An Analysis of the Change of Shirin's Characterization from Ferdowsi to Nezami's Narrations based on Discursive Factors of Shahnameh and Khosrow and Shirin

Applying discourse analysis as the research method, this paper analyzes Shirin’s characterization and its change in two different stories (Shahnameh, and Khosrow and Shirin) in order to show how the lingual and meta-lingual (social, political, cultural and historical status) factors besides the ideology of the authors (Ferdowsi and Nezami) have influenced the representation of her character. Furthermore, this paper focuses on the change of political and cultural discourse from the period of Samanids to the Seljuks and the alternation of the views towards women -Ferdowsi’s misogynist views in contrast to Nezami’s philogynist views- as the other possible factor which have influenced Shirin’s characterization. According to this paper, Shirin’s image in Shahnameh is simultaneously negative and positive which is the result of class ideology plus power relations which have dominated Ferdowsi’s text, while in Khosrow and Shirin, the character of Shirin changes because of the change of genre and Nezami’s ideological involvement with this especial character of his story. Accordingly, in Nezami’s version, Shirin is not a Roman slave but an Armenian princess.