History YMMV / Ramayana

* TheWoobie: Sita. Willingly get exiled for her love of Rama/Kidnapped by Ravanna. Was forced by the people to go through the Agni Pariksha. In one ending, she was exiled ''again'' by the very husband she willingly being exiled for the first time for because he is ashamed that she is kidnapped by Ravanna. Her final fate in that ending is raising her twin son scared, humiliated and alone, all because events she cannot control. The poor girl can't catch a break.

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* DracoInLeatherPants: Ravana, believe it or not! Numerous alternative versions (Kamban's for eg.) show him as a king esteemed for his knowledge, fighting prowess and talent in the arts and he's had a place in Shiva temples in the South, thus making this trope OlderThanFeudalism.

** If you apply CanonDiscontinuity to the Seventh Kandha and reject it, however, the story ends with Rama and Sita living happily ever after. The stuff in the Seventh Kandha were due to one jerk's LIE. Giving credence to a slanderous lie seems a lot more Adharmic than Dharmic. Dharma is about ''Satya''... which means ''TRUTH''.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Rama is this thanks to ValueDissonance. His treatment of Sita is terrible from doubting her fidelity despite her loyalty to him to only treating rescuing her as some kind of duty. The event of the Seventh Kandha only helps cements him into this trope.

* CanonDiscontinuity: Concerning the Seventh Kandha or ''Uttarakandha''... Where all the awesomeness is undone and Rama banishes Sita, turning the original EarnYourHappyEnding story [[AllForNothing into a]] [[ShaggyDogStory huge]] [[DownerEnding bummer]] in the name of enforcing strict orthodoxy.
** Rama is "forced" to banish Sita because of some false rumors spread by some misogynist DomesticAbuser washer-man. Rather than stand up for his wife and find a way to prove that she didn't mess-around with Ravana and thus make everyone... both the Kingdom and his family... happy, he just wimps out and banishes her, thus giving credence to that washer-man's lie. This is apparently to show that a King should put Kingdom first, even if it means sacrificing his family [[note]]Never mind it was over a vicious LIE... [[BrokenAesop which would be Adharma]]. Also; that awful sexual/gender DoubleStandard is enforced[[/note]].
*** And all this despite the fact that Sita already proved her faithfulness through the Agni Pariksha before the Kingdom. She survived being in a bonfire! Something like ''that'' would be big news all over! The whole episode makes Rama... the "Perfect Man & King" look like a pushover, complete heel and total idiot. The whole thing reads like a bizarro "What If?" story.
** Rama has a man killed because the man was of a Lower Caste and performing austerities and devotions that were meant for Upper Caste people. This is to show that Caste Divisions are super-rigid and meant to be enforced [[note]]Never mind that The Caste System, when interpreted as a system of strict social stratification... rather than something more fluid, as it was in the beginning... is a cruel human rights abuse. Also; the man was performing penances and devotions, surely his heart was in the right place. The spirit of the Law should always trump the Letter[[/note]].
** Rama is considered the "Perfect Man & King" and Sita is considered "The Perfect Woman & Queen" and the Uttarakandha not only subverts a HappyEnding, it unintentionally subverts much of the Aesop. For these reasons, some reject the Seventh Kandha completely.

** Rama is "forced" to banish Sita because of some false rumors spread by some misogynist DomesticAbuser washer-man. Rather than stand up for his wife and find a way to prove that she didn't mess-around with Ravana and thus make everyone... both the Kingdom and his family... happy, he just wimps out and banishes her, thus giving credence to that washer-man's lie. This is apparently to show that a King should put Kingdom first, even if it means sacrificing his family [[note]]Never mind it was over a vicious LIE... [[BrokenAesop which would be Adharma]]. Also; That awful sexual/gender DoubleStandard is enforced[[/note]].

