Read these five chapters, Rustem, The March into Mazinderan, Kai Kaous Committeth More Follies, Rustem and Sohrab. and Saiawush.
1st page: Shahnameh tells about a series of epic heroes in Persian culture. We are focusing on one of the greatest, Rustem. How does the fact that his father and grandfather are also great warriors and heroes in their own right influence your opinion of Rustem and his adventures? How does the participation or non-participation of his father and grandfather in his early adventures affect your perspective of Rustem?
2nd Page: In 1-2 well-developed and well-detailed paragraphs, discuss one of the topics listed below.
- Discuss the relationship between Rustem and Kai Kaous. How does Rustem’s belief in honor and his loyalty to the shah compare to other epic hero’s actions with regard to loyalty and obedience?
- Two major tenets of Zoroastrianism are duality (good versus evil) and the belief in free will/choice. Discuss how these concepts—good versus evil and the belief that humans have free will/choice—which can lead to the choices of good and/or evil are reflected in the text we read.
- Discuss the representation of death in the text. How do heroes and their family die? What seems to happen after death? Compare this representation to one other text we have read.