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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Rama say that true friendship comes from?

2. Who said that creatures with faces like monkeys would kill Ravana?

3. What is the first thing Ravana thinks about each morning?

4. Who pleads with Ravana to return Sita?

5. Who first leads the demons against the bear and monkey army?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Rama banish Sita?

2. Describe Rama and Sita’s disappearance from the earth.

3. Describe the Rakshasis Hanuman sees when he is searching Lanka.

4. How is this chapter different in this version than it is in the original?

5. What advice does Khumbakarna give Ravana before he goes to fight?

6. What happens to Queen Mandodari after Ravana’s death?

7. Describe Hanuman’s leap.

8. Explain Vibhishana’s change of heart regarding Ravana.

9. How did Mainaka come to be at the bottom of the sea?

10. Describe the origins of the Ramayana.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In what ways is the Ramayana relevant to contemporary readers? What contemporary issues are in play in the book, and how would the book contribute to contemporary discussion? Cite specific discussions from contemporary sources, and cite specific instances from the book, that describe its contemporary relevance.

Essay Topic 2

What is the primary purpose of the Ramayana? What kinds of purposes does it attempt to serve—explaining the history of the world, describing the right way to live, etc. Using examples from the text, propose one mode that is most important. Be sure to say why the others are not as important.

Essay Topic 3

What does the Ramayana teach you about how to live? What kinds of problems does the Ramayana tell the reader how to solve? What kinds of questions would it not be very useful for?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 946 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample