‘Person Of Extremes’ Exist Not Just In Epics But In Real Life Too

Ramayana is my first favourite epic; an epic of love, discipline, sacrifice, and leadership. What greatly surprised me in the epic is Kaikeyi’s characterisation.

Introduced as a daring and brave princess of Kekaya, Kaikeyi rode chariots and fought wars. She married King Dasaratha and became his favourite wife. Known for her timely wit and intelligence, she served as an able counselor to the King on the battlefield. She was also a compassionate mother, who once loved Ram more than her own son.

And then followed a drastic twist in her characterisation!

When the king was about to make Ram his successor, she turned out to be the complete opposite of what she had been in her past.

No more daring, she wanted to satisfy her wishes in the worst way possible.

No more a generous mother, she suddenly hated Ram and prioritised her own son.

No more a loveable wife, she never heeded the King’s pleadings to modify her boons.

Once a favourite Queen of the King had then paved the way for his death.

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Two extreme characters in the same person!

All that turned her from a considerate human being into an unpleasant woman was the bad influence she received from Manthara. Her intellect was overridden by greed, and she turned out to be a selfish Queen in a short span of time.

Painted with bright and negative shades, Kaikeyi is an essential and undeniable character in the epic. For if Kaikeyi remained intelligent, generous, and kind, then:

Ram would not have gone to the forest

Sita would not be kidnapped

Hanuman would not have entered the picture

Ram-Raavan war would not have occurred

And the entire epic wouldn’t have unfolded.

Despite being negative, such characters mark the beginning of the epic, and it sure enthrals us.

Do such characters exist in real life?

Do people and their thought process change to two different extremes in a short span? Of course yes. And trust me, in real life, these characters are not going to pave way to any great epic, but can only end up being a disaster in our life.

How to deal with such people?

Ram has shown the way too. Though Kaikeyi suddenly turned against him, he had the same love and respect for her. He made sure that no one blamed her for his dad’s demise, and continued to support her throughout.

Honestly, not everyone can behave calmly and maturely as Ram. We are basically emotional bundles, and it’s not easy for us to forgo such acts of our dear ones.

That too, if such a person happens to be someone whom we loved and trusted more than ourselves once upon a time, then there is no way we can ever stand by that person.

Yet, instead of passing ourself through stressful days, regretting for being with such a person in our past, and mourning over how they have changed completely, all we can do is just go past such characters, take away the learning, and add it to our experience bag.

After all, life is all about shaping us up in the best possible way, even when people and surroundings change upside down. It’s all about us and it’s all in us. Choosing to stay with hatred or dealing with it is absolutely our choice.

Image Source: Still from Youtube

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