Narrative Role and Performance of Heroes, Villains and Helpers in One Thousand and One Nights According to Propp Theory

This study investigates the narrative role and performance of heroes and villains in common tales of One Thousand and One Nights according to Propp Theory. In addition, it categorizes and symbolizes heroes and villains and analyzes and defines the narrative role and performance of heroes and villains in the aforementioned stories. One Thousand and One Nights is an entertaining book that is rooted in Indian and Iranian literature. The book was entirely written approximately in tenth century AH in Egypt and Abod al-latif Tasouji Tabrizi translated it to Persian in Qajar period. The common tales in the book represent a sort of opposition between heroes and villains. In fact, the role of the heroes is to oppress the villains and wizards. Conversely, the role of the villains in the tales is to disturb a happy family and to establish vandalism. Narrative role and performance of the heroes and villains in One Thousand and One Nights are described and analyzed according to this end.