Ramayana

I have never read an Indian epic before, but Ramayana is a first Indian epic for me. The Ramayana is a Sanskrit poem during India’s heroic age. The poem expresses Hindu values and tells the adventures and exile of Prince Rama of Kosola. The poem has both teachings about religion and ethic. In the poem Prince Rama encounters dharma and karma. Dharma is explained as proper human conduct or how one should carry themselves while karma is a record of a person’s deeds.
When I first read Ramayana, other terms such as brahmin, brahman, atman, samsura, and moksha are confusing. I have to clarify what these terms mean in order to understand the epic better. I have learned that Brahmin is the priest who is knowledgeable while brahman is the Great World Soul (moneistic force). Atman is an individual soul while samsura is a soul that migrate to another body. In order for a person to be released from their cycle of reincarnation, their atman and brahman have to merge called moksha.
After re-reading the epic, those words become more clearer. Because Rama is the reincarnation of God Visnu, whose purpose is to preserve dharma, he is the most virtuous out of the other three princes. Rama lives by the rules of dharma, he is expected to do what the caste requires. Despite the fact that queen Kaikeyi plots to disinherit Rama from his coronation, Rama is happy to give up his position as king. He accepts the 14 years in exile to serve his father's words. This is the most surprising part of the epic. I think he should have questioned and reasoned as to why he is to be exiled for fourteen years. I don't see much reason or logic behind his acceptance.
Rama's adventure into the forest is accompanied by his wife, Sita, and his brother. They face several demons known as Ravana. This demon kidnaps Sita and keeps her as a prisoner. As a result, Rama uses Hunuman, a powerful monkey who can leap the ocean, in search of Sita. Scandals and accusations of Sita's not being faithful arise once Rama saves her from the demon. Overall, the poem has all sorts of myths and tales. I enjoy reading Rama's adventure and also learning the basis of Hindu religion, dharma.

Lysistrata

After reading a couple tragic Greek plays, I do not believe that the play Lysistrata can make me laugh. However, the play proves me wrong. This play is a total satire of the Pelopenesian War. These women are sick and tired of their men fighting in war, and so they decided to end it in a comical way. This play is an excellent shift from the Greek tragedy plays because there is no gloomy image of men fighting for power. I have many good laughs from reading the dialogue. The women's pledge during the beginning of the play is especially funny. Who would have thought that staying abstinence from sex is the key to bring peace? I thought that women use sex to get what they want. Another part that is funny in the play is the dialogue between these men and women. Their dialogue is like a debate between the two sexes where women are much strong-willed than men.

Besides the funny lines in the play, Lysistra is about women's will power. The person with the most drive in the play is Lysistrata. She is not married nor blunt comparing to the other women. Lysistrata is very cunning in her speech and does not show any sexual desires or flirt with men; and most importantly does not post any feminine weaknesses. An instance of her witty is when she instructs the wifes such as Kinesias and Myrrhine on how to have self control over sex. I like the way Lysistrata influences the wifes; the wife can tease her husband and not have any sex. I wonder if once the men is in the mood and yet he can not do anything, wouldn't he go crazy?

Anitgone

Antigone

The play Antigone by Sophicles is a tragic play about a series of event after king Oedipus finds out his identity. Oedipus blinds himself and is expelled from Thebes by Creon, Antigone’s uncle. Antigone accompanies her father during the exile while his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices fight each other to death for the throne. As a result, Creon takes over to rule Thebes and forbids the burial of Polynices’ corpse. According to Creon’s religious and political views, anyone who buries the traitor’s body deserves death. However, I find Creon’s decision as arbitrary and unnecessary. I support Antigone’s decision to bury her brother because she is brave, has morals, and stands for her actions.
Antigone is a brave person from the beginning to the end of the play. She buries her brother even knowing that the punishment will be death. An example of her bravery is when Antigone is captured and brought to her uncle, but she stays calm. She argues with her uncle that the law is not written, therefore, why should she not bury her family member.
Another reason why I support Antigone is that she has morals. Her loyalty to her family is seen from the prologue. She does not care if her brother is a patriot or traitor. They both deserve the same memorial. She also resists Creon’s power. To her a person with power and authority does not mean that they are righteous. Whereas when I compare Creon to Antigone, his loyal is directly towards the state. He puts his family second and serving the state as top priority.
I can see from Antigone and Creon’s standpoint. Creon wants to be a good ruler, but it is hard for him to please everyone. He can not keep his family struggle under control because he puts the state above all. Eventually, in the end Creon loses the respect from his family and faces his son and wife’s death. Antigone on the otherhand deals with three deaths at once. She wants them all to have proper burial as a sign of respect. Therefore, I support her decisions more than Creon’s.

The Old Testament

The Old Testament is a history of the bible. The text shows God as personal and omnipotent towards the world and his followers. God tests and also teaches his followers of their obedience and commitment of faith towards him. God's test teaches different lessons in life about what is right and wrong. Those that commit sins will rely on God to keep order. Those that does evil and disobey God will be punish as a consequence. Although the stories teaches morals and ethics in life, there are several stories in The Old Testament that I genuinely have doubts of. Two of those stories are Abraham and Job. Both stories are contradicting each other because Abraham does not questioned God's action at all while Job uses reasons to question God's action.
Abraham is contradicting with Job because he does not questioned God's action at all. When God tests Abraham's faith towards him, Abraham obeys by sacrificing his son Isaac. I strongly disagree with this test for faith because it involves murdering life. Yet, Abraham seems to be indifferent because he trusts God's words. There is a difference between faith and reason. He should question God as to why he should sacrifice his own son to prove his faith. Why doesn't God ask Abraham to sacrifice himself instead of his son? Isn't God playing with Abraham's mind when God knows that Abraham is loyal to HIM? In this case, Abraham should not put God first because it is uncharacteristic to murder one's son. It is extremely irrational to do such action.
Unlike the story of Abraham, the story of Job has a different kind of test towards his faith for God. He is tested by Satan when Satan takes his possession, family, and wealth from him. Satan also makes Job sick. I have always believe that Satan exist in the world to create harmony among good and evil. Yet, Job does not cursed God or say bad things about God. Instead he questions if God is really good or bad. I agree with Job's questioning because he is a good man. Why should a good man be put on such dreadful tests. Isn't the first test of killing his servants and children good enough to test for his faith? Why should a good person such as Job suffers so much? His children, wife, animals, and possessions are all taking away from him. Why would God allow such things to happen?