Comparing Justice In The Odyssey And The Ramayana

Both The Odyssey and The Ramayana are profoundly important epics in their respective cultures. In terms of justice, today’s society holds that in the fact that institutions exist, so that the law of the land and justice are consistently upheld. During the time both epics were written, though, there were no such institutions. No real authority or entity, such as a court system or police really existed for the sole purpose of maintaining justice within both societies. To clarify, justice was more or less something maintained by an ideal, a belief interwoven into the fabric of the respective cultures. In The Odyssey, the line distinguishing retribution from justice is a bit blurred. This gives insight into the way justice was brought about in

Homer explores whether justice is ultimately served in the ways of man, as well as in the ways of the gods, giving two contrasting opinions. The first example of justice, justice between men, is very well detailed in the epic. The best example of this lies with Odysseus and the suitors. One very important thing to note about the suitors is the way in which they are presented in the text. The suitors are portrayed as villains in the epic. Antinous, the ringleader of the suitors for example, is portrayed most especially as evil and depicts the sort of overall bad nature of humanity. He is never described sympathetically and is especially evil in that he champions the plot to kill Telemachus. This is noted in Book 20, when it is said, “Now as they spoke and urged each other on, and once more the suitors were plotting certain doom for the young prince…” (418). Homer seems to be emphasizing the proclivity for evilness the suitors have within them, most especially, Antinous. The only reason Antinous and most of the other suitors want Telemachus dead is so that they can become one step closer to not only Penelope, but most importantly, to the kingship. The question of justice, then, in regards to men, comes full circle with the deaths of all the suitors at the hands of Odysseus. The death of Antinous, the first to be killed, is extremely symbolic. As the moral and political leader of the suitors, his death

I could not but judge you, and kill you for what you made Sugriva suffer (246-47).
Rama’s dharma is to punish sinners. Vali sinned and was then, punished or even better, brought to justice by Rama, the legitimate voice of judgment according to the King Bharata. From this example, this text is showing how there is justice in killing someone, if they have in some way violated their dharma. Justice, then, throughout the text is vested in