Characters in The Odyssey and Ramayana Essay - 1101 Words

In The Odyssey and Ramayana, the authors depict the characters through the eyes of their culture and civilization. In both works, the representation of men and women reflects an ideal that was sought after at the time. Particularly, the texts focus on the relationships between the main characters and the religion, as well as the main character and their familial ties. In The Odyssey, there is Athena and Odysseus while in Ramayana, there is Rama and Sita. Both Athena and Sita represent the idealistic woman which base their actions and thoughts off of their emotions. Whereas Odysseus and Rama, their characters’ roles represent the ideal status of a male figure in the authors’ society and the man’s role between religion and the family.†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"But Zeus’s daughter Athena countered him at once. The rest of the winds she stopped right in their tracks, commanding them all to hush now, go to sleep. All but the boisterous North - she whipped him up and the goddess beat the breakers flat before Odysseus...† (323) Her status as Zeus‘ daughter allows her to get away with going against Poseidon and also to meddle in the situation as much as she wants. Even though women weren’t considered equals to men at the time, it’s interesting to see how easily she can persuade her father to give her the power to help Odysseus. When comparing The Odyssey to Ramayana, Sita’s represents ideals viewed by her Indian culture that have similar characteristics with the Ancient Greek culture regarding family ties and religion. In particular Sita’s role describes the importance of womanhood and how to speak up for your own beliefs - even if the majority of people do not respect them or see them in high regards. â€Å"One might steal the incomparable uaci from the hand that wields the thunderbolt and long remain alive. But violate a woman like me, raksasa, and even drinking the nectar of immortality will be no escape for you.† (890) Instead of using physical actions, Sita uses words as her defense and helps create a dialogue between her and the importance of marriage and staying faithful to your partner. Even if the person faces a raksasa it’s better to hold fast than to give in and showShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Odyssey 1313 Words   |  6 Pagesversion of the Indian epic The Ramayana, Rama intends to â€Å"establish peace, gentleness, and justice† (Narayan 1972: 63) in the world. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus has an uncontrollable â€Å"fighting spirit† (Homer 1996: 227) that too often ends in misfortune. Despite these great differences, these two characters have one thing in common: they are widely regarded as heroes in their religion. This is just one of many distinctions between the two epics. 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Some of the stories we’ve read like the Ramayana give examples of the ideal man. Which is impossible we’re only human. The frame stories do the opposite, they give realist examples of different types of people showing us that everyone has flaws. The power of literature make us think about whateverRead MoreAnalysis Of R.tolkien And Henry Wadsworth Longfellow1864 Words   |  8 Pagesmaintaining its uniqueness and rich culture showed also the relatability of the story. It is written in a poetic epic and can be compared to many of the great epics and stories of the world. â€Å"A collection of these runes, comparable to India s Ramayana, or the Greek Odyssey, is known in Finland as the Kalevala, and those who sing its lyrical verses from memory are known as rune singers. These elders long carried in their minds the entire record of the Finnish language.†(Handwerk) Now more openly discussed