History Literature / TheShahnameh

** Kaveh is a 70 something-year-old blacksmith. He and his wife had 12 sons and they had to stand by and watch as 11 of them were taken to the palace to have their brains fed to Zahhak's snakes. When Karen, their 12th son (who at the time was [[WouldHurtAChild 5 years old]] is taken Kaveh just can't take it anymore and goes to the palace in an unstoppable rage, screams insults to [[TheDreaded Zahhak]] so loudly he draws a crowd to the gate and keeps boasting until Zahhak has no choice but to let him in. Coincidentally, this is the day Zahhak has invited all of the richest and most powerful and influential people in the world to have them pledge allegiances to his cause, and for the sake of keeping up appearances sets the child free. Zahhak then asks Kaveh to sign the contract as a representative of the common folk. Kaveh, upon reading it, delivers a brutal TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to all of the powerful people who have signed it and tears it in half, then grabs his child and storms out. Everybody sees, and the people start a riot. Kaveh takes off his leather smith's apron and waves it around on a spear as a flag and the people rally behind him. He leads the people to Mount Damavand and talks [[ChosenOne Freydun]] into becoming their leader.

** Freydun, the hero who rids the world of the tyrant Zahhak is crowned after the revolution and rules justly for years

** Also, Sohrab's {{HotBlooded}}ness gets him killed.

-> ''But all this world is like a tale we hear --''
-> ''Men's evil, and their glory, disappear.''

Ferdowsi made a point of writing his poem in Persian when most literature at the time was in Arabic. He also refused to adopt the pre-Islamic legends to [[HijackedByJesus accommodate Muslim beliefs]]. The popularity of ''The Shahnameh'' pretty much revived the Persian language, and it continues to be revered as a classic of Persian literature.

Ferdowsi made a point of writing his poem in Persian when most literature at the time was in Arabic. He also refused to adapt the pre-Islamic legends to [[HijackedByJesus accommodate Muslim beliefs]]. The popularity of ''The Shahnameh'' pretty much revived the Persian language, and it continues to be revered as a classic of Persian literature.

* AlbinosAreFreaks: Zal is born an albino. His father abandons him on the mountainside, but the Simurgh, a wise and kindhearted (and semi-divine) bird finds him and raises him as his own. Zal eventually leaves the Simurgh to find his place in the human world, and to find his father.

** Bahram Gur ([[HistoricalHeroUpgrade real life emperor of Iran from 420 to 438]]). Like in tradition, he is depicted as the greatest archer of his time, a true master of the art of falconry and an insanely good military commander.

** Kaveh is a 70 something year old blacksmith. He and his wife had 12 sons and they had to stand by and watch as 11 of them were taken to the palace to have their brains fed to Zahhak's snakes. When Karen, their 12th son (who at the time was [[WouldHurtAChild 5 years old]] is taken Kaveh just can't take it anymore and goes to the palace in an unstoppable rage, screams insults to [[TheDreaded Zahhak]] so loudly he draws a crowd to the gate and keeps boasting until Zahhak has no choice but to let him in. Coincidentally, this is the day Zahhak has invited all of the richest and most powerful and influential people in the world to have them pledge allegiances to his cause, and for the sake of keeping up appearances sets the child free. Zahhak then asks Kaveh to sign the contract as a representative of the common folk. Kaveh, upon reading it, delivers a brutal ReasonYouSuckSpeech to all of the powerful people who have signed it and tears it in half, then grabs his child and storms out. Everybody sees, and the people start a riot. Kaveh takes off his leather smith's apron and waves it around on a spear as a flag and the people rally behind him. He leads the people to Mount Damavand and talks [[ChosenOne Freydun]] into becoming their leader.

* BodyHorror: The devil, disguised as a young cook, asks Zahhak permission to kiss him on the shoulders and when Zahhak grants the request, the disguised devil vanishes and from Zahhak's shoulders grow two hideous snakes. They try cutting the snakes off but they just grow back and would only leave Zahhak alone if they are fed the brain of young men. Eventually when Freydun defeats Zahhak, he decides the most fitting punishment for Zahhak is to lock him up in a cave in mount Damavand and let the snakes do the rest.

