The Attitude of the Shahnameh to the Social Role and the Identity of the Iranian Women

The Shahnameh is a clear mirror of the principles, customs, ideas and thoughts – in another word, a comprehensive set - of all the civic, moral, and cultural traits of the ancient Persia. This magnificent work, giving a logic to stories and anecdotes, gives its characters and actors a new spirit. Therefore, it should be said that the woman in the Shahnameh is a mixture of wisdom, chastity and beauty. These three qualities distinguish the women in the Shahnameh from all the epic women, and Ferdowsi praises these features throughout his work. Women of the Shahnameh - except for those women called “shadow women” who do not have much effect on the story - affect the politics and the society and other aspects of life, and even reach the Kingdom degree. This work, which reflects the realities and oppositions of the cultures of the various communities and territories of that time, can play a very important role in the beliefs and cultural background of the current generation. The Shahnameh, by expressing women's advantages in his literature, has tried to publish the most solid belief and image of the Iranian women's appearance. Due to the importance of women and their role in the Iranian society and literature, and based on research on social roles, it can be admitted that the woman in Shahnameh has an honorable social status and identity, and the woman character is considered as a social pious examplar.