A Critical Comparative Analysis of the Character and Statusof Two Ladies in Love;”Helen” in Iliad’s Odyssey and “Manijeh” in Firdaust’s Shahenameh

Subject Areas : شعر

Muhammad Reza Nasr Esfahani ¹ ( Faculty Member, University of Isfahan )
Leila Mir Mojarrabian ² ( Graduated in Persian Language and Literature, Islamic Azad University )

Received: 2012-09-19 Accepted : 2012-09-19 Published : 2009-12-01

Keywords: ایلیاد, شاهنامه, نقد تطبیقی, Iliad, Shahnameh, منیژه, هلن, Manijeh, Helen, comparative criticism,

Abstract :

The great Greek and Iranian epics, “Iliad” and “Shahnameh”, could be studied and compared from different perspectives. One perspective here could be female characters namely Helen the beauty queen and ManijehBanou, Bijan’s lover. Helen is described by Homer as the most beautiful woman of the world and the wife of Menlaswho falls in love with Paris the son of king Periam the king of Troy and escapes with Paris to Troy after robbing the royal treasury. This prepared the ground for exhausting war between Greece and Troy. Manijeh on the other hand is the daughter of the king of the land of Turan who is in love with Bijan the Iranian brave man and marries him. While Bijan is in trouble she accompanies him to cooperate with the Iranian champion Rostam. Both of these ladies are princesses but one leaves the husband and children for the lover while the other leaves the royal family to stay with the husband.