Examining the Structure in Rostam’s Seven Trials: Analyzing the Archetype of the Hero’s Journey

جستارهای نوین ادبی

Article 1, Volume 46, Issue 1 - Serial Number 180, June 2013, Pages 27-56   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jls.v46i1.13044

Author

Mahmoud Reza Ghorban Sabbagh^*

Abstract

In 1949, Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), American mythologist, in his book entitled The Hero with a Thousand Faces discusses his view on "monomyth" in detail: the hero turns his back on the mundane daily life; accepts the perils of a harrowing and hazardous journey; grapples with evil and restraining forces; overcomes all impediments and, upon his return, generously offers his people the hard-earned boon and blessing: the "souvenirs" of his journey. Campbell, in his suggested model, presents a structural pattern for the archetype of the hero's journey. To that end, he examines the myths of many different nations and peoples from all over the world. The present study singles out the story of "The Seven Trials of Rostam" from The Shāhnāma of Abolqasem Ferdowsi (c. 940-1020 A.D.), the renowned Iranian epic poet, and examines two relatively distinct areas in Archetypal Criticism, i.e. Archetypal Images and Hero's Journey in it. The study concludes with an objective evaluation of the Campbell's model.

Keywords

Mythological criticism; monomyth; archetype; the Shāhnāma; "The Seven Trials”