Combining Epic literature and Didactic Literature in Nezami Ganjavi's Iskandarnāmeh

In the world literature generally and Iranian literature particularly, literary works are divided into four types, i.e. epic, didactic, lyric and dramatic literature based upon their thought and content. Some literary texts, including poetry and prose, are single-genre; however, some texts have emerged which combine two or more different literary genres and they accompany each other and through this accompaniment they have been able to provide sources for literary text researches. The common feature of the two is their struggle against the incompatibilities: one from without the other from within and finally establishing an ideal society. One form of combining genres is mingling epic literature and didactic literature. Through descriptive-analytical method and by relying on the library studies based upon inductive method, this research attempt to re-read the intergenrality of epic literature and didactic literature in Iskandarnāmeh. The purpose of this paper is to explain the features, differences, commonalities of these two genres in Iskandarnāmeh, and also the intersection of these two genre in this literary work. One of the achievements of combining epic and didactic genres is that they complement each other. Epic literature (e.g. Sharafnāmeh) often focuses on human's will, but didactic literature (e.g. Iqbālnāmeh) addresses wisdom and awareness and while epic literature insists on objectivity (managing governmental affairs) and didactic literature (moral concepts) insists on subjectivity. The ultimate cause of both literary genres is to lay the groundwork for peace and tranquility, one in the external level and the other in the internal or spiritual level to establish Nizami Ganjavi's desired utopia.