Hi, I am new to this forum. I am required to write an essay based on the novel of Ramayana as a final. I am writing about appearance versus reality throughout the novel and would like some input on my rough draft of my body paragraphs and maybe some help on what should be included within my intro and concluding paragraphs. Any help would be great. Thank you!
Ravana is known as the evil ten-headed demon. As evil as he appears to be, he holds a sense of intelligence deep inside of him that many persons are unable to see. Ravana is the type of demon who abuses his power in all the wrong ways. He is very egotistical and stubborn. If it wasn't for his poor traits, he may have had the type of power and confidence to become a hero rather than a demon. As told in the prologue, "The ten-headed Ravana and his brothers have acquired as from extraordinary powers...They go along recklessly in their career of tyranny, suppressing all virtue and goodness wherever found" (4). As described, it almost seems as if Ravana wasn't born with leadership capabilities but born as a follower. It is not him who should be blamed for his evil actions but instead, his brothers and family should be blamed for creating such evil. Ravana wasted a whole lifetime full of negative structure and influence, resulting in him losing himself in his mind rather than listening to his heart. It was the battle in the end of the novel when Ravana was final able to forget about what was going on in his head and finally listen to his heart, but now it was too late. He was shot in the heart by the hero Rama with a deadly arrow. "Rama's arrows had burnt off the layers of dross, the anger, conceit, cruelty, lust, and egotism which had encrusted his real self and now his personality came through in its pristine form" (146). In conclusion, it resulted in the consequence of death in order for Ravana to finally realize who he really was in reality versus what he appeared to be.
Maya, the god of illusion, is known to bring the most confusion of all to each character throughout the novel. Maya is a weapon that was used by both the hero and demon in order to confuse their enemy of what was real and what was not. Maya is used in a number of times in the great battle between Rama and Ravana. Ravana uses Maya numerous times against Sita to show that Rama was dead to try and win her in his heart. Ravana's plan was to try and win Sita over in any way possible. "He ordered a sorcerer to create a decapitated head resembling Rama's defeat" (134). Sita was too smart for Ravana's childish games and the author explains, "Sita, although shaken at first, very soon recovered her composure and remained unaffected by the spectacle" (134). After seeing that winning Sita over was harder than it appeared to be, Ravana sought out another plan. Ravana once again used appearance versus reality to try and confuse Sita in thinking Rama was dead. He brought Sita high up on a mountain to show her the bodies of Rama and his companions. Sita came to a state of mind she had never been to before and exclaimed, "How I wish I had been left alone and not brought up to see this spectacle. Ah, me...Help me to put an end to my life" (135). Sita was quickly told that she was only viewing an illusion and that her beloved husband was not actually dead. As the grueling battle went on and slowly came to an end, Ravana was defeated and Sita was reunited with her husband Rama.
Ravana uses appearance versus reality in the early stages of the novel to try and capture Sita. Kamavalli, Ravana's sister, disguises herself as a very attractive woman. Her job was to trick Rama into letting her come into his house-like hut and get rid of his wife Sita. Kamavalli was described as follows, "The damsel's anklets jingled at her feet when she walked, her eyes flashed, her teeth sparkled, her figure, waist, and bosom were that of a chiseled figure. Rama, even the austere Rama, was struck by her beauty" (64). As she began to try and seduce Rama with both her beauty and her words, Rama later snaps out of his love trance and closes the door in her face. Kamavalli and her ugly, fierce monstrous reality heads back to tell her brother Ravana the bad news. After the bad news is described to Ravana he comes up with one of his "brilliant" plans; unfortunately for Rama and his wife Sita the plan works. Ravana gets one of his evil dwellers to turn into a deer dressed in gold to fool Sita. Sita rushes in to Rama and says, "There is an animal at our gate with a body of shining gold, and its legs are set with precious stones. It's a dazzling creature. Please catch if for me" (82). The loyal husband that Rama is, he decides to go after the deer. As Rama is off chasing around Mareecha, an evil dweller of Ravana's, Ravana makes himself appear as an old man and approaches Sita. He manipulates her and later takes her away in his chariot. Rama becomes infuriated in the use of trickery against him and begins to break down in agony.
