Frame Narrative

The way in which a story is organized or complied adds to the ideas, themes, and character of the story. A frame narrative is a way in which a story is told were a main story leads reader into other stories within. Essentially a frame narrative is a story within another story. As in the story One Thousand and One Night the frame narrative is used to tell many different stories within the main story. Although the stories in One Thousand and One Nights are separate from the main story the stories are still relative to the main idea. In One Thousand and One Night the separate stories within are used to delay execution of one of the main characters. In the story of Canterbury tales the frame narrative is used to pass the time of a long journey that the characters in the story are on. In Canterbury tales smaller stories within are all separate but each has an underlying message contributing to the main story. Although, in Canterbury tales some of the stories have a serious meaning while others contribute to satire. The stories that are within contribute to the theme with their different messages. The frame narrative in both One Thousand and One Nights and Canterbury Tales adds to the central message of the text. A frame narrative or a story within a story aids characters in Canterbury Tales with a way in which to pass their time on a long journey, while in One Thousands and One Nights the frame narrative is used to delay execution and overall inform King Shahrayar on his wrong doings. In One Thousand and One Nights the fame narrative is used to persuade King Shahrayar and at the same time delay the execution of two sisters. Shahrazad in the story is with the king and in the morning she will be executed like the women before her. She and her sister come up with a cunning and intelligent plan to delay their execution. Shahrazad begins to tell a story to King Shahrayar and purposefully cut her self of mid-story. This is where the frame narrative plays in as she