Dialogue and power relations in the tale of Rostam and Esfandyar

Tale of Rostam and Esfandyar is an indicator of the inner conflict within the formal power structure and represents the manner in which resistance takes shape against the dominant power discourse. This conflict and involvement in the tale are posed by narrative, dialogue, conversational schemes and sometimes is presented in terms of certain rhetorical structures. This article deals with the study and analysis of conversation and dialogue as part of critical discourse analysis and further makes use of certain applied linguistic parameters in order to analyze the dialogue between two main characters of the tale that is Rostam and Esfandyar. This study shows that power relations in Iran’s court and political institutions enriches the language and the structure of the tale of Rostam and Esfandyar with ideological sense and rhetorical power discourse is seen to cast a shadow over the tale. Esfandyar is the representative of religious and political power and Rostam is the representative of national and heroic power who against his inmost wishes gets involved with an involuntary duel with Esfandyar. Power discourse causes language to function in a particular context and to create a specific rhetorical approach in a way that when this passes through the filter of Ferdowsi’s mind, new discourse system with a new identity is formed.