** Rama has a man killed because the man was of a Lower Caste and performing austerities and devotions that were meant for Upper Caste people. This is to show that Caste Divisions are super-rigid and meant to be enforced [[note]]Never mind that The Caste System, when interpreted as a system of strict social stratification... rather than something more fluid, as it was in the beginning... is a cruel human rights abuse. Also; The man was performing penances and devotions, surely his heart was in the right place. The spirit of the Law should always trump the Letter[[/note]].
** Rama is considered the "Perfect Man & King" and Sita is considered "The Perfect Woman & Queen" and the Uttarakandha not only subverts a HappyEnding, it unintentionally subverts much of the Aesop. For these reasons; Some reject the Seventh Kandha completely.

* CanonDiscontinuity: Concerning the Seventh Kandha or ''Uttarakandha''....Where all the awesomeness is undone and Rama banishes Sita, turning the original EarnYourHappyEnding story [[AllForNothing into a]] [[ShaggyDogStory huge]] [[DownerEnding bummer]] in the name of enforcing strict orthodoxy.
** Rama is "forced" to banish Sita because of some false rumors spread by some misogynist DomesticAbuser washer-man. Rather than stand up for his wife and find a way to prove that she didn't mess-around with Ravana and thus make everyone.....both the Kingdom and his family....happy, he just wimps out and banishes her, thus giving credence to that washer-man's lie. This is apparently to show that a King should put Kingdom first, even if it means sacrificing his family [[note]]Never mind it was over a vicious LIE....[[BrokenAesop which would be Adharma]]. Also; That awful sexual/gender DoubleStandard is enforced[[/note]].
*** And all this despite the fact that Sita already proved her faithfulness through the Agni Pariksha before the Kingdom. She survived being in a bonfire! Something like ''that'' would be big news all over! The whole episode makes Rama....the "Perfect Man & King" look like a pushover, complete heel and total idiot. The whole thing reads like a bizarro "What If?" story.
** Rama has a man killed because the man was of a Lower Caste and performing austerities and devotions that were meant for Upper Caste people. This is to show that Caste Divisions are super-rigid and meant to be enforced [[note]]Never mind that The Caste System, when interpreted as a system of strict social stratification....rather than something more fluid, as it was in the beginning....is a cruel human rights abuse. Also; The man was performing penances and devotions, surely his heart was in the right place. The spirit of the Law should always trump the Letter[[/note]].

* DracoInLeatherPants: Ravana, believe it or not! Numerous alternative versions (Kamban's for eg.) show him as a king esteemed for his knowledge, fighting prowess and talent in the arts and he's has a place in Shiva temples in the South, thus making this trope OlderThanFeudalism.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hanuman

** If you apply CanonDiscontinuity to the Seventh Kandha and reject it, however, the story ends with Rama and Sita living happily ever after. The stuff in the Seventh Kandha were due to one jerk's LIE. Giving credence to a slanderous lie seems a lot more Adharmic than Dharmic. Dharma is about ''Satya''....which means ''TRUTH''.

** Rama is "forced" to banish Sita because of some false rumors spread by some misogynist DomesticAbuser washer-man. Rather than stand up for his wife and find a way to prove that she didn't mess-around with Ravana and thus make everyone.....both the Kingdom and his family....happy, he just wimps out and banishes her, thus giving credence to that washer-man's lie. This is apparently to show that a King should put Kingdom first, even if it means sacrificing his family [[note]]Never mind it was over a vicious LIE....[[SubvertedAesop which would be Adharma]]. Also; That awful sexual/gender DoubleStandard is enforced[[/note]].

** Rama has a man killed because the man was of a Lower Caste and performing austerities and devotions that were meant for Upper Caste people. This is to show that Caste Divisions are super-rigid and meant to be enforced [[note]]Never mind that The Caste System, when interpreted as a system of strict social stratification....rather something more fluid, as it was in the beginning....is a cruel human rights abuse. Also; The man was performing penances and devotions, surely his heart was in the right place. The spirit of the Law should always trump the Letter[[/note]].

