A Comparative Study of the Antagonist and Protagonist in the Works of Ferdowsi and Daghighi: A Focus on the Performance of the “Gashtasp and Esfandiar” Characters

Leila javaheri¹ Hossein Ardalani²

1) Ph.D. student of comparative-analytical history of Islamic art, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Iran
2) assistant professor،Department of Art and Architecture،Hamedan Branch،islamic Azad University،Iran

IOI Code : XAGA-DBCGZ
Publication : 4th.International Conference on Researches in Science & Engineering & International Congress on Civil, Architecture and Urbanism in Asia(4icrsie.com)
Abstract :
    Shahnameh is one of the most famous literary and cultural works of Iran. Although it seems to have simplicity and dignity, it is very complicated and rich at the same time, and it can be analyzed from different perspectives. This epic work, which has been a great pride for Iranians in its all being, is indebted to other valuable resources such as Daghighi’s Gashtaspnameh. Daghighi’s work includes one thousand stanzas, remaining incomplete due to the untimely death of its author. However, Ferdowsi maintained those one thousand stanzas word by word in his own work, Shahnameh. This study attempts to propose a novel discourse on the intricacies of this particular text. Borrowing from the field of literary criticism, this study aims to introduce the two main and sensible characters, namely Goshtasp and Esfandiar in Daghighi’s Gashtaspnameh and Ferdowsi’s Shahanameh. To this aim, the current study investigates the concepts of protagonist and antagonist , and emphasizes the principle of characterization to suggest a better understanding of these two characters throughout the story. The results of the comparative study on the performance of these two characters in Daghighi and Ferdowsi poems indicates that Gashtasp is a protagonist in Daghighi’s poem and he turns into an antagonist in Ferdowsi’s poem, while Esfandiar is an antagonist in Daghighi’s poem and he turns into a protagonist in Ferdowsi s poem.

Keywords : comparative studies ferdowsi daghighi antagonist protagonist