Islamic Art Studies

Islamic Art Studies

Critique of Archetypes in the Story of the Green Dome in Nezami’s Haft Peykar

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Maryam Panahi 1
Mahmoud Sadeghzadeh 2
Hadi Heydariniya 3
1 PhD Student, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University of , Yazd, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature Department, Yazd branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.
10.22034/ias.2021.299036.1682
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the archetypes in the story of the Green Dome from Haft Peykar (The Seven Beauties) by Hakim Nezami Ganjavi. The psychological critique of literary texts is one of the most prevalent forms of criticism, through which the critic probes the artist’s psyche, uncovering the hidden layers of their soul and mind, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of their art. Haft Peykar, Nezami’s fourth epic poem, narrates the life of Bahram Gur and his marriages to seven princesses from seven different lands. The work draws extensively on ancient legends and myths of past kings, reimagining them in poetic form. Haft Peykar is a unique text for archetypal criticism due to its narrative structure and mystical dimensions, which embed numerous archetypes, symbols, and Sufi allusions.
The structure of the Green Dome story consists of narrative elements commonly found in classical Persian tales. In depicting the individuation process of the story’s hero, Nezami employs key analytical psychology archetypes—such as the anima, the wise old man, the shadow, the desert, water, and the color green. The hero’s emergence, the conflict between reason and religious law, the temporary dominance of intellect, the journey and asceticism, the guidance of religious law, ultimate equilibrium, and the attainment of psychological unity and individuation through the archetype of love—all align with Jung’s theory of psychic individuation and are thus analytically significant.
Research Objectives:

To examine the critique of archetypes in the Green Dome story from Haft Peykar.
To analyze the hero’s individuation process in the Green Dome from Nezami’s perspective.

Research Questions:

How are archetypes critiqued in the Green Dome story from Haft Peykar?
How does Nezami portray the hero’s individuation process in the Green Dome?
Keywords
Archetype
Haft Peykar
Green Dome
Nezami
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