'Other and its Function in the Stories of Shahnameh

'Other' is a concept attentions to which were attracted through the works of scholars such as Husserl, Heidegger and Sartre (in philosophy) and Bakhtin (in literature). Attention to it provided new perspectives for philosophical and literary debates. Using Bakhtin's views, and the status of the 'Other' in his thinking system, the present article reads the stories of Shahnameh where Rostam is present, and offers new horizons to the readers. Considering presence or absence of the 'Other', the stories of shahnameh can be divided into three groups:a.The stories indicating exclusion or absence of the 'Other'.b.Shahnameh mostly consists of the stories of this typec.The stories stressing on non-absence and maintainance of the 'Other'. The only instance is the story of Rostam and Esfandyar, where the two opponents – both good and mythical – never wish the other to be excluded.d.The stories intermediating a & b types, like the story of Rostam and Sohrab containing the elements of both epic and tragedy.