The Ramayana

Ramayana was an interesting read because it is quite different from the epics we’ve already been presented with in class. Ramayana includes the Hindu religion; speaks of the religion’s ideal figures and ideology. One underlying theme was the challenge of being a good leader and a good husband; this was evident as Ram struggled to believe his wife over his subjects when they doubted her chastity, he sided with them. For this reason, he is an ideal ruler being that a ruler cannot allow his private life to affect the public, but the reverse is acceptable. Ramayana is repetitive, one example being the repeated phrases of what a good person Ram is, and for this reason is a very didactic epic. Presented is the idea that Ram is a good person, an ideal figure in Hinduism and for that he must prevail over the evil Ravan; good prevails over evil. Both Ramayana and The Illiad consisted of protagonists who were depicted as ideal figures in society; Ram was an ideal leader, while Achilles was an ideal man and warrior.