Reading Notes: Arabian Nights Part A

Each story teller uses a story to solve a problem or convince someone else of something. Each story as a message or purpose the teller must get across to its reader

Scheherazade must convince the king to let her live. As a result her stories are not only entertaining but involve characters who were to be killed but got out of it.

The Old Men and their stories must be entertaining enough to receive a portion of a pardon for the merchant. Both of their tales include stories of jealousy in which the person who was jealous received punishment.

The Fisherman tells a story to illustrate why he should not trust the Genie or else they could both end up dead.

The King tells the story of the Parrot to illustrate to his vizir that he should trust the physician and not listen to the vizir becaue he is only jealous

The Vizir tells the story of the ogress to illustrate trusting someone you do not know well could have terrible consequences.

The Young King tells his story to win over the help of the Sultan.

Story Diagram:

Scheherazade → Merchant and Genie → First Old Man and the Hind

                                                             ↘                                      

                                                                  Second Old Man and the Two Black Dogs

Scheherazade →  Fisherman →  Greek King and Physician → Parrot

                                     ↓                                                          ↘

                       King of the Black Isles                                          Ogress

The King Beheading the Physician (Photo from Flickr)

Arabian Nights, Andrew Lang