The Process of Individuation in the Story of Khosrow and Shirin (With Special References to the Character of Khosrow)

Khosrow and Shirin is the second of five long narrative poems by Nezami and is one of the finest love stories in Persian literature. This story has been examined so far from different aspects and with different approaches. One of the approaches overlooked in the analysis of this story is the process of individuation from Carl Jung's point of view. Therefore the aim of the present paper is to psychoanalyze the development of the character of Khosrow Parviz and other central characters. This will be done through analytical-descriptive method while drawing upon the archetypes of anima and animus, shadow, persona, anima, wise old man, etc. The result of the study suggests that to achieve the individualism and unification of Khosrow's personality, as the hero of the story, it is necessary for him to enter the unconscious so that through the symbolic indexes of the inner self and the forces that produce consciousness, the hero would obtain self-knowledge, and his way to throne and Shirin is smoothed.