Disobedient son

Why is the Prince Disobedient? The story has a plot of a well-known fairytale we know pretty well since our childhood. There is a famous fairytale, which begins from the misunderstanding between the king and his daughter, who told her father that she loved him like a meat likes salt. In the given tale we also see the same situation when a son criticized his father by wishing to capture the neighboring kingdoms by marrying four wives from four realms and consequently overcome his father who had only his own kingdom “ Father, you are the king of kings. Twenty-four kings pay you tribute. I want to be better than you. Ill conquer kingdoms, marry four celestial wives, and build my own city” (Folktales from India). So, can the son be called disobedient?
Actually the behavior of a father seems very strange and can be explained only by the epoch the tale was created in. Usually people want their children to be better than they are and have a better life. However, the father’s reaction was rather controversial: “ What!” exploded the king. “ Do better than me? You beast on two feet! Youll marry celestial wives? And do better than me?” (Folktales from India). This testifies about the selfishness of the father and the desire to remain “ the king” for his children even after his death. He does not want his children to be better that is very strange for a parent.
The son did his best to prove that he really can do what he promised his father to do. He meets ugly old woman who helps him to win and let him stay with her: “ I may not look like it, but Im the daughter of a great sage. Though he was a sage famous for his austere way of life, one day he went mad with lust and bothered my mother no end. She didnt want to give in to his lust, for that would have cancelled at once all his past history as a sage. She tried to save him from himself. But he wouldnt listen. He took her by force, had his will of her, and satisfied himself. So I was born, ugly as sin” (Folktales from India). With the help of the woman prince managed to realize his plans. This testifies that he managed to find the associates and appeared to be brave and respectful. He went through many difficulties, overcame many obstacles and reached his goal.
The Prince can be called disobedient due to the fact that he refused to submit to his father and preferred to do something on his own and following his own will. When he reached his goal, he came to his father to show that he really managed to do what he wanted to do even against him. This testifies about the courage and cleverness of the Prince, but testified about his wish to act on his own. Such behavior can be called disobedience.
Works Cited
Ramanujan K. K., ed. Folktales from India. Pantheon Books, New York, 1991