Ravana is known as the evil ten-headed demon. As evil as he appears to be, he holds a sense of intelligence deep inside of him that many persons are unable to see. Ravana is the type of demon who abuses his power in all the wrong ways. He is very egotistical and stubborn. If it wasn't for his poor traits, he may have had the type of power and confidence to become a hero rather than a demon. As told in the prologue, "The ten-headed Ravana and his brothers have acquired as from extraordinary powers...They go along recklessly in their career of tyranny, suppressing all virtue and goodness wherever found" (4). As described, it almost seems as if Ravana wasn't born with leadership capabilities but born as a follower. It is not him who should be blamed for his evil actions but instead, his brothers and family should be blamed for creating such evil. Ravana wasted a whole lifetime full of negative structure and influence, resulting in him losing himself in his mind rather than listening to his heart. It was the battle in the end of the novel when Ravana was final able to forget about what was going on in his head and finally listen to his heart, but now it was too late. He was shot in the heart by the hero Rama with a deadly arrow. "Rama's arrows had burnt off the layers of dross, the anger, conceit, cruelty, lust, and egotism which had encrusted his real self and now his personality came through in its pristine form" (146). In conclusion, it resulted in the consequence of death in order for Ravana to finally realize who he really was in reality versus what he appeared to be.
Maya, the god of illusion, is known to bring the most confusion of all to each character throughout the novel. Maya is a weapon that was used by both the hero and demon in order to confuse their enemy of what was real and what was not. Maya is used in a number of times in the great battle between Rama and Ravana. Ravana uses Maya numerous times against Sita to show that Rama was dead to try and win her in his heart. Ravana's plan was to try and win Sita over in any way possible. "He ordered a sorcerer to create a decapitated head resembling Rama's defeat" (134). Sita was too smart for Ravana's childish games and the author explains, "Sita, although shaken at first, very soon recovered her composure and remained unaffected by the spectacle" (134). After seeing that winning Sita over was harder than it appeared to be, Ravana sought out another plan. Ravana once again used appearance versus reality to try and confuse Sita in thinking Rama was dead. He brought Sita high up on a mountain to show her the bodies of Rama and his companions. Sita came to a state of mind she had never been to before and exclaimed, "How I wish I had been left alone and not brought up to see this spectacle. Ah, me...Help me to put an end to my life" (135). Sita was quickly told that she was only viewing an illusion and that her beloved husband was not actually dead. As the grueling battle went on and slowly came to an end, Ravana was defeated and Sita was reunited with her husband Rama.
Ravana uses appearance versus reality in the early stages of the novel to try and capture Sita. Kamavalli, Ravana's sister, disguises herself as a very attractive woman. Her job was to trick Rama into letting her come into his house-like hut and get rid of his wife Sita. Kamavalli was described as follows, "The damsel's anklets jingled at her feet when she walked, her eyes flashed, her teeth sparkled, her figure, waist, and bosom were that of a chiseled figure. Rama, even the austere Rama, was struck by her beauty" (64). As she began to try and seduce Rama with both her beauty and her words, Rama later snaps out of his love trance and closes the door in her face. Kamavalli and her ugly, fierce monstrous reality heads back to tell her brother Ravana the bad news. After the bad news is described to Ravana he comes up with one of his "brilliant" plans; unfortunately for Rama and his wife Sita the plan works. Ravana gets one of his evil dwellers to turn into a deer dressed in gold to fool Sita. Sita rushes in to Rama and says, "There is an animal at our gate with a body of shining gold, and its legs are set with precious stones. It's a dazzling creature. Please catch if for me" (82). The loyal husband that Rama is, he decides to go after the deer. As Rama is off chasing around Mareecha, an evil dweller of Ravana's, Ravana makes himself appear as an old man and approaches Sita. He manipulates her and later takes her away in his chariot. Rama becomes infuriated in the use of trickery against him and begins to break down in agony.
