About This Site
This site contains Randy Hoyt's writings for the Epics of India online course. Randy completed this work during spring and fall 2005.
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Dasaratha is the king of Kosala at the opening of the Ramayana. Throughout Dasaratha’s part of the story, we learn about kings in general. ...
13 February 2005, 12:24 PM
Two scenes from the Ramayana have involved one character describing Sita to another character. These two scenes depict what kind of affect Sita has on others. ...
05 March 2005, 10:03 PM
In Buck’s version of the Ramayana, Viswamitra tells the back story of Ravana to Dasaratha. This back story provided me a new perspective from which to understand the later events of the story. ...
15 March 2005, 07:05 AM
As he learned of the events, Bharata experienced deep grief and anger. He told Vasishtha that he would never forgive his mother or forget what she has done. ...
23 March 2005, 12:31 PM
The religious piety of the demons struck me more than anything else in this week’s reading. These scenes helped me to understand the earlier scene in which Ravana was granted his invincibility. ...
12 April 2005, 04:26 PM
Malyavan is an effective character for me as a counter-balance to over-exaggeration. I personally have a tendency to over-exaggerate the importance of certain issues or events in my own life. ...
13 April 2005, 12:51 PM
Buck devotes time to the character of Malyavan during the siege of Lanka. I think there are a number of reasons Buck may have decided to include this character. ...
13 April 2005, 12:59 PM
Even though they are both the antagonists of their respective stories, Duryodhana and Ravana are very different characters. Duryodhana suffers from an inferiority complex, while Ravana is overly proud. ...
17 August 2005, 05:42 PM
Dhritarashtra and Dasarata are kings in similar situations. Even though these characters find themselves in similar situations, I do not believe that they are similar characters. ...
29 August 2005, 07:37 AM
"Dhritarashtra was blind, but his bodily strength had no equal among men." Seeing Dhritarashtra as a strong character made me realize that Dhritarashtra had potential to turn out very different. ...
21 September 2005, 07:42 AM
Karna's motivations are noble, and Duryodhana's are understandable. Of the three characters who are most destructive to the Pandavas, the motivations of Sakuni are the most mysterious to me. ...
03 October 2005, 06:17 PM
The interactions between Karna and various gods changed my impression of Karna dramatically. I now view him with strong beliefs about his purpose in life and a strong resolve to carry it out. ...
08 October 2005, 03:45 PM
Drona's death gave Aswatthaman a strong desire for revenge and a moral disillusionment of sorts, leading him to commit extreme actions violating the warrior's code in which Drona would have trained him.
13 October 2005, 06:40 AM