** Rama is "forced" to banish Sita because of some false rumors spread by some misogynist DomesticAbuser washer-man. Rather than stand up for his wife and find a way to prove that she didn't mess-around with Ravana and thus make everyone, both the Kingdom and his family happy, he just wimps out and banishes her, thus giving credence to that washer-man's lie. This is apparently to show that a King should put Kingdom first, even if it means sacrificing his family [[note]]Never mind it was over a vicious LIE....[[SubvertedAesop which would be Adharma]]. Also; That awful sexual/gender DoubleStandard is enforced[[/note]].

* TheWoobie: Sita. Willingly get exiled for her love of Rama/ Kidnapped by Ravanna. Was forced by the people to go through the Agni Pariksha. In one ending, she was exiled ''again'' by the very husband she willingly being exiled for the first time for because he is ashamed that she is kidnapped by Ravanna. Her final fate in that ending is raising her twin son scared, humiliated and alone, all because events she cannot control. The poor girl can't catch a break.

* CanonDiscontinuity: Concerning the Seventh Kandha or ''Uttarakandha''....Where all the awesomeness is undone and Rama banishes Sita, turning the original EarnYourHappyEnding story [[AllForNothing into a]] [[ShaggyDogStory huge]] [[DownerEnding bummer]] in the name of enforcing strict orthodoxy. If you're an ultra-Conservative Hindu who doesn't mind a sad story, the Seventh Kanda is for you.

* MisaimedFandom: Sita and Rama are frequently worshipped as a couple, despite the fact that Rama treats her horribly after rescuing her.
* TheWoobie: Sita. Kidnapped by Ravanna. Exiled ''twice'', one by the very husband she willingly being exiled for the first time for because he is ashamed that she is kidnapped by Ravanna. Her final fate in one ending is raising her twin son scared, humiliated and alone, all because events she cannot control. The poor girl can't catch a break.

* TheWoobie: Sita. Kidnapped by Ravanna. Exiled ''twice'', one by the very husband she willingly being exiled for the first time for because he is ashamed that she is kidnapped by Ravanna. Her final fate is raising her twin son scared, humiliated and alone, all because events she cannot control. The poor girl can't catch a break.

* GodModeSue: Very much a TropesAreNotBad example. Rama is literally a GodInHumanForm, and [[ShowyInvincibleHero isn't ever seriously threatened by his enemies]]. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome No one's complaining]].
** Except Rama's sons. When they hear his tale from Sage Valmiki, albeit with the names changed, they comment that [[FromTheMouthsOfBabes Rama was cruel to Sita]]. Later [[EasilyForgiven they forgive him after they learn he is their father, somehow]].

* UnfortunateImplications: Sri Lanka is a real island with dark-skinned residents, as well as their version of the Ramayana's events. In most adaptations of the Ramayana, including the comic versions, Sri Lankans are portrayed as grey-skinned Rakshasa demons with no conscience at all, unless they are Vibeeshana. Ravana and his wives have even threatened to eat Sita at several points, and Ravana goes for AnythingThatMoves and women who are light-skinned.

** Sri Lanka, Ravana's kingdom, is also a real place, and the island has its own version of the Ramayana.

* UnfortunateImplications: The ideal setting of the story is described, among other things, by stating that everyone performed their duty according to their respective ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varna_(Hinduism) varna]]'' and ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashrama_(stage) asrama]]''. A certain ''Śūdra'' decides towards the end of the work to perform Vedic rites, which causes the death of a ''Brahmin''’s son; Rama then proceeds to [[OffWithHisHead decapitate]] the ''Śūdra'', and the gods produce a rain of flowers to show their satisfaction. Mind you, most of the ''Śūdra'' ''varṇa'' is composed of non-Aryans[[note]]the Indo-European group, not the allegedly ‘pure-blooded’ Germanic people[[/note]], and judging by the fact that the non-human races are actually [[SpaceJews thinly-veiled metaphors for non-Aryan peoples]] (as any textbook about the subject would tell you), and the way Sugrīva simply accepts it when Rama tells him he could hunt him (since being a monkey makes him fair game)... Well, let’s just say this work isn’t all that well-received among many non-religious and/or non-Aryan people.
** The epilogue of ''Ramayana'' deconstructs the very code it supposedly espouses. Rama is forced to part with his beloved wife Sita because of her "tarnished" reputation and in the end she decides she no longer loves him and leaves him forever.

