Valmiki’s Ramyana definitely benefits the upper classes of Brahmins and Kshatriyas, though specifically the Kshatriyas since Vishnu took on the form of a Kshatriya prince to embody Rama. It also, not surprisingly, is male oriented as can be seen through the multiple instances in which the male characters disregard or snub females throughout.
Some of the very blatant themes are as follows: women should be obedient, devoted extensions of their husbands, not individuals, Dharma is hard to follow and often overlaps, and good will always conquer evil eventually.
In terms of the first message I see this most clearly after Rama defeated Ravana and Rama refuses to accept Sita. He treats her as if she is his pet who has contracted a potential case of incurable flees--he only saved her to reaffirm his honor and defeat evil, but now he has no use for her or her potential grime since she is a part of him and could taint his purity. Because he doubts the status of this part of him, his wife, he cannot accept her (491).
Early on when Rama is exiled, his mother and father encourage him not to leave by appealing to his sense of dharma (127). The dharma for husband, prince, and son become very intertwined in this instance. In the end though, Rama chooses exile despite all the other duties and obligations being equally valid paths.
A tale as old as time itself, Rama is the embodied avatar of Vishnu on earth sent to rid the world of the evil Ravana who has wrought havoc on the gods for too long. Throughout the text there are smaller instances of this message. For example, Rama and Laksmana kill the raksasas as children (70). Controversially, Rama killed Vali (279). And eventually, Rama regains the throne (504). This only applies to the men in the story though, as Sita is rewarded with torment, public humiliation, and eventual return into the earth.