Scheherazade of 1001 Arabian Nights

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I think my mother read 1001 Arabian Nights to me as a child, but I can only vaguely remember the Arabic tales within it. What has always stood out in my memory is the framing device of the story.
A King was outraged to learn that his wife was unfaithful and thus had her killed. Deciding that all women were inclined towards infidelity, the king determined to marry a succession of virgins only to execute each one the next morning.

After exhausting the supply of women, Scheherazade offered herself as the next bride. This young woman was well versed in history, poetry, philosophy, the sciences, and arts. On the night of their marriage, Scheherazade began telling the king a tale but did not end it. The King was extremely intrigued by the cliffhanger and decided to postpone his new bride's execution in order to hear the story's ending. The next night, as soon as Scheherazade finished the former tale, she began another one but did not finish it, thus postponing her execution. This went on for one thousand and one nights. 

Scheherazade has been a lifelong heroine of mine. After all, how many heroines exist in literature who cleverly outwit a brutal dictator by using their ingenuity? Anne Boleyn almost conquered King Henry the VIII, but ultimately lost her head at the Tower of London. In Richard Sheridan's 18th Century classic, Clarissa, a young woman successfully manages a rake by forcing him to communicate with her only in letters. But ultimately, she is hunted down, ravished, and commits suicide. Modernly, too many heroines in contemporary film and literature rely on violence or other means for survival.

#Scheherazade #1001Arabian Nights #Literature #Heroines #AncientLiterature #MiddleEasternLiterature #PersianLiterature #ClassicalLiterature #Philosophy #Islam #Arabic #Art












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