“Ramayana”

Basic Info

• Consists of 24,000 couplets• Divided into 7 Kandas (sections) each focusing

on a different period of Rama’s life • Main Characters:

Rama: human form of the god Vishnu, PrinceRavana: evil giant w/ 10 heads and 20 arms Hanuman: monkey godMatali: charioteer to Indra, loaned out to help Rama win battleMahodara: Ravana’s assistant

Character Info

• “Bad” Characters– Ravana: violent, egotistical, evil, headstrong,

conceded – Mahodara: assists Ravana in violence and bad deeds

• “Good” Characters– Rama: Fair, honorable, just, self-analyzing, formidable– Lakshmana: Rama’s brother– Matali: loyal to the good cause, obedient – Indra: kind, shared the chariot with Rama– Hanuman: helped Rama In battle

Basic Plot

• Ravana steals Rama’s wife, Sita, and his brother, Lakshmana. Rama goes forth to attack Ravana and get them back. After a long strenuous battle, Rama emerges victorious and Ravana is dead. Rama proves to be honorable by asking Ravana’s servants to give Ravana a proper burial.

Rama’s Honorable Deeds

• Rama shows his honor in several ways:• First, Rama lets Ravana wake up after he

faints in the middle of the battle.• Next after he sees that he kills Ravana

and he sees his back, he feels guilty for killing someone with their back turned.

• Lastly, After Rama kills Ravana he tells Ravana’s followers to give him a proper burial.

Literary Terms

• Mantra: hymn or portion of text that is chanted or spoken as a prayer

• Indian epic: long narrative about the adventures of an Indian hero

Moral

•Justice/Honor in battle