The Iliad/Ramayana

This week we discussed book 22 of The Iliad and the background information surrounding the Ramayana. Book 22 of the Iliad describes the death of Hector and is written in a didactic tone. This is clearly presented through a myriad of lessons conveyed through out the story. We also learn about the ethics of war. This is portrayed when Achilles dishonors Hector, which elicits an angry response by the gods. I enjoyed reading books 1 and 22 of the Iliad not only because I thought the stories were interesting but also because they were easy to read. On the other hand, I found it very difficult to decipher what was going on in Cantos 2 and 3 of Ramayana. All I really got from it was that a bird died and the character Valmiki was saddened by this. We did not get to discuss what had happened in the readings, however, in class we learned about the caste system in India including the difficulty or more accurately the absence of upward mobility in society. We also see the similarities between the two epics. For instance, both epics possess a central hero who is on a quest. Hopefully, I will be better able to understand what the ramayana is about.