Ramayana of Valmiki
The Ramayana reminded me of Odysseus at first just because of the bow. All of the princes who wanted to marry Sita had to try to lift it, but only Rama was able to do that. This was like when Odysseus was wandering. Everyone thought he was dead but his wife. So, to avoid having to remarry she told the men who wanted to marry her that they needed to draw and shoot Odysseus’s bow. No one could do it until he came home and used it to kill the men who had been bothering his wife.
In the Ramayana Rama has to wield the bow to win Sita, and then he has to fight to get her back. But, after he does and they should be able to live happily ever after she still has to undergo her own trial by fire to prove herself to him. She goes willingly into the fire because she knows she never did anything wrong. This reminded me of King Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot; except Sita does not let another man rescue her. She insists her husband has to come for her himself.
This is an ancient good versus evil saga with epic battles and quiet romantic moments. Rama never cheats on Sita but he keeps on listening to other people about how they think she is not loyal and that is the cause for him to put her aside again so their sons grow up without knowing who they really are. She is always the good wife and in that culture, this means she is obedient, even when she knows he is innocent and does what her husband wants her to do. She keeps on having to prove her love for him,
The Ramayana is one of stories that has everything. Including times at first when I did not want to pick it up and read it and others when I was so caught up in the tae that I did not want to put it down.
Works Cited
I love India. "Ramayana." 2014. I love India. <http://www.iloveindia.com/literature/sanskrit/indian-epics/ramayana.html>.
Valmiki. "Valmiki Ramayana." n.d. Valmiki Ramayana. <http://www.valmikiramayan.net/>.
