Purpose: Practice discovering the epic themes of the warrior hero, good and evil, and mortality by considering a major epic, Shahnameh or the Epic of Kings. This discussion should build your critical reading and analysis skills, as well as help prepare you for your essays later in the course. Keep in mind that, your central concern is to understand what the evidence about these themes reveals about the relationship between the epic heroes and their own cultures as well as the relationship between epic heroes and heroic elements common to human society in all times.
Bloom’s Analyze
Tasks: Use the steps below to write 1-2 full paragraphs connected to the purpose and overarching themes in the readings for this unit. Pick Option 1, 2, or 3 below, and follow the steps outlined.
Option 1: Values of Persian culture as found in Shahnemah: How important are choosing good versus evil and choosing loyalty to the Shah? You may also wish to discuss some ways the often-praised virtues of Persian warrior culture lead to tragic consequences for its heroes.
Option 2: Human mortality: Rustem is helpless against circumstances that cause the deaths of those whom he cares for. What do the betrayals of Rustem and Saiawush and the deaths of Sorab and Saiawush indicate about the Persian culture, or how do they express Zoroastrian beliefs?
Option 3: The warrior hero: Discuss the heroic attributes of Rustem. Is there anything about his characteristics that reminds you of current heroes?
Start by deciding which option above you would like to write about. Once you have made that decision, then:
Select a relevant passage of your own choosing from Shahnameh (about loyalty or about good and evil). Choose carefully, thinking about how your passage might speak to overarching themes and the bolded text in the Purpose, above.
Depending on which option you chose, explain the following:
Option 1: How does your passage illustrate a conclusion about actions that are motivated by good versus evil or choosing to by loyal to the Shal, and how is that significant or important for understanding Rustem within his culture–or heroes more generally?
Option 2: How does your passage illustrate a conclusion about the view of death within this culture or more generally?
Option 3: How does your passage illustrate a conclusion about the meaning of victories in battle or struggles for Rustem, and how is that significant or important for understanding heroes’ battles as viewed within the Persian culture or more generally?
You might want to sketch out your initial thoughts in lists, a concept map, or whatever note format helps you the most.
Structure and revise your initial thoughts into 1-2 robust, well-developed paragraphs, using the passage you have selected as evidence to support your ideas, and post them in the discussion.