Political Tame in Persian and Arabic literature: A Comparative Study of “The Tale of Dahhak and The Devil” by Al-Ferdowsi and “Madirah Maqama” by Al-Hamathāni and “Tigers on the Tenth Day” by Zakaria Tamer

Abstract

Dr. Y.A. Malayeri

Dr. Kubra Jabbarli

Abstract

This comparative study sheds light on the political tame in three texts of Persian and Arabic literature: “The Tale of Dahhak and the Devil” by Al-Ferdowsi, “MadirahMaqama” by Badi' Al-Zamān Al-Hamathāni and “Tigers on the Tenth Day” by Zakaria Tamer. This essay adopts a political psychological approach to study the political tame in texts, as well as it uses achievements of both American and Russian schools of comparative literature to focus on common and uncommon points of the studied texts in their dealing with political taming. The most important findings of this paper are:

1. The politics separate from its humanistic theme when adopting repressing and taming.
2. The totalitarian power in the texts uses deceit­, temptation, feeding, ­repressing and starving, in order to tame citizens, but it uses soft controlling in “The Tale of Dahhak and the Devil”, however it uses hard controlling in case of “Madirah Maqama” and “Tigers on the Tenth Day”.
3. Moving from Ancient and Middle Ages towards Contemporary Age shows us that repressing and starving are increasing in process of political taming in the texts.
4. The tame process grows gradually, particularly in the case of “The Tale of Dahhak and the Devil” and “Tigers on the Tenth Day". But tame of Dahhak defers from the tiger's tame so Dahhak is separated from his nature by eating the meat but the tiger by eating the grass.
5. I­t is obvious that subjects of taming are identifying with tamer power in “The Tale of Dahhak and the Devil” and “Tigers on the Tenth Day". But “Madirah Maqama” defers from the other texts in this point.
6. Drawing the despotism and impossibility of dialogue with it is clear in the studied texts.

Keywords: 

*  قسم اللغة العربية، جامعة طهران، إيران.

** جامعة آل البيت، الأردن.

    حقوق النشر محفوظة لجامعة مؤتة. الكرك، الأردن.