TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - From epic to Romance, via filicide? rustam's character formation
JO  - Iranian Studies
A1  - Clark, F.
SP  - 53
EP  - 70
VL  - 43
IS  - 1
N2  - Rustam is famed for being one of the most fleshed-out characters of the Shahnama. As such, this article will analyze an episode in his life of extreme emotional turbulence, in order to gain a closer understanding of how much realism Firdausi bestows upon his characters. This episode is the suicide attempt he makes following his act of filicide. I will begin with a discussion of the difficulties involved in interpreting such an ancient text as the Shahnama. An analysis of Rustam's background follows, tracing the development of his personality. I will then take a detailed look at the circumstances surrounding his attempted suicide. After this, I will gauge the extent to which this act may have its roots in his personality. By thus examining how realistic is Rustam's suicide attempt, I hope this paper will contribute to the further study of the literary nature of Firdausi's Shahnama. 2011 04 15.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1475-4819
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00210860903451212
ID  - ref1
ER  -