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Arabian Nights
IGCSE English Anthology
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Arabian Nights
The main frame story concerns a Persian kingand his new bride. The king, Schahriar, upon
discovering his wife's infidelity has her executed
and then declares all women to be unfaithful.He begins to marry a succession of virgins only
to execute each one the next morning.
Eventually the vizier cannot find any more
virgins. Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter,
offers herself as the next bride and her father
reluctantly agrees.3
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Arabian Nights
On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade begins
to tell the king a tale, but does not end it. The king is
thus forced to postpone her execution in order to
hear the conclusion. The next night, as soon as she
finishes the tale, she begins (and onlybegins) a newone, and the king, eager to hear the conclusion,
postpones her execution once again. So it goes on for
1,001 nights.
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The different versions have
different individually detailed
endings (in someScheherazade asks for a
pardon, in some the king sees
their children and decides notto execute his wife, in some
other things happen that
make the king distracted) but
they all end with the king
giving his wife a pardon and
sparing her life.
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Frame narration
What is common throughout all the editions
of the Nights:
Shahryr - meaning "king" or "sovereign
His wife Scheherazade - possibly meaning "of
noble lineage
The framing device incorporated throughout
the tales themselves. The stories proceed
from this original tale; some are framed within
other tales, while others begin and end of
their own accord. 12
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Some editions contain only a few hundred
nights, while others include 1001 or more.
Some of the stories of The Nights, particularly"Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp", "Ali Baba and
the Forty Thieves" and "The Seven Voyages of
Sinbad the Sailor", while almost certainlygenuine Middle-Eastern folk tales, were not
part of The Nights in Arabic versions - but
were interpolated into the collection by
European translators.
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Frame Story
This is basically a story within a
story.
Within which, one or more
tales are related.
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Homework
Write a list of the roles of women and girls in
literature.
Come up with examples from books you have
read or films you have watched.
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