* CarryABigStick: While he is a master at wrestling, swordfighting and archery, Rostam prefers to carry around his mace.

** Shabdiz, the noble steed of Shah Khosrow Parviz (real life horse of the real life Shah) has a whole lot of personality for a horse. So does Bucephalus, the horse only Alexander the Great could (and was crazy enought to try and) tame

** Rostam is this to foe AND friend! Bahman knows his father Esfandiar can rip through chains as if they were threads, kill wild animals and a dragon, that he has never lost a fight ever and is literally invincible, meaning weapons have little to no effect on him. Despite all this Bahman STILL fears for his father life in his battle against Rostam and tries to assassinate Rostam before he fights Esfandiar.

* EvilVizier: Jamasp, who serves king Goshtasp, conspires with him to get his son Esfandiar out of the picture so he can remain king. In Zoroastrian texts he is a good guy though.

** From a modern psychological standpoint, it could be said that big egos and endless need for praise is what ruined everything for both Jamshid and Zahhak. Jamshid declared himself a god and demanded worship from the people which ended badly for literally everyone and Zahhak was such an easy target for the devil because he wanted to sit on a throne and be worshipped, so much that he killed his own father because his friend had told him that he ws worthy of rule. Zahhak gets his infamous shoulder-snakes because he just doesn't get how fake the chef is with his compliments and his flattering request to kiss him on the shoulders as a reward.
** Esfandyar's obsession with becoming king is how he's manipulated into fighting his tutor Rostam, even though he knows it's the wrong thing to do. Going up against Rostam of course, is as fatal as it gets.

* FemmeFatale: Sudabeh is the very attractive wife of Key Kavous who tries to seduce her stepson, Siavash. When Siavash turns her down twice, she claims Siavash sexually assaulted her. Even though the evidence is against her, she uses the aborted deformed babies of a witch to cast doubt on Siavash, who finally proves his innocence by riding through a huge fire and coming out unharmed. Even then she tries to frame Zal for losing the babies which doesn't work and Key Kavous sentences her to be hanged. Siavash knows his father will soon regret having her killed and will hold Siavash in contempt for her death, so he asks for Sudabeh to pardoned. Soon despite all she's done she bewitches her husband once again and starts poisoning his mind against Siavash. When Afrasiab wages war on Iran, Siavash volunteers to go to battle to get away from Sudabeh and her schemes and this ultimately leads to his tragic death.

* GeniusBruiser: Rostam, Siavash, Esfandiar and many other heroes are not only strong fighters and good tacticians, they're quite eloquent, witty, and knowledgeable. Rostam is mentioned to have played the tanbour and he could sing.

* GreenEyedMonster: Shoqad is this toward his half brother Rostam whom he thinks Zal favors, because Zal sends Shoqad away at a young age to Kabol and generally keeps him away from the rest of the family and Iran. In reality Zal loves Shoqad very much, but when Shoqad was born it was foretold that he would bring about the end of Zal's legacy and a great loss to Iran. Ironically this perceived favoritism and abandonment coupled with Rostam's achievements and standing is what fuels Shoqad's deep hatred and jealousy.

* [[HijackedByJesus Hijacked By Mohammad]]: Deliberately averted for the most part. Ferdowsi himself was still technically a muslim living and hoping to publish his work in a muslim state, but he was also a complete and total patriot working to preserve ancient Iranian wisdom which at that point, thanks to 300+ years of Islamic rule had already been hijacked to some degree.
** The conception of Sohrab is somewhat weird. Rostam has been hunting for sport all day and decides to rest his weary head in the nearby castle of Semnegan. The Castellan's daughter, Tahmina decides to check the famous hero out and even though Rostam is hammered it's love at first sight for both of them. They elope the first chance they get, and then Rostam leaves. For ten years he never bothers telling any of his buddies or his King that he has a wife in a castle that is now behind enemy lines and that they were wondering if they had conceived a child together. In pre-Islamic Iran the taboo against adultery was nowhere near as serious as the tradition of "Khoyduda" which dictated that the Bride and Groom must have known each other for at least two years before marriage. It really seems like the whole marriage thing was a late addition to the story

