Works written in ancient times are of particular interest to people of all times. They have their own distinctive and similar features that are easily identified. Moreover, given such a large number of ancient works from different countries, they are constantly being compared. Such examples are the Indian Ramayana and the well-known Odyssey. The designation of the similarities and differences of these works is necessary for a better understanding of the literary creativity of those times. Thus, the main similarity is the narrative about the difficulties of the protagonists, and the difference is the presence of magical characteristics.
The most obvious similarity between the two stories is the fact that the Odyssey and the Ramayana are products of an ancient epic and oral tradition. Therefore, as already mentioned, the prevailing similarity between Ramayana and Odysseus is the narration of such difficulties on their way, such as wars. However, both stories differ from each other in the level of the presence of a supernatural element. Furthermore, the Indian Ramayana tells about Ravana, who was the king of demons and who kidnapped Rama’s wife (Agrawal 65). On the other hand, the author tells the story of Odysseus, where the witch goddess Circe also possessed only some supernatural abilities that could not be compared with the skill of the Indian protagonist.
Both works were written in the period from the fifth to the sixth century BC. The key characteristics of this literary period are the heroes’ responsibility to the gods. They are filled with faith and repentance to divine creatures and receive great reverent excitement from understanding and fulfilling divine goals. Therefore, both epics have a significant impact on Indian and Greek cultures. They convey the human worldview, experience, and perception of those times.
Work Cited
Agrawal, Reena. “Management Learnings from Valmiki Ramayan-The Oldest Indian Epic.” IBA Journal of Management & Leadership, vol. 8, no. 1, 2016, 65.