New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- American President Donald Trump's tariff drama is a play in five acts. As students of theatre will know, five-act plays were the norm until the 18th century. Roman playwrights Seneca and Horace wrote five-act plays with musical interludes.

Shakespeare followed that tradition. Similarly, ancient Sanskrit dramas were structured as five 'arthaprakritis' or transitions. Contemporary plays are not bound by too much structure, but are typically performed in three acts or less. Let's look at Trump's drama since he took office in early 2025.

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Act 1-the Mukha in Sanskrit or Exposition in Western theatre: In the opening scene on 2 April, the protag...