Embedded Narrative in Persian Literature

“Story within story” or “embedded narrative” is “a combination of narrative sequences such that one sequence is embedded in another one”. Despite the extensive use of this technique, there is no comprehensive source for researchers. Thus, the main aim of this article is to provide a history of embedded narrative in Persian literature from the beginning to ninth century. Results show an expansive use of this technique in narrative genre; a continuum from fictional to didactic and mystical works. Moreover, on the basis of the role of embedded narrative in plot, the trilogy kinds of embedding are discovered: instrumental, structural and synthetic.