Retrogression of Salm, Tour, and Rostam characters in Shahnameh

In the present research, by investigating the retrogression of Salm, Tour (ethical retrogression), and Rostam (retrogression with regard to power and authority) characters based on the documentary method, we aim to answer these questions: Do the characters under study go to the ultimate limit of human experience (negative in negative) or do not? Does this retrogression affect the character realization? and if yes, how? The research results indicate that Salm and Tour move from the point of justice to discrimination, injustice and tyranny due to exposure to the opposing force of greed in their retrogression, and their retrogression is negative as they surrender to the opposing force. In contrast, Rostam who reaches from the authority to the power limitation, defeat, and finally the point of inability due to the strong opposition forces, such as Kavous, Sohrab, and death, has a positive retrogression due to his resistance against the opposing forces. The investigation of these characters' retrogression indicates that the characters achieve the ultimate human experience in Shahnameh and this increases their depth.