Siyavash and Sudabeh:A Comparative Study of Love between Stepmother and Stepson in Mythology, Literature and the History of the Nations

The Stories of Siyavash، Hyppolytus and Joseph are well-known throughout the world. The plot of these stories is almost about the wife of a king or a dignitary falling in love with her stepson or adopted son. Because of the chastity and the loyalty to the father، the stepson does not respond to and is not trapped in his stepmother’s lust. Therefore، accusing the stepson of rape the woman tries to avenge him. She also deceives her husband to severely punish his son. (In some stories، the son falls in love with the stepmother or trapped in her fraud.) The present article tries to relate the various instances of this kind of love between stepmother and stepson in different mythological، literary، and historical texts of different nations and to compare these examples to find why such a plot is widespread throughout the world، and among various nations.