Shahrazay And One Arabian Nights Analysis

(1125)An Analysis of the Role of Shahrazad as a Moral Teacher and Protector of Shahryar in One-Thousand and One Arabian Nights

This literary study will define the role of Shahrazad as a moral teacher of Shahryar in One-Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Shahrazad is a woman with wisdom that attempts to educate Shahryar, the king, through various examples of misogyny, betrayal, and immoral behavior in the royal court. Shahrazad understands that Shahryar is a king that has been betrayed by his disloyal wife, which has left him angry and distrustful of women. The role of Shahrazad is to convince the king that it is the problem of immorality and unethical behavior that is the problem, and not just women. In this case, Shahrazad is acting as the
Shahryar's wife has just betrayed him (by having sexual intercourse with another man), and Shahrazad is given the task of proving to the king the moral problems that are part of human relationships. For instance, Night 578 is a story that presents the role of Shahrazad as a storyteller that is attempting to protect the king from future betrayals by women. In the story, a prominent concubine in the king’s royal court seduces a young prince. The prince, however, soon learns that the concubine has been disloyal to him, which demands a death
Night 578 defines the clever way in which Shahrazad educates the king on the immorality of certain women, but she also teaches him to have compassion in terms of the fallibility of human beings in marital relationships. In this story, the king’s own inability to trust his son is a major moral and ethical problem that is the direct result of a corrupted woman. However, Shahrazad inadvertently teaches the king to think about his own fallible modes of judgment, which could also wrongfully put another person to death. In Night 579, another woman has tricked the king to put his invaluable parrot to death, which defines the wrongful death that has resulted from the trickery of an immoral woman. However, the king must also take fault for killing his bird, which Shahrazad puts forth as a moral education for Shahryar. These moral aspects of Arabian Nights define the role of Shahrazad as an effective teacher to King Shahryar in this collection of