Silence! The Court is in Session

by

Vijay Tendulkar

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Silence! The Court is in Session makes teaching easy.
The killing of an infant.

Infanticide Quotes in Silence! The Court is in Session

The Silence! The Court is in Session quotes below are all either spoken by Infanticide or refer to Infanticide. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Performance and Self Expression Theme Icon
).
Act Two Quotes

SUKHATME. Why are you so grave all of a sudden? After all, it’s a game. Just a game, that’s all. Why are you so serious?

BENARE [trying to laugh]. Who’s serious? I’m absolutely—light- hearted. I just got a bit serious to create the right atmosphere. For the court, that’s all. Why should I be afraid of a trial like this?

[…]

SUKHATME. Kashikar, you've really picked some charge! A first-class charge! There’s no fun in a case. unless there’s a really thundering charge!

KASHIKAR. Did you notice, also, Sukhatme, that this charge is important from the social point of view? The question of infanticide is one of great social significance. That’s why I deliberately picked it. We consider society's best interests in all we do. Come on, Miss Benare. Rokde, my gavel.

Related Characters: Benare (speaker), Sukhatme (speaker), Mr. Kashikar (speaker), Ponkshe , Balu Rokde
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:

SUKHATME. Motherhood is pure. Moreover, there is a great—er —a great nobility in our concept of motherhood. We have acknowledged woman as the mother of mankind. Our culture enjoins us to perpetual worship of her. ‘Be thy mother as a god’ is what we teach our children from infancy. There is great responsibility devolving upon a mother. She weaves a magic circle with her whole existence in order to protect and preserve her little one—

KASHIKAR. You've forgotten one thing. There’s a Sanskrit proverb, Janani janmabhumischa svargadapi gariyasi.

‘Mother and
The Motherland,
Both are even
Higher than heaven.’

MRS KASHIKAR [with enthusiasm]. And of course, ‘Great are thy favours, ‘O mother’ is quite famous.

BENARE. Order, order! This is all straight out of a school composition-book. [Bites her tongue ironically.] Prisoner Miss Benare, for abrogating the authority of the court, a reprimand is once more issued to you! [Pretends to bang a gavel.]

SUKHATME. I am deeply grateful, Milord, for your addition. In short, ‘Woman is a wife for a moment, but a mother for ever.’

Related Characters: Benare (speaker), Sukhatme (speaker), Mr. Kashikar (speaker), Mrs. Kashikar (speaker)
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:
Act Three Quotes

Prisoner Miss Benare, pay the closest attention. The crimes you have committed are most terrible. There is no forgiveness for them. Your sin must be expiated. Irresponsibility must be chained down. Social customs, after all, are of supreme importance. Marriage is the very foundation of our society's stability. Motherhood must be sacred and pure. This court takes a serious view of your attempt to dynamite all this. It is the firm opinion of this court that your behaviour puts you beyond mercy. And, what is more, the arrogance with which you conducted yourself in society, having done all these things, that arrogance is the most unforgivable thing of all. Criminals and sinners should know their place. You have conducted yourself above your station. The court expresses its indignation at your presumptuousness. Moreover, the future of posterity was entrusted to you. This is a very dreadful thing. The morality which you have shown through your conduct was the morality you were planning to impart to the youth of tomorrow. This court has not an iota of doubt about it. Hence not only today’s, but tomorrow’s society would have been endangered by your misconduct. It must be said that the school officials have done a work of merit in deciding to remove you from your job. By the grace of God, it has all been stopped in time. Neither you nor anyone else should ever do anything like this again. No memento of your sin should remain for future generations. Therefore this court hereby sentences that you shall live. But the child in your womb shall be destroyed.

Related Characters: Mr. Kashikar (speaker), Benare
Page Number: 118-119
Explanation and Analysis:
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Infanticide Term Timeline in Silence! The Court is in Session

The timeline below shows where the term Infanticide appears in Silence! The Court is in Session. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act One
Performance and Self Expression Theme Icon
Guilt and Innocence  Theme Icon
...robes. Samant has returned but only watches. Kashikar announces that they are accusing Benare of infanticide. (full context)
Act Two
Performance and Self Expression Theme Icon
Guilt and Innocence  Theme Icon
...repeats the last line of the previous act, asking Benare if she is guilty of infanticide. Benare, still in shock from the accusation, doesn’t answer. (full context)
Performance and Self Expression Theme Icon
Guilt and Innocence  Theme Icon
...Samant wonders if he’s missed a joke and Karnik explains Benare has been charged with infanticide. Samant doesn’t know the word and Karnik explains. Samant is shocked by the gravity of... (full context)
Performance and Self Expression Theme Icon
Guilt and Innocence  Theme Icon
Sukhatme argues that, given the status of motherhood, infanticide is the most “devilish thing on earth,” and he aims to prove Benare is guilty.... (full context)