* BadassDecay - Ravana has been changed in his portrayal of being a BigBad to an AntiHero whose one weakness was kidnapping women that were not his. To be fair, some passages of Valmiki somewhat lead to this interpretation. See DracoInLeatherPants below, which perhaps makes this one of the oldest ones ever.
* DracoInLeatherPants - Ravana, believe it or not! Numerous alternative versions (Kamban's for eg.) show him as a king esteemed for his knowledge, fighting prowess and talent in the arts and he's has a place in Shiva temples in the South, thus making this trope OlderThanFeudalism.
* EnsembleDarkhorse - Hanuman

* AlasPoorVillain - Kumbhakarna. Ravana as well.
* BadassDecay - Ravana has been changed in his portrayal of being a {{BigBad}} to a {{AntiHero}} whose one weakness was kidnapping women that were not his. To be fair, some passages of Valmiki somewhat lead to this interpretation. See DracoInLeatherPants below, which perhaps makes this one of the oldest ones ever.

* UnfortunateImplications: The ideal setting of the story is described, among other things, by stating that everyone performed their duty according to their respective ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varna_(Hinduism) varna]]'' and ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashrama_(stage) asrama]]''. A certain ''Śūdra'' decides towards the end of the work to perform Vedic rites, which causes the death of a ''Brahmin''’s son; Rama then proceeds to [[OffWithHisHead decapitate]] the ''Śūdra'', and the gods produce a rain of flowers to show their satisfaction. Mind you, most of the ''Śūdra'' ''varṇa'' is composed of non-Aryans[[hottip:*:the Indo-European group, not the allegedly ‘pure-blooded’ Germanic people]], and judging by the fact that the non-human races are actually [[SpaceJews thinly-veiled metaphors for non-Aryan peoples]] (as any textbook about the subject would tell you), and the way Sugrīva simply accepts it when Rama tells him he could hunt him (since being a monkey makes him fair game)... Well, let’s just say this work isn’t all that well-received among many non-religious and/or non-Aryan people.

* UnfortunateImplications: The ideal setting of the story is described, among other things, by stating that everyone performed their duty according to their respective ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varna_(Hinduism) varṇa]]'' and ''[[en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashrama_(stage) āśrama]]''. A certain ''Śūdra'' decides towards the end of the work to perform Vedic rites, which causes the death of a ''Brahmin''’s son; Rama then proceeds to [[OffWithHisHead decapitate]] the ''Śūdra'', and the gods produce a rain of flowers to show their satisfaction. Mind you, most of the ''Śūdra'' ''varṇa'' is composed of non-Aryans[[hottip:*:the Indo-European group, not the allegedly ‘pure-blooded’ Germanic people]], and judging by the fact that the non-human races are actually [[JewsInSpace thinly-veiled metaphors for non-Aryan peoples]] (as any textbook about the subject would tell you), and the way Sugrīva simply accepts it when Rama tells him he could hunt him (since being a monkey makes him fair game)... Well, let’s just say this work isn’t all that well-received among many non-religious and/or non-Aryan people.

* DracoInLeatherPants - Ravana, believe it or not! Numerous alternative versions (Kamban's for eg.) show him as a king esteemed for his knowledge, fighting prowess and talent in the arts and he's has a place in Shiva temples in the South, thus making this trope OlderThanDirt.