Required reading: The Mahabharata, translated by John Smith (Penguin Classics).

Please choose a simple, well-known, primary character that is easily interpreted.

To explore and interpret the narrative content and structure of the Mahābhārata, the classic Indian epic that is the central focus of this course, students will be asked to investigate one character in the story, using specific textual passages in the Mahābhārata, in terms of what she or he would have represented in ancient Indian culture, and, by means of analogy, how this character might work within the students’ own cultural context.

Writing Assignment: MBH Character Study
• The idea—Choose one character that interests you from the Mahabharata, and, using specific textual passages from John Smith’s translation of the Sanskrit Mahabharata, you should explore his or her cultural significance:
• (A) in the context of ancient Indian society, religion, or politics, BACK THEN (150 BCE – 150 CE)
• (B) as an ANALOGY to issues and dilemmas taking place TODAY
• No secondary sources are required
• 5 double-spaced pages, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman
• Style:
• Inline citations, (Title, page number): “…..” (Mahabharata, 324).
• Block quotes from the MBH: single spaced
• DO NOT ITALICIZE QUOTES!
• NO TITLE PAGE or other space-wasting features.
• PLEASE AVOID “THE FUNNEL”!! (Start your paper with something specific rather than general—maybe a puzzle or dilemma)

I will be attaching 2 lecture slide files that would help with this paper. I prefer the writers to use the slides to help write the paper. It talks about the time in history in which the character study is relevant to.