The concept of ‘Az’ (Greed) in the Epics after Shahnameh, with emphasis on Koush Nameh and Faramarz Nameh

‘Az’ (greed) is one of the concepts of practical philosophy that is manifested in the thoughts, speeches, and actions of human beings. This concept is represented in Iranian classical literature represented in various narrative and non-narrative literary forms. The Iranian epic poetry, due to the narrative structure and importance of the actions in the typical human beings (heroes and anti-heroes), has more features to illustrate this concept more precisely. Regarding the reflection of the concept of "Az" in the epic literature, researchers have mainly focused on Shahnamehand did not paid attention to the epics after Shahnameh. Therefore, this study aims at specifying the origin of the concept of "Az" and its representation in the narrative structure of the two athletic poems after Shahnameh, Koush Nameh and Faramarz Nameh, in three parts of the conception, the mode of expression and action of the heroes and the anti-hero by a descriptive-analytical method. The theme of "Az" is manifested in both poems, but in Koush Nameh the content is obvious in all parts of the story, and there is not much narration in the main world of Faramarz Nameh. In both poems, the strong connection between Khosrovani and Islamic philosophy is fully perceptible in specifying the meaning of "Az". Speakers speaking about the "Az" in both poems are divided into narrators and heroes.