The Ramayana: Rama’s Journey through the Arts

The Ramayana ("Journey of Rama”) is an ancient, yet still powerfully relevant, Hindu epic that narrates the story of Prince Rama, a divinely human avatar (descent) of the cosmic deity Vishnu. Although Rama’s ultimate destiny is to triumph over evil, his victory is fraught with moral dilemmas about fate, loyalty, duty, self-sacrifice, gender relationships, and the conflict between good and evil. We will explore and analyze the myriad ways this gorgeous story has inspired artistic responses from India to Southeast Asia and well beyond, in a variety of different media: poetry, dance, theater, sculpture, painting, graphic arts, television, and film. 3 hrs. sem.