An Intertextual Interpretation of Mythology in Drama Teshtar, The Guardian of Rain

Apart from being a means of entertainment and psychological drain, the dramatic works for children serve, on the one hand, as educational tools and, on the other, as a smooth path to pass the legacy of the past (traditions, rites, religion, politics, and the socio-ethical norms of society) over to the consciousness of the current generation, especially when the authors of the works draw on such important structural elements as time, place, plot, characters and, in times, even, the integrity of a story in an intertextual interaction with ancient texts. significant instances are myth and mythical narratives reflected always in various forms including stories, dramas and screenplays. Using Genette’s transtextuality theory, especially hypertextuality, in a descriptive-analytic fashion, the way in which Atosa Shamloo’s drama “Teshtar, the Guardian of Rain” is recreated comes under scrutiny. The most importantly results revealed are as follows: Teshtar, the Guardian of Rain has been fully affected by the “Myth of Rain” in terms of all five types of transtextuality (i.e. intertextuality, arcitextuality, paratextuality, metatextuality and hypertextuality). Intertextuality considered, the author has been mostly under the influence of the Myth of Rain. In other words, she has utilized both imitation and transformation. In Fact, her affectedness and making changes (transformation) in the original in harmony with the mood of audiences have produced a beautiful attractive work for children. In addition, the writer has placed paratextual thresholds within her text making it easier to understand the text when recognized. Doubtlessly, the Myth of Rain has, hence, been a prime pre-text in the production of the work.