Ramayana And The Aeneid

649 Words3 Pages
Myths are tales that are use to accomplish several purposes. According to the functionalism theory of myth by Bronislaw Malinowski, myths serve as a "charter for society". Myths mold and reaffirm the structure of society by providing examples of how people are suppose to act. The Ramayana and the Aeneid are examples of myths that encapsulates this in their respective society. In ancient Hindu society, "love, friendship, loyalty, dedication, and perseverance" are values people maintained. Children in India are taught from the Ramayana which provides a foundation of values for them to live by. These set of moral codes called dharma are very important in Hindu culture. The heroes of the Ramayana showcased this through their behaviors and actions. There is a "prescribed code of behaviors…show more content…
The main protagonist, Aeneas, is prophesized to be the founder of Rome. Along his journey, he encountered several different characters that would interrupt his ultimate destiny. In the city of Carthage, Aeneas falls in love with Dido. Momentarily, Aeneas is distracted from what he is truly fated to do. However, he should realize his "destiny is to [find] a great country" and his personal wishes cannot be satisfy. By putting his personal matters aside and continue on his journey, Aeneas showcased a value of Romans. It correlates with Roman's ideals that personal desires cannot measure up to the state. Aeneas presents the ideal of a true Roman --- "self-discipline, rational thinking, and constructive behavior." By embedding these characteristics in the Aeneid, it displayed to the Roman citizens during the time that this is what they must strive to act like. If the original founder of Rome can put aside his personal interests for the great state, then everyone must also do so. This underlying message entangles within the myth sum up how Romans incorporate such behaviors in order to assimilate into their
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  • Compare And Contrast The Conflict Between Ramayana And Aeneid

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    sometimes lead to conflict. Most of the stories in ancient literature revolve around moral choice and fate that results in conflict between characters that lead them to reveal emotions of anger, situations such these are shown in the story of Ramayana and Aeneid. Characters sometimes suffer the consequences of their choices. The conflicts in these stories are mostly conflict between characters that was resulted because of one of the character’s destiny, for example, Sita and Rama conflict. The disagreement

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