Many Epic Heroes Struggle to Return Home

The following essay is a comparison analysis of the circumstances of the exile and return of the main characters from The Odyssey, propagation 4 and Ramayana. The three men differ in motivation but are all led by a spiritual power.Odysseus is a labyrinthian main character. The king is not but a brave, intelligent warrior who is highly respected by the gods and mortals, but he has obvious negative qualities making it unvoiced at times for the reader to sympathize with him.Odysseus complex character and poor judgment causes him to partake in dangerous adventures prolonging his return. One example is when he sails to Ismarus and battles the Cicones. erst chased back to sea Odysseus arrogantly announced his name to Polyphemus as he sailed away. This announcement creates another battle for his life once Polyphemus identifies Odysseus as the man who took his sight to his father Poseidon and a plan for revenge on Odysseus is made.Odysseus did not however have to establish himself as a gun. He was considered a hero onwards leaving for Troy. It was not the desire to be a hero that drove him to his many adventures and battles it was victory which motivated Odysseus.Cain, unlike Odysseus, is not perceived as a hero. He is responsible for his fate of exile when he takes the life of his brother and lies about the murder to paragon. Cain is not considered noble or heroic for his choices in life. In contrast, in Ramayana, Rama can be perceived as a noble man. Rama does not question his fathers order of banishment. Rama lives according to his Dharma, which is unornamented through his actions. An example of his noble actions is when his step-brother Bharata finds out about his mothers sinister acts which led to Ramas banishment and Bharata becoming king.When Bharata approaches Rama in the woods, Rama refuses to go back to the kingdom and rubric his rightful thrown, because it would be against his fathers orders. Odysseus while heroic would not be considered noble be cause of his deceitful and selfish ways. Self-righteousness, thievery and dishonesty caused Odysseus to continuously soak up in dangerous adventures. Rama was not flawed in character and did not put himself or his companions in harms way due to selfish behavior he was an honest and selfless man.The return of both Odysseus and Rama are similar unlike their exile. Both men return to their kingdom to successfully carry out their rule. Their recurrence differs however Odysseus returns with vengeance, asserting his authority killing the suitors who had caused so much grief in his absence. Odysseus exile and return are influenced heavily by the gods. Once reunited with his father, the suitors families go down for revenge. It is only with the influence of Athena that civil war does not break out. Ramas return is a more joyous and celebrated return. He returns to begin the rightful king and has a successful rule, where the people of his kingdom are very pleased.All three stories, Ramaya na, The Odyssey and Genesis 4 involve divine encumbrance and spiritual influence. The lives of the three main characters, Odysseus, Rama and Cain are influenced by a higher power. The gods are heavily involved in the events taken place in The Odyssey particularly Athena. Rama lives his life before, during and by and by exile according to his Dharma and Cain is in a spiritual exile from God and prosperity.Selfishness and deceitfulness are similar characteristics in both Cain and Odysseus. Cain lies to God when asked of the whereabouts of his brother. Odysseus lies continuously throughout The Odyssey. Both men are responsible for their exile, with the exception of Odysseus original reason for leaving his kingdom the war in Troy. Rama is not responsible for his exile however it is his step-mother who demands his banishment.All three men struggle to return to their phratrys. Odysseus struggle is primarily physical he has many battles to be won before returning home. His character do es not, for the most part, grow emotionally. Rama, while following his Dharma, struggles emotionally with the disappearance of Sita and does have some physical battles with the rakshasas during his exile. Cains struggle is spiritual after being exiled by God, he is forced to live destitute, with barren land and without Gods grace.In conclusion, Odysseus, Cain and Rama all differ in character it is only Rama that continues to act righteously during exile while the other two men act in self-righteousness causing their predicaments. They all however seek to be home Odysseus and Rama seek their kingdoms and Cain seeks the good graces of God.ReferencesMack, M., Knox, B., McGalliard, J.C., Pasinetti, P.M., Hugo, H.E., Spacks, P.M., Wellek, R., Douglas, K. and Lawall, S. (1992). World Masterpieces. The Norton Anthology. (6th ed., vol. 1). Norton & Co., New York.Ramayana Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2007