Representations of Nature in Four Epics The Illiad, The Odyssey, The Ramayana, and The Mahabharata

Braja Smith

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Rohrbacher, David

Keywords

Indian Epics, Ramayana, Homer, Mahabharata, Comparative Literature

Area of Concentration

Literature

Abstract

There is a belief that Indian society is more environmentally conscious than Western society, and that this difference is rooted in a deep philosophical difference. The foundational Indian epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are often contrasted with the Greek epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, since they share broad narrative themes. In this study, I look at specific examples of nature, plants, animals, and places to examine how the epics are different in their representations of nature. Rather than reflecting broad philosophical differences, these examples show that nature is used in a literary manner, to enforce the desires and motivations of the characters themselves. This implies that there is a common beginning behind the two epic traditions.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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