets. A plain character walking out of a store wearing a luxurious watch now carries a symbol of power and status.

Symbolism using light

Intensity: bright light — clarity, happiness; dim light — fear, secrecy, suspense; sudden blackout — shock or dramatic ending.

Direction: footlight — fear, the supernatural; backlight — mystery, silhouette, inner struggle; front light — honesty, openness.

Shadows: long shadows — fear, loneliness; soft shadows — memory, nostalgia; no shadows — honesty, safety. A powerful emperor can be given a bigger shadow to show unspoken supremacy.

Activities

Scene work (running through the chapter): two scenes — two kings signing a peace treaty (the regional ruler unhappy with the terms) and a hospital waiting room with people who each have a backstory. For each, decide mood, rhythm, instruments, costumes, make-up, props, levels and lighting, and sketch them in your journal.

Activity 3.2 "What do you think it means?" — two characters in a dance/combat under low light while a framed ancestral photo is spotlit. Imagine many possible meanings.

Activity 3.3 "Designing abstract concepts" — design costume, props and make-up for an AI robot worried about plastic, and a talking book warning youth about gadget overdependence.

Key Terms

Symbolism (प्रतीकात्मकता) — something standing for a deeper idea

Metaphor (रूपक) — comparison between unlike things

Motif (मूल भाव/बार-बार आने वाला प्रतीक) — a repeated object carrying meaning

Prop (रंगमंच सामग्री) — an object used on stage

Levels (स्तर) — different heights on stage

Rasa (रस) — the emotional flavour experienced by the audience

Śhṛiṅgāra (शृंगार) — beauty and love

Svara (स्वर) — musical note

Footlight (पाद-प्रकाश) — light from the floor at the front

Backlight (पृष्ठ-प्रकाश) — light from behind

Silhouette (छायाचित्र/आकृति) — dark outline against light

Blackout (अंधकार) — sudden switching off of all lights

Costume (वेशभूषा) — clothes worn by a character

Make-up (रूप-सज्जा) — face and body colouring for a role

Artists & Traditions

Nāṭyaśhāstra — gives colours for each rasa and the svaras that evoke them.

Kathakali and Yakṣhagāna — traditions where gestures, colours and costumes are symbolic.

Connect to Your Life

Think of how films, advertisements and even school assemblies use colour and music to make you feel something. A dark, dim room with slow music creates a very different mood from a brightly lit hall with drums.

Common Mistakes

Treating colour meanings as fixed rules — the book says they change with culture, place, time and context.

Confusing symbol and metaphor: a symbol stands for an idea; a metaphor compares two things.

Forgetting that the Nāṭyaśhāstra links S and R (not M and P) with Vīra and Raudra.

Adding props "just to fill space" — every object on stage communicates.

Let's Reflect

Can two people read the same symbol differently? (Yes — interpretation depends on perception.)

Exercise Q2: to show someone growing wiser over 10 years without dialogue, use changing costumes, make-up (greying hair), lights and props — just as in the book's example of the ageing narrator.

Exercise Q4: symbolism and metaphors add deeper meaning, emotion, creativity, cultural expression and visual impact.

💡 Key Learning Points

✓Everything on stage — lights, props, set, music, costume and make-up — communicates meaning, not only the actors.
✓Symbolism makes an object, colour, sound or movement stand for a deeper idea; metaphor compares two unlike things (e.g., walking in circles = feeling trapped).
✓Colours carry common associations (red = anger/passion, blue = calm/sadness, white = purity/truth) that can change with culture, place, time and context; the Nāṭyaśhāstra assigns a colour to each rasa.
✓The Nāṭyaśhāstra links svaras with rasas: M and P for Hāsya and Śhṛiṅgāra, S and R for Vīra, Raudra and Adbhuta, G and N for Karuṇa, and D for fear and disgust.
✓Light intensity, direction and shadows, and set levels and props, can all be used symbolically to show mood, status and inner states.

👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

→Begin with Activity 3.1: project or draw a bare stage set and let every student share what they notice first — accept multiple interpretations.
→Hold up everyday objects (a key, a lamp, an empty chair) and ask students what each could symbolise in a play.
→Use coloured cellophane over a torch to show how the same object looks different under red, blue and yellow light.
→Play two short sound clips (a hiss and a flute) while a student walks in, and discuss how the audience's view of the character changes.
→Run the two Scene Work tasks across several periods so students build a full design journal for one scene.
→Stress make-up safety: only skin-safe, non-allergenic products, clean brushes, and care near the eyes.
→Use the Discussion Circle questions (mood colour, doorway symbol, school-bag object) as a quick warm-up or exit ticket.

📋 Assessment Questions

Can the student explain the difference between a symbol and a metaphor with one stage example each?
Can the student match colours to common associations and explain why these may vary with context?
Can the student state which svaras the Nāṭyaśhāstra links with Vīra/Raudra and with Karuṇa?
Can the student design costume, props and lighting that symbolise the mood of a given scene?
Can the student use levels and shadows to show the power difference between characters?

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