Surpanakha's Characterization through the Dark Triad Perspective of Modern Dark Psychology

Abstract This study examines the characterization of Surpanakha in Kambaramayanam through the framework of the Dark Triad Theory of modern personality psychology. Introduced into the contemporary psychological literature by Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams (2002), the Dark Triad comprises three distinct but interrelated personality constructs: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and subclinical psychopathy. The study applies these concepts to selected episodes involving Surpanakha’s attraction to Rama, her rejection, her conflict with Sita, her physical injury at the hands of Lakshmana, and her subsequent encounter with Ravana. The central objective is to investigate how the literary representation of desire, emotional intensity, rejection, humiliation, interpersonal conflict, and revenge can be interpreted through the conceptual framework of modern personality psychology. The analysis distinguishes between the experience of an emotion and the behaviour that follows from it. Romantic attraction, anger, and distress do not independently establish narcissism, Machiavellianism, or psychopathy. Therefore, Surpanakha’s characterization is examined through textual evidence rather than through unsupported psychological diagnosis. The study also considers the gendered dimensions of her characterization, particularly the literary treatment of female desire, bodily vulnerability, social expectations, and the consequences of interpersonal conflict. It argues that Surpanakha should not be reduced to a one-dimensional representation of evil. Instead, her character offers an opportunity to examine the complex relationship between personal desire, emotional regulation, interpersonal boundaries, and political consequences in the epic narrative. The study concludes that the Dark Triad provides a useful interpretive framework for examining selected aspects of Surpanakha’s characterization, but it does not establish that she possesses all three traits as a stable personality profile. The contribution of this research lies in bringing classical Tamil literary analysis into dialogue with contemporary personality psychology while maintaining methodological and interpretive caution. Keywords: Surpanakha – Kambaramayanam - Dark Psychology - Dark Triad – Narcissism - Machiavellianism - Subclinical Psychopathy - Literary Psychology - Emotional Regulation – Revenge - Gender Studies.