Ancient and Classical Stories of

¶ … ancient and classical stories of Ramayana and 1001 Arabian Nights, share many similarities. For instance, both are based on ancient mythical stories that have been told and retold and thus passed down through the generations in numerous different versions by numerous different authors and in numerous different formats. However, beyond this historic similarity, the two are also similar in that they are both cultural stories that tell of the characteristics of purity and deceit and their effect on what it means to be human.

In other words, like many other stories in the world literature cannon, the stories of Ramayana and 1001 Arabian Nights are both stories whose purpose is to teach, specifically to teach the morality of purity and to warn against the evil of deceit. At their core, both stories are in the good vs. evil style, where pure characters are contrasted against deceitful characters and thus the purity of the hero is challenged, thus making them human. Purity and Deceit in Ramayana.

The story of Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic most likely written by the poet Valmiki. The epic, which is of central importance to the Hindu people, is a story that follows the travels of Prince Rama and his wife Sita. The central plot line of the poem is the fall of grace of Sita, as her purity is abducted by the deceitful demon Ravana and Rama's need to overcome this evil. The characters themselves are symbolic of various moral ideologies.

For example, Rama, the hero of the epic, is shown as being a reincarnation of the god Vishnu. Being divine, he symbolizes virtue and is thus loved by everyone in his kingdom. Sita, Rama's wife, is also symbolic of a moral characteristic. Being the incarnation of the Goddess Laxmi, Sita symbolizes the epitome of the purity and virtue that are often times associated with being a woman. When Rama is placed into voluntary exile by his father, Sita goes with him.

It is during their exile that she is abducted by Ravana and imprisoned on the island of Lanka until rescued by her husband. The act of the abduction itself is symbolic of the fragility of purity, especially at the hands of evil. Ravana himself, the King of Lanka, clearly represents the evil of deceit that is the enemy of purity, an enemy that only virtue can overcome. The story of Ramayana, as has been previously alluded to, is a story of deceit and the power of virtue.

Thus, the plotline starts with the evil of deceit getting the upper hand. As background information, the reader learns of the story of how Ravana became evil and powerful. Ravana received a boon from the god Brahma that guaranteed he would never be killed by gods, demons or spirits in exchange for him doing penance for over ten thousand years. After receiving this prize, Ravana begins a campaign of violence, laying waste to the earth and all its inhabitants.

In order to abduct the essence of purity, which would symbolically represent the total victory of evil over good, Ravana devises a plan to kidnap Sita. To do this, he turns towards deceit. Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama who goes into exile with his brother, is the first victim of Ravana's deceitful ways. While in exile, Ravana and Maricha trick Lakshmana into believing the Rama was in trouble. Since it was Lakshmana's duty to protect Rama, he goes to rescue them. While he is gone, Sita is abducted.

Interestingly, however, the evil Ravana is ultimately defeated through an act of deceit. Although the Brahma promised he could not be killed by a god, spirit or demon, they make no such promise as to humans. However, Ravana, being a god, would not even think of being defeated by a human as this is impossible.

Yet, when the Brahma see Ravana destroying the earth, they become disturbed and thus create the plan of creating Rama, as a human incarnation of a god and thus powerful enough to kill Ravana without breaking their promise. In a sense, this is the greatest deceit of them all. In summary, the story of Ramayana is an expression of what the author feels is the code of being human. In other words, it tells the reader that life is evanescent and a hedonistic approach to it is meaningless.

Thus, one must live a virtuous life for its own sake, not for personal gain. In other words, one must think of the consequences for every action, especially when one is making a promise. Although the author portrays Rama as an incarnation of a god, he is portrayed as being human and thus exhibits shortcoming and moral dilemmas, dilemmas that, in the end, are overcome due to his devotion to the virtuous way.

Purity and Deceit in 1001 Arabian Nights Like its Sanskrit companion, 1001 Arabian Nights is also a story about good vs. evil and the overcoming of deceit through the characteristics of virtue and purity. 1001 Arabian Nights is unique in that it is a collection of stories all based on the general framework of its central story, which is the story of the ruler Shahryar and his wife Queen Scheherazade. The role of Shahryar is as.