The Ramayana
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Prologue 1. Rama's Initiation 2. The Wedding 3. Two Promises Revived 4. Encounters in Exile 5. The Grand Tormentor 6. Vali 7. When the Rains Cease 8. Memento From Rama 9. Ravana in Council 10. Across the Ocean 11. The Siege of Lanka 12. Rama and Ravana in Battle 13. Interlude 14. The Coronation Epilogue
Themes
All Themes Heroism Duty, Honor, and Loyalty Good vs. Evil Storytelling, Teaching, and Morality
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Rama Sita Lakshmana Ravana Hanuman Dasaratha Sugreeva Vali Bharatha Kaikeyi King Janaka Soorpanaka Kooni Vishnu Brahma Indra Jatayu Mareecha
Symbols
All Symbols Bows and Arrows
Download PDF
Download Teacher Edition
The LitCharts.com logo.
Sign In Sign up for A+
The LitCharts.com logo.
AI Tools
  • Ask LitCharts AI
  • Discussion Question Generator
  • Essay Prompt Generator
  • Quiz Question Generator
Guides Guides
  • Literature Guides
  • Poetry Guides
  • Shakespeare Translations
  • Literary Terms
Sign In Sign up for A+ Sign up

The Ramayana

by R. K. Narayan
Upgrade to A+
Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis
  • Prologue
  • 1. Rama's Initiation
  • 2. The Wedding
  • 3. Two Promises Revived
  • 4. Encounters in Exile
  • 5. The Grand Tormentor
  • 6. Vali
  • 7. When the Rains Cease
  • 8. Memento From Rama
  • 9. Ravana in Council
  • 10. Across the Ocean
  • 11. The Siege of Lanka
  • 12. Rama and Ravana in Battle
  • 13. Interlude
  • 14. The Coronation
  • Epilogue
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Heroism Theme Icon
    Heroism
  • Duty, Honor, and Loyalty Theme Icon
    Duty, Honor, and Loyalty
  • Good vs. Evil Theme Icon
    Good vs. Evil
  • Storytelling, Teaching, and Morality Theme Icon
    Storytelling, Teaching, and Morality
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Rama
  • Sita
  • Lakshmana
  • Ravana
  • Hanuman
  • Dasaratha
  • Sugreeva
  • Vali
  • Bharatha
  • Kaikeyi
  • King Janaka
  • Soorpanaka
  • Kooni
  • Vishnu
  • Brahma
  • Indra
  • Jatayu
  • Mareecha
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • Bows and Arrows Symbol Icon
    Bows and Arrows
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
Download this Chart (PDF)
Download the Teacher Edition
Download this Chart (PDF)

The Ramayana Study Guide

It's easy to cite LitCharts for use in academic papers and reports.


MLA

Brock, Zoë. "The Ramayana." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 19 Oct 2017. Web. 14 Mar 2026.


Chicago

Brock, Zoë. "The Ramayana." LitCharts LLC, October 19, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2026. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-ramayana.

Company
About Us Our Story
Support
Help Center Contact Us
Connect
Facebook Twitter
Legal
Terms of Service Privacy Policy Privacy Request
Home About Contact Help
LitCharts, a Learneo, Inc. business
Copyright © 2026 All Rights Reserved
Terms Privacy Privacy Request
The LitCharts.com logo.
Save time. Stress less.
Sign up!
  • AI Tools for on-demand study help and teaching prep.
  • Quote explanations, with page numbers, for over 50,308 quotes.
  • PDF downloads of all 2,256 LitCharts guides.
  • Expert analysis to take your reading to the next level.
  • Advanced search to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
  • Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.
  • Expert analysis to take your reading to the next level.
  • Advanced search to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
  • Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.
The LitCharts.com logo.
The LitCharts.com logo.
The LitCharts.com logo.
The LitCharts.com logo.