रत्नावली नाटिका (सम्राट हर्षवर्धन - शास्त्रीय नाटिका रत्न सम्पूर्ण ४ अङ्क सान्वय सटीक)

iv RATNAVALI
3. Three unities—This means the unity of place, unity of
time and unity of action. These are the three principles governing
the structure of a drama and were introduced by Aristotle in
his Poetics and derived by the writers of the French Classical
school. As rigidly formulated they required that the action
of the play be represented as occuring in one place, within one
day and with nothing irrelevant to the plot. "Let the stage be
occupied to the end by a single completed action, which takes
place in one spot in one day." These theories were upheld by the
Neoclassicists and challenged by the writers of romantic bent. The
utility of three unities, specially those of time and place in the
Greek dramas, is owing to the prominence of Chorus. But gradually
the French Neoclassicists adopted them as a dramatic convention.
The utilitiy of the unities of time and place was disregarded by
the romantic playwrights, and the unity of action was faithfully
followed in all dramas, as its utility could not be avoided. Here is
an observation of a romantic writer against the unities of time and
place—"By their servile observations of the unities of time and
place, and integrity of scenes, they have brought themselves the
dearth of plot and narrowness of imagination, which may be
observed in their plays. How many beautiful accidents might
naturally happen in two or three days which cannot arrive with
any probability in the compass of twenty-four hours ?" In the
Sanskrit drama the provision of the unity of time has been made so
far as an act of the drama is concerned, but not the whole drama
as in Greek plays ; in Sanskrit Dramaturgy much liberality as to
the unity of time is found as the unity of time is extended from
twenty-four hours (as in Greek plays) up to one year—
या च स्याद्वर्षपर्यन्तं कथा दिनद्वयादिजा—साः दः ( ६ परि )
But this is also violated by eminent playwrights like Bhava-
bhuti and others. The unity of place meaning that the dramatic
subject-matter should be represented as occurring in one place is