Indian Epics: Reading Options for Week 4

The idea for Week 4 is that you will get a chance to see the Ramayana from a new angle by reading a different version of the epic, or maybe you will want to watch a movie! If you finished your chosen version of the Ramayana in Weeks 2-3, you are ready for a new take on the Ramayana, but if you have not finished your version of the Ramayana yet, see the special instructions at the bottom of the page.

Tuesday and Wednesday Reading. Here is a list of one-week Ramayana options for you to choose from. Each of these options has two parts, a Part A for your Tuesday Reading and Diary post, and Part B for your Wednesday Reading and Diary post. The options include online books, graphic novels and comic books in Bizzell, or a free animated film online!

I hope you will have fun getting a chance to re-visit the Ramayana this way! There are literally hundreds of different versions of this epic, told for different audiences in different languages over the past two thousand years! If you have enjoyed the Ramayana, you will be able to read some more versions of the Ramayana in Weeks 9-14 of class.

Make-Up / Extra Credit Reading

The extra reading assignment options work this week exactly like back in Week 2. In addition to the Gods and Goddesses comic books recommended there, you might also want to choose one of the Ramayana comic books! Some of them recap episodes you have read, but some of those comic books cover parts of the story that will be totally new to you, like Mahiravana: A Magician Outwitted, the story of Ravana's son and his plan to kidnap Rama and Lakshmana in order to sacrifice them to the goddess Durga — along with some other fabulous Ramayana comic books to choose from.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS for Week 4: Finishing the Ramayana

If you did not finish your chosen version of the Ramayana in Weeks 2 and 3, you need to finish the Ramayana this week. Here is what you need to do:

If you finished Parts A-B-C, then read Part D for sure this week. If you read Part D for the Tuesday reading and want to do a Wednesday reading, choose one of the items from the Extra Credit list above.

If you finished Parts A-B, then read Part C for your Tuesday reading and read Part D for the Wednesday reading. It is really important that you finish your chosen version of the Ramayana this week so that you will be ready to move on to the Mahabharata next week.