Dangerous Discourse in the Narrative of Zahhak in the Shahnameh: A Semiotic Analysis Based on Danesi's Model

Document Type : Scientific

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Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Marcel Danesi explains "dangerous discourse" as the systematic use of language, metaphor, and ‎symbols to construct threat, redefine reality, naturalize violence, and legitimize domination. This ‎discourse, relying on the "big lie" and "emotional othering," and utilizing "metaphorical ‎framing," results in creating an atmosphere of fear, mind control, and division within society. In ‎Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Zahhak the serpent-shouldered stands as a prominent example of such ‎mechanisms; a mythical ruler who ascends the throne through deceit and, through language and ‎behavior, legitimizes his violence. He constructs the enemy as the "other" and portrays ‎geographical limitations as logical management. This study, employing an analytical-descriptive ‎method based on library research, examines the verses of Shahnameh related to Zahhak along ‎two axes: (1) legitimization of domination through dangerous discourse, (2) sowing discord via ‎metaphorical frameworks and creating false dichotomies. The findings indicate that Zahhak's ‎language is not merely a narrative tool but a mechanism for reproducing domination. The ‎simultaneous cycle of legitimizing violence and weakening social cohesion forms the same ‎pattern of power sustainability that Danesi elaborates in his theory. This analysis establishes a ‎link between the classic narrative of Shahnameh and contemporary patterns of power discourse.‎

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