I am going into this question very elaborately because taking Sita with him to the forest was the most important of all decisions that Sri Rama made and here lies the very embryo of the events that are to follow. People tend to blame Sita for all the woes that followed. 'Even at the very beginning he foresaw all the difficulties and did not want her to accompany him. But he was left with no option but to yield because she was so insistent and even called him names,' is the argument that is advanced against Janaki. Since she is the paragon of womanhood, that interpretation is
skillfully distorted to put women in general at a disadvantage, whenever convenient.
There was no doubt that she persisted. No denying the fact that she was driven to desperation. But it is not right to say that Sri Rama was 'left with no option but to accept her decision.' He was happy about what Sita did. He was delighted at her decision. He accepted that it was the right thing for a wife to do. He saw eye to eye with Janaki. And that is evident from all the happiness, satisfaction, approval and even pride that are displayed in his words. 'You are created by Brahma to remain with me wherever I am,' he says at the very beginning of his answer when he decides to change his stance.
This might cause at least some of us to look a little askance. 'Then what does the almost two
sarga long lecture of Rama mean? Did he not really mean what he said?' Yes. He meant what he said. But his heart was with her. He loved her and it is only natural that he would have wanted her to accompany him. But he did not want to do so without knowing her mind, from her own words. He did not want to impose his will on her. A simple, 'I am going on exile, and hope that you would want to join me,' would have been a straightforward way of putting his words across to her. But that would have meant imposing his desire on her, in case she wanted to stay back in Ayodhya. That would have denied her an opportunity, had she desired otherwise. That would have put her under pressure of circumstances, if at all she was not for going with him.
Sri Rama was completely aware of the frailties and quick changing nature of the human mind. (Let us see the couple playing their human roles here, as visualised by the Poet.) We see him displaying this quality in more than once instance. 'Observe him from a distance and after ensuring that he has not developed desires for the throne, let him know that I am coming back,' he would instruct Hanuman when the latter was sent to Bharata to announce his arrival back to
Ayodhya.
He very much desired to go on exile together with Janaki. But he wanted to ensure that her mind thinks on similar lines. He wanted to eliminate the possibility - however remote it might be - to push her into his decision, closing the other option of staying back. "Not knowing your full mind, O lady with charming countenance, I did not approve of your sojourn in the forest, though capable of protecting you," is the Sloka (Ayodhya Kanda, Canto XXX, Sloka 28) that says it all.
'I said all that because I was not sure what you really thought about coming with me. Now that I know your heart, I am delighted in accepting what you say.' Notice the delight and pride in the words when he conveys his decision. He does not say, 'Very well, I am not for your coming with me; but I accept to do so because you leave me with no other option.'
If we see that this was the same strategy that he adopted with Lakshmana, there will be no difficulty in seeing that it was Rama's decision as well, and that he was not forced into it. In fact, as we have had occasion to mention in several instances, no decision could be forced on him against his will. He would not do anything, if he was not convinced about the fairness of it, in the first instance.
I am going into this question very elaborately because taking Sita with him to the forest was the most important of all decisions that Sri Rama made and here lies the very embryo of the events that are to follow. People tend to blame Sita for all the woes that followed. 'Even at the very beginning he foresaw all the difficulties and did not want her to accompany him. But he was left with no option but to yield because she was so insistent and even called him names,' is the argument that is advanced against Janaki. Since she is the paragon of womanhood, that interpretation is
skillfully distorted to put women in general at a disadvantage, whenever convenient.
Sri Rama was completely aware of the frailties and quick changing nature of the human mind. (Let us see the couple playing their human roles here, as visualised by the Poet.) We see him displaying this quality in more than once instance. 'Observe him from a distance and after ensuring that he has not developed desires for the throne, let him know that I am coming back,' he would instruct Hanuman when the latter was sent to Bharata to announce his arrival back to
Ayodhya. 
