Shahnameh Epic
The Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, by the Persian poet Abu al-Qasim Firdawsi, is Iran's national epic and one of the great epics of world literature. Abu al-Qasim (who used the pen...
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In the following essay, Atkinson prefaces the translation of the Suhrāb story from the Shah-Nama with a biographical sketch of Ferdowsi and a general overview of the poem. Atkinson praises the ...
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In the essay below, Davidson analyzes the oral tradition from which Ferdowsi drew the Shah-Nama and in which the text figured as a recitation piece. Davidson contends that the Shah-Nama was shaped by ...
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In the following essay, Clinton follows his outline of the Shah-Nama's themes with an analysis of the story of Rostram and Esfandiyar as it reflects the recurring themes of the work as a whole&...
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In the essay below, Levy offers an overview of Ferdowsi's Shah-Nama, commenting on its form and style and praising, in particular, the poet's skill in his laments for Persia's fal...
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In the essay that follows, Wickens examines the portion of the Shah-Nama dedicated to the Sasanid period of Iran's history, offering a synopsis of this section and emphasizing its dramatic form...
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In the essay that follows, Krasnowolska examines the contention that the Shah-Nama reflects Ferdowsi's dualistic view of life, maintaining that there is insufficient evidence to support this ar...
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In the following essay, Clinton reviews the structure and themes of the Shah-Nama, observing that the work is unified by its focus on dynastic succession.
The story of Sohráb is just one sma...
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In the essay below, Hanaway discusses Persian national epic poetry in general and the Shah-Nama in particular, focusing on the poem's language and the nature of its heroes. Hanaway also comment...
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In the following essay, Davis studies the plot and themes of the Shah-Nama, focusing in particular on the Sasanian bias of the later portions of the text, including the story of Seyavash. Davis observ...
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Shahnameh Epic
Critical Essay by James Atkinson
