The study of suspense techniques in the tale of Rostam and Esfandyar

Suspense is a quality created by the writer to induce anticipation and curiosity to the reader as to the outcome of a story.  Therefore, any state be it conflicts in the story, complexity, ambiguity, and etc which sensitizes the reader towards the story, its characters and their destinies, and the chain of events place itself in the domain of suspense.  Not only this method diminishes reader’s weariness and ennui but also creates dynamism in the progression of the story.  One of the tales in which the technique of suspense plays an effective role in the linear course of the story is the combat of Rostam and Esfandyar in Shahnameh.  In this long tale, numerous factors create suspense, and each in a way contribute to the dynamism in the story.  Predictions made, internal conflicts of the characters, narrative flashbacks, detailed descriptions, long dialogues and their kinds (internal monologues, soliloquy) variety of implicit and explicit allusions (story within story method) are all parts of suspense device in the tale which on one hand cause continuity in the story and postpones the outcome of the tale and on the other hand, enhances readers appeal to understand the line of the story.  After getting familiarized with the concept of suspense and its characteristics this research deals with the effective methods and techniques in creating suspense in the tale of Rostam and Esfandyar.