Archetypal Discourse in Comparative Epic: A Study of Rostam and Hercules through Campbell and Frye

Document Type : English Research Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of English Language, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the mythological heroes Rostam from the Persian Shahnameh and Hercules from Greco-Roman tradition, employing the archetypal theories of Joseph Campbell and Northrop Frye within the framework of René Wellek’s comparative literature. The study argues that despite their distinct cultural origins, both figures epitomize a universal heroic archetype, revealing foundational, cross-cultural mythic patterns. Utilizing Campbell’s "monomyth," the investigation traces the parallel narrative structures of their lives, from miraculous births and early trials to the completion of heroic labors and ultimate ascension. Frye’s theory of mythoi further classifies their epics within the mode of romance, characterized by transcendent quests and cyclical struggles against chaos. Framed by Wellek’s emphasis on intrinsic literary connections beyond historical influence, the comparison not only reveals profound similarities in their function as culture heroes but also highlights critical divergences: Hercules’ narrative centers on personal atonement and tragic flaw, whereas Rostam’s saga is deeply interwoven with national identity and filial duty. Ultimately, this study concludes that Rostam and Hercules are powerful exemplars of the archetypal hero, whose shared narrative essence affirms the unifying power of myth across human cultures.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Allan, W. (2001). Euripides: Heracles. Aris & Phillips.
Blanshard, A. J. L., & Shahabudin, K. (2011). Classics on screen: Ancient Greece and Rome on film. Bristol Classical Press.
Blondell, R. (2002). The play of character in Plato's dialogues. Cambridge University Press.
Campbell, J. (2008). The hero with a thousand faces (3rd ed.). New World Library. (Original work published 1949)
Davidson, J. (1997). Courtesans and fishcakes: The consuming passions of classical Athens. HarperCollins.
Davidson, O. M. (2013). Comparative literature and classical Persian poetics. I.B. Tauris.
Davis, D. (2006). Epic and sedition: The case of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Mage Publishers.
Ferdowsi, A. (2006). The Shahnameh: The Persian book of Kings (D. Davis, Trans.). Penguin Classics.
Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of criticism: Four essays. Princeton University Press.
Galinsky, G. K. (1972). The Herakles theme: The adaptations of the hero in literature from Homer to the twentieth century. Blackwell.
Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythology: Timeless tales of gods and heroes. Little, Brown and Company.
Katouzian, H. (2003). Iranian history and politics: The dialectic of state and society. Routledge.
Kerényi, C. (1959). The heroes of the Greeks. Thames & Hudson.
Khaleghi-Motlagh, D. (1997). The tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam. Bibliotheca Persica.
Omidsalar, M. (2011). Poetics and politics of Iran's national epic: The Shahnameh. Palgrave Macmillan.
Padel, R. (1995). Whom gods destroy: Elements of Greek and tragic madness. Princeton University Press.
Sadullaeva, M. (2024). The Sacred Numbers in Firdausi's Shahnameh: Symbolism, Meaning, And Mystical Significance. Medicine, Pedagogy and Technology: Theory And Practice, 2(12), 221–230. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14541365.
Shayegan, M. R. (2012). Rostam: The evolution of an epic hero. Ilex Foundation.
Stafford, E. (2012). Herakles. Routledge.
Walt Disney Pictures, & Musker, J. (Director). (1997). Hercules [Film]. Walt Disney Studios.
Wellek, René. "The Crisis of Comparative Literature" (1958).
Wellek, René, and Austin Warren(1949) Theory of Literature. 3rd ed., Harcourt, Brace & World.
Yarshater, E. (Ed.). (2004). The history of al-Ṭabarī, Vol. 5: The Sāsānids, the Byzantines, the Lakhmids, and Yemen. State University of New York Press.
Yarshater, E. (1998). The lion and the throne: Stories from the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi (Vol. 1). Mage Publishers. 
Zulfi, H., & Vahaddost, M. (2013). A comparative study of the epic of Rostam and Sohrab from Shahnameh and the epic of Achilles and Hector from Iliad. Indian Journal of Scientific Research, 4(1), 1-8.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 April 2026
  • Revise Date: 22 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 22 May 2026
  • Publish Date: 05 June 2026

Share

How to cite

Statistics