Power, Patriarchy, and Moral Collapse in Vijay Tendulkar’s His Fifth Woman and The Vultures

Abstract

This paper critically examines Vijay Tendulkar’s plays His Fifth Woman and The Vultures through the lenses of patriarchy, violence, and moral disintegration. Tendulkar’s dramatic works reveal the darker dimensions of human relationships, particularly the systemic oppression of women and the normalization of violence within familial and social structures. By employing psychological realism, symbolic representation, and stark characterization, the playwright critiques the socio-cultural frameworks that enable exploitation. This paper further incorporates feminist and sociological perspectives to argue that Tendulkar’s works remain profoundly relevant in contemporary discourse, as they expose the enduring nature of gender inequality and ethical decay in modern society.