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Ferdowsi believed he was simply putting history to verse. The second part of the book (the epics) is based on characters that might have existed in real life, though everything has been exaggerated to extremes (mostly to make a point). The third part of the book (starting at the birth of Alexander the Great) is nothing but exaggerated history. It's very unlikely that Alexander the Great slayed a dragon in real life or that Bahram V won his throne back from a usurper by winning a lion taming match. Purandokht ruled for less than two years in real life but Ferdowsi, who had a thing for strong independent women depicts her as one of the most badass rulers ever.

* HotBlooded: Sohrab fits the trope. He angrily smacks down a captured Persian when he (rightfully) suspects the soldier is giving him false information, then he rides alone to the Persian army, demands a single combat, and vows to hang their king.

* {{Hypocrite}}: When he was a prince, Goshtasb is anxious to become king and gives his father Lohrasb who (rightfully) believes he is not ready a hard time for it, going so far as abandoning Iran and going abroad for years in protest. When he finally get's what he wants and has been king for many years and prince Esfandyar's turn to rule is overdue, Goshtasb makes false promises to him, locks him up, sends him on suicide missions and finally resorts to a {{Uriah Gambit}} to remain king.
* IAmXSonOfY: On his third Labor, Rostam encounters a murderous talking dragon. When the Dragon asks Rostam's name so he knows who he's about to kill, Rostam proudly gives him not only his own name but also his father Zal, grandfather Sahm and great grandfather Nariman's names.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Goshtasp is willing to send his son Esfandyar to his death to stay king. Unfortunately the prince takes after his father in this regard. Esfandyar is willing to dishonor Rostam to become king, even after all Rostam has done for Iran. Esfandiar is decidedly the more honorable of the two though.

* ItsPersonal: Rostam has gone to war against the Turanians on many occasions, simply as a patriotic Persian defending his country. But when the Turanians kill the innocent Siavash (Rostam's surrogate son) he goes to war for the sole purpose of killing everyone responsible. Same can be said about king Key Khosro who was Siavash's son and the Persians in general.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: More like 'stab' them while they are down... Sohrab pins Rostam to the ground in their first wrestling match and takes out his dagger. Rostam tells him that the Persian custom is to kill one’s opponent the second time he is defeated. Sohrab accepts due to the affection he feels for the man, his naiveté and his code of honor. When they next fight Rostam gains the upper hand and does not hesitate to stab Sohrab in the side. Although he does this to save Iran, this the only instance in which Rostam resorts to trickery to win a fight.
* LovePotion: Non literal. Zahhak uses mind control magic on Arnavaz and Shahrnaz and rapes them.

** Goodarz kills his long time rival and Turanian counterpart Piran, then sheds tears for him out of respect. Piran had been a decent and compassionate aversary. He had also previously saved Goodarz's grandson Bijan from hanging at the hands of Afrasiab's men.

** Arnavaz: Good speeker

** also the reaction of the whole world after Zahhak's revolution. Jamshid was arrogant enough to claim to be a god, but he never opressed his people and arts and sciences were flourishing under his patronage. The leader of the revolution who quickly crowned himself as the new Shahanshah turned out to be a [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapist]], [[TheSociopath completely incapable of love]], and the host of two snakes which had to be fed human brains every day.

** When Esfandyar arrives to arrest Rostam they shake hands and Esfandyar squeezes Rostam's hand so hard the veins under his nails pop and start to bleed. Not only does this not faze Rostam, he delivers some good humored badass boasts and goes home to prepare for battle.
** When he sneaks into the Div-e Sepid's cave, he finds the demon sleeping. Instead of taking the opportunity to slay the monster in his sleep, he let's out a battle cry and fights him only when he's fully awake.
** Bahman fearing for his father Esfandiar's life in his battle against Rostam, tries to assassinate him by hurling a boulder from a hill to crush Rostam. The hunting party accompanying Rostam drop what they're carrying and dive out of the way. Rostam simply kicks the rolling rock away from him!

** optimized in Rostam, a towering muscular man with a long beard, who wears tiger skin under his armour plates, and (according to tradition not Shahnameh) the skull of a Div he killed as his helmet, while riding a huge horse and carrying a mace shaped like a bulls head.

* SamusIsAGirl: When Sepid Dejh’s (the white fortress) champion Hojhir challenges Sohrab to single combat, is beaten and taken prisoner, the fortresses chief, Gazhdahm and his daughter Gordafarid realize that the fort will eventually fall. Gazhdahm sends a messenger to Key Kavus, the Shah of Persia through a secret passage and starts to evacuate the city through it, while Gordafarid wears armor, hides her hair under a helmet and challenges Sohrab to buy time. A fierce and long clash ensues and the fight gets closer and closer, culminating in hand to hand combat on horseback. Finally, in the heat of battle Sohrab tears the helmet from Gordafarid’s head and is astonished to [[LoveAtFirstSight realize he’d been fighting a beautiful girl]].
* SavingTheWorldWithArt: Talhand and Gav, two half-brothers, vie for the throne of Hind, but Talhand dies in battle against a mutual enemy without a wound. Their mother suspects that Gav killed him and threatens to start civil war. But then the sages of the court invent the game of Chess and use the piece movements to reenact the battle, ending with the King capturing several pieces and then ultimately being checkmated, thus representing how the half-brother died of battle fatigue. In the end, the mother was appeased and the game of Chess averted civil war.

** Zahhak himself is never killed, just imprisoned inside the Damavand Volcano. In the Avesta it is mentioned that he will be freed and eventually defeated for good.

** The revolution against Zahhak isn't exactly civilized either. At some point, arrows and spears rain down from rooftops. Civillian rooftops.

** Then there's the other main villain, Afrasiyab the Turanian/Turk. The Turks had by this point overrun large parts of Persia, and had been enemies of the Persians since before Islam. Afrasiyab gets subjected to a near-endless HumiliationConga all through the story of Rustam. This lead to trouble for Ferdowsi when he was taken prisoner by the [[BloodKnight ferocious warlord Mahmud of Ghazna]], who was Turkish.

** Rostam is cautious and untrusting to a fault when it comes to fighting the Turanian champion who unknown to him [[spoiler: is his son]]. Considering Sohrab's immense strength and fighting prowess and considering his own age, Rostam denies his true identity even when Sohrab repeatedly asks him if he is indeed Rostam, because Rostam fears that he might lose and the Turanians would be unstoppable if they no longer feared the threat of Persia’s greatest warrior. Lying mortally wounded in Rostam's arms Sohrab tells [[spoiler: his father,]] "I gave you every hint there was, your love did not budge an inch"

** Ferdowsi himself titled Sohrab's story the "Gham Nameh" (meaning "The Chapter of Sorrows"). It starts with Rostam falling in love with and immediately (and secretly) getting married to Tahmineh. Then the happy couple have to split up. The Afrasiab's army takes over Tahmineh's castle. Sohrab is born and raised, showing immense talent in the art of war, so much that anyone who sees him believes him to be Rostam's equal. Afrasiab manipulates Sohrab into leading the Turanian army into Iran and after a series of complicated conspiracies Rostam ends up killing his own son.

* WorldsBestWarrior: Rostam is a OneManArmy[=/=]GeniusBruiser who regularly kills wild beasts, monsters, multiple foes and seemingly unbeatable challengers and ALWAYS comes out on top.

* HeroicAlbino: The prince Zal, [[ParentalAbandonment rejected by his father]] because of his albinism. He was raised by the mystical bird the Simurgh.

* AndThisIsFor: Two examples involving Rostam are:

** Zahhak, a tyrant with two snakes growing out his shoulders whom he must feed human brains to.

* BodyHorror: The devil disguised as a young cook, asks Zahhak permission to kiss him on the shoulders and when Zahhak grants the request, the disguised devil vanishes and from Zahhak's shoulders grow two hideous snakes. They try cutting the snakes off but