The Evolution of Madness in the Lasting Texts of Persian Literature

Madness is word which is of relative validity and its present discourse still needs reformation. Thus، with a qualitative approach، while studying the notion of madness and its evolution throughout time، this research aims to investigate the temporal events influencing such notion. Looking at genealogical approach of Foucault and using qualitative content analysis method، this study reads the evolution of this concept in the works of Persian lasting poets like Ferdowsi، Nizami، Sa’di، Molavi and Hafiz، and tries to reform this discourse as much as possible. The results show that from Ferdowsi to Molavi the usage of such concept has been noteworthy but after him such attention decreased. Semantically، investigation of madness and its evolution as well as the study of changes in the features of Majnoon character show that، in all times، the poets have two positive and negative interpretations of madness (secular and divine madness) and it was the element of war which directed the vast attention of society to this notion and after the subsiding of war the ground for rationalization was provided. The exploration of Majnoon character shows that Hafiz’s Majnoon is the most egoist، Sa’di’s the smartest، Molavi’s the most happy and Nizami’s the most lover. Approving Foucault’s principle of exclusion، this study shows that the influence of temporal events on the changes of words cannot be ignored.