Lessons of the Indian Epics: The Ramayana

• Review the lesson plan, then find and bookmark relevant websites and useful materials. Download and print out the documents you will be using in class, such as the guiding charts for reading the Ramayana text and elements of the Epic Hero Cycle. Also read the list of elements common to epic poetry, which can be accessed through the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource Internet Public Library.
• Familiarize yourself with the story of the Ramayana. Read the background materials related to the Ramayana listed on the EDSITEment-approved resource Asia Society. Also familiarize yourself with the story by reading an abridged version of the epic, which students and instructors should download and read. All of these materials can be accessed through the EDSITEment resource Asia Society.

Activity 1. Reading the Ramayana as an Epic Poem

The Ramayana is an epic poem that tells the story of Rama, the crown prince of Ayodhya and an avatar (or incarnation) of the Hindu god Vishnu. The narrative follows Rama as he is exiled to the forest, and where his wife Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana. Rama must find and defeat Ravana in order to save Sita, and he is aided along the way by his loyal brother Lakshmana, as well as a monkey army headed by the monkey general Hanuman. Eventually, Ravana is defeated, Sita is saved, and Rama, his exile complete, returns to the throne of Ayodhya.

• Explain to students what an epic poem is, and what elements are common to epic poems. You may want to use the definition of epic poetry accessible through the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource Internet Public Library. For a more in-depth look at epic poetry, you may want to teach this lesson in conjunction with the EDSITEment lesson plan A Story of Epic Proportions: What makes a poem and epic?
• Have students read the abridged version of the Ramayana, accessible through the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource Asia Society. You may want to have them do so outside of class so that they are prepared to discuss the elements of the story. Ask them to fill in information on the chart of the major characters and locations as they read the story. As they do so, they should also answer the following questions:
  • Who is the hero of the story?
  • Who is the villain of the story?
  • What qualities do these characters have that make them significant?
    • For example, a student might write a few sentences about Rama, noting that he is not only the hero of the story, but that he is a divine being (Vishnu) reborn in human form specifically to defeat Ravana. In addition, students should answer the questions provided for each section of the story listed on the PDF. This will help students with both seeing the narrative structure clearly, and with learning new and unfamiliar people and place names.
• Divide students into groups. Ask each group to use their notes and character charts to make a list of the main characters, and of the most pivotal moments in the narrative.
• Distribute the Epic Hero Cycle chart. Ask student groups to discuss how the elements and actions of the Ramayana fulfill the criteria of epic poetry and of the Epic Hero Cycle. Many of the elements are fulfilled by more than one character or action. Have students work together to fill in the far right side of the Epic Hero Elements chart with examples from the Ramayana. Wherever it is possible, students should note where in the text their example can be found. An example of a list of Epic Hero Cycle elements in the Ramayana students should note can be found in the following chart. In many cases several examples may be found in the text, and this is not an exhaustive list of the Epic Hero Cycle elements in the text, however, this example of the Epic Hero Cycle elements in the Ramayana can be used as a guideline.

Activity 2. Learning the Lessons of the Ramayana

As with many epic poems or heroic stories, the Ramayana is designed to not only entertain listeners, but also to impart lessons to its audience. In this activity students will investigate what those lessons might be.

• Ask students to work together to make a list of stories and poems they know whose purpose is not only to entertain, but also to teach a lesson. This list might include fables, fairy tales, poems and short stories, from Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, to Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken, to J.R.R. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Rings. Once students have compiled a list, ask them to divide into groups, taking with them at least two of the works from the list with which they are familiar. Ask each group to brainstorm on the lessons that the creator of the stories or poems wanted to impart to his or her audience.
• Ask students to read over their list of lessons. Are there any lessons that are repeated from one work to another? Are there lessons that are similar in their message? Ask students to think about the way in which the lessons of each story are imparted. How is the lesson taught? By stating the lesson? By showing examples of good and bad behavior?
• Have students read through their answers to the guiding questions and the character chart for the Ramayana. Do they think that the Ramayana is teaching a lesson? How does it teach its lessons?
• Assign each group to one of the Ramayana's main characters, and ask them to work together to find the lesson presented by that character's example. It may be a lesson on how to behave, or how not to behave, or even a combination of the two.

Ask students to write a short expository essay on why the Ramayana is considered an epic poem. They should review the definition of epic poetry found at the Glossary of Literary Terms accessible from the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource Internet Public Library, their notes and the chart they filled in on the Ramayana and the Epic Hero Cycle. Students should explain and cite from the text moments in the narrative when the story is fulfilling the criteria of epic poetry. They should answer the criteria contained in the definition of epic poetry including the Epic Hero Cycle and beyond, including questions such as:

• Is the poem written in high style?
• Does the story cover a large physical area, such as multiple kingdoms?
• Does the hero possess supernatural abilities or qualities?
• Do even human and animal characters possess seemingly supernatural strength and courage?

In addition, students should complete their Epic Hero Cycle charts with examples from the text of the elements listed in the chart.

Once students have worked together to define what the lessons each character presents to listeners through his or her example, students should write a brief description of the character his or her group discussed, and the lesson that character imparts. Students should support their assertion with at least one example from the text where the character's behavior conveys that lesson.

• The lessons of the Ramayana are deeply rooted within the Hindu concept of dharma, or right behavior. You can extend this lesson by utilizing the EDSITEment lesson plan The Lessons of the Indian Epics: Following the Dharma.
• Traditionally, epic poems are the stories not just of heroes, but have been the stories of national heroes. Audiences understand the narrative not as a simple narrative, but as a story that has a factual antecedent. The Ramayana is replete with real Indian place names, and the movements of Rama and Hanuman's monkey army can be mapped as they are in the Ramayana map. This map can be compared to a modern political map of India. Discuss with students how the meaning and weight of the Ramayana might be different for a student in India, where many people see Rama in themselves, and the Ramayana as a story about their ancestors and country.

Selected EDSITEment Websites

• Asia Society
  • Abridged version of the Ramayana
  • Dharma and the Ramayana
  • What is the Ramayana?
  • Map of Rama's route
  • Modern political map of India
• Internet Public Library
  • Elements of epic poetry in the Glossary of Terms