Fictional Elements in Khosrow and Shirin and Khosrow Nameh: A Comparative Reading

Khosro and Shirin, written by Nezami Ganjavi, and Khosro Nameh, attributed to Attar Neyshabouri, despite not being in the same level of significance and poetic strength, are highly similar regarding their fictional elements. Considering the content and themes, both works are romantic: either of them is a romance about two lovers who pass an arduous journey through the hardships in order to join each other. The influence Nezami had on poets after him, including the writer of Khosrow Nameh, should not be ignored. It also needs to be mentioned that, comparing these works does not mean that they have the same status in literature. The current research, draws a comparison between the mentioned works in terms of fictional elements and storytelling techniques, scrutinizes the works to find similarities and differences, and provides evidence for them. There is similarity among some elements, such as lack of an intense plot, having the same characters and tone, and monotony, while some elements are different. For instance, element of strife seems to be more internal in Khosro and Shirin but external in Khosro Nameh.