The World of Courtesans c8.274

c8.274

The assessors took the help of reckoners who pointed to them the blemishes of the show. The assessors sat at a distance of six yards from the stage and observed minutely the merits and blemishes of the representation. Accidental faults were ignored. After judging the performances and taking into consideration the faults and the achievements of the actors, the board of assessors made their recommendations to the king. If two performers were thought of as possessing equal merit, the king had to decide to whom the banner ought to be awarded. If he thought that two performers were of equal merit, he awarded the banner to both the competitors. In a successful production, co-ordination, the beauty of limbs, the successful portrayal of character, the accurate representation of sentiments, the charm of the songs and of instrumental music, the attractiveness of the costumes and the make-up had each an equally important role to play.