Analytical Approach to Fictional Elements of Sandbadnameh

Abstract

Sandbadnameh is an allegorical work of sixth century with bombastic prose. This book consists of one main story and thirty three secondary tales. In various issues such as the deceit of women, kings and princes and speaking animals these tales imply vivid moral subjects. After classifying the tales regarding theme and motif for structural analysis, other elements of fiction such as character, setting, point of view, stage, plot, tone, style and addressee are explored briefly. The aim of such investigation is to compare the Zahiri’s fiction writing with today’s definitions and criteria of fiction writing and the rate of his commitment to maintain the framework of fiction writing. Using stock and allegorical characters, fixed tone and style in dialogue tales, lack of variegated plot and logical and stable relationship between events make this work far from contemporary criteria of fiction writing in spite of its great volume, and introduce it as a symbolic and allegorical tale. On the other hand, bombastic and embellished prose as well as being loyal to ancient fiction writing have added to literary significance of this literary work.

Keywords

• Sandbadnameh
• Theme
• character
• Point of view
• Plot
• tone and style