Societal Virtue and Instruction for the Individual

In many cultures and religions of the Middle East, societal rules dictate how people dress, eat, act, and behave. Following the societal rules and having virtue, or moral standards remains an important part of thriving as an individual in Middle Eastern society. Learning virtues and morals can be difficult for particular individuals, but many tales and stories from the Middle East provided deeper meanings into how to make the right decisions in life. Along with tales for instruction, the "mirrors for princes" genre of literature in the Middle East was a type of political writing in the form of textbooks that instructed kings and rulers on how to rule and behave. Didacticism, the philosophy emphasizing the instructional aspects of literature, was prevalent throughout Middle Eastern literature.

Short Stories

One Thousand and One Nights, also called Arabian Nights, is a compilation of tales in Arabic prose and poetry. Throughout the collection, all of the stories have the commonality of frame narratives about a ruler, Shahryār, and his wife, Scheherazade. A frame narrative is a story within a story, so the ruler and his wife serve as one story for the reader, but the ruler and the wife also tell a story. A common theme in the tales is fate and destiny, along with completing challenges, praising God, giving advice, and lamenting wrong decisions.

About the Author

Since One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of various tales, there is not one particular author. The work was collected by many different people, including translators and scholars.

Reading Assignment: One Thousand and One Nights

Read the chosen tales from One Thousand and One Nights, and notice the themes and lessons that appear.

Click here to read "The Forty Thieves" from One Thousand and One Nights.

Click here to read "The Story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" from One Thousand and One Nights.

Short Stories Interactivity

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.