A View from the Inside: The Anatomy of the Persian Taziyeh Plays

Abstract

Iranians have an extraordinary poetic inclination, which is reflected in their history, art, and culture. There is a saying that every Persian is a poet; this is probably due to the fact that there are few nations that are so well acquainted with their poetic literary tradition. It is hard to find an Iranian who doesn't like poetry or who does not know by heart many verses of our great poets. Poetic verse is often used in conversation, cited according to the occasion. The verses used in ta'ziyeh are very simple and understandable. An example is the monologue of Shemr-the cruel commander of Yazid's army-in The Ta ~ziyech ofAli Akbar. Shemr addresses his army and praises the young hero Ali Akbar with eloquence. In the same ta'ziyeh, Ali Akbar's mother, Umm Laila, has a monologue in which she addresses the horse of Ali Akbar with extremely touching simplicity. Folk poetry as well as the famous verses of great classical Persian poets are found in ta'ziyeh, with the different styles complementing one other.