Quick Guide to the Ramayana
The Ramayana is an electrifying piece by Valmiki that exposes the readers to different relevant themes that they can relate to real-life situations. It is imperative to note that the theme is an integral part of any poem since it helps the poet to express the intended lesson, point of view and conclusion. In the poem, the author uses different outright themes, but the outstanding one is heroism. It is ostensibly clear throughout the poem as Rama’s belligerent nature in different battles identifies him as a hero and a perfect man.
The contrast between good and evil is very clear in the poem as Rama seeks to only do good in everything he undertakes. He is just, generous and a good master of his reactions. From the traits demonstrated by Rama, the greater quality of a hero is being thoughtful and mindful of his judgments, and more importantly, a champion of good deeds. The same is implied in the poem The Thousand and One Nights where Shahrazad is fearless and refuses to be cowed by male authority.
She aims to teach the king a lesson, which can be relative to feminist motivation. Even though the two characters’ traits sharply contrast one another in the two poems, the similarity between them is that they are heroes in different aspects. In the case of Rama, he seeks to save members of the society by remaining just, whereas Shahrazad is ready to do even evil to save women from their unpleasant husbands.
There is a lot that the readers can discern from the poem. Firstly, sometimes, an effect can be pursued through doing good or being extremely harsh, but the question is whether that is necessary. In the case of Shahrazad, being hash would be appropriate since the environment is unfriendly for loyal wives. On the other hand, Rama is a prince and is more sensitive to keep his eyes on Dharma all the times. When Sita is abducted by Ravana, the king of Lanka.
In this episode, Rama is more concerned about the matters affecting the society and is willing to oppose the authority when doing harm to the people. On the other hand, Shahrazad is willing to do anything, even harm, to save women from the face of harsh husbands. Therefore, the two characters are considered heroes in the two different pieces because, through them, a greater lesson is learned, a lesson of a perfect duty to save humanity.
From the two poems, one can infer a fight to defend and restore the dignity of women, which has been a great concern for the feminist movements. In the two poems, Shahrazad is a representation of women who refuse male chauvinism. She is ready to do anything to ensure that women are not subjected to harsh male authority. On the other hand, Rama is an example of a good man who does good in the society. The readers can learn a lot from these and relate them to the society.
The society is marred with harsh rulers who subject their people to pain and suffering through draconian laws. It needs strong heroes like Rama and Shahrazad to install an order that takes care of the less fortunate who experience the wrath of such bad leadership. Therefore the two poems are relevant to be studied in the contemporary society.
