Indian Epics Fall 2019

(T scene opens at the funeral of Vali. Only a few people are there. Angada (Vali's son) and Tara (Vali's wife) are standing over the grave. Only a handful of monkeys are standing behind them. Quiet sobs are heard from the monkey's, but Angada and Tara remain emotionless. Rama and Lakshmana are standing far from the crowd under a nearby tree as they watch from a distance. Sugriva stand on the opposite site of the grave from Angada and Tara with a piece of paper in his hand.) Sugriva: Growing up with Vali was difficult. Vali was strong. Unbeatable. I always knew he would be superior to me. Even so, I loved him and supported him. He would have became an incredible leader. While most remember him for his strength, few know of his moments outside of battle. When we were young, Vali and I were out on a hunt when we came across a small hut standing alone in the forest. I did not think anything of this, but Vali insisted something was off. We approach the house and knocked on t...

Vali: This has been the easiest chapter for me to read so far. Rather than stopping every few lines because I got stuck on a word I could not pronounce or forgot what I just read, I was able to fully comprehend this chapter. What stuck out to me the most was the long monologues from Vali and Rama after Vali was shot. It was very endearing and emotional to hear both sides of the story. Vali trying to stay strong and defend himself at first. He did not want to seem like he was defeated fairly, rather he was shot out of nowhere. His anger for this was present in his speech. Rama came back and defended himself, for Rama does not do anything without good reason. He knew exactly what he was doing and had even thought about it during a conversation with Lakshmana. One thing that I noticed is that Rama did not mention his wife even after Vali brought her up a few times. Even though Rama is a god, I think that some of the reason Rama helped Sugreeva was for his wife. You can feel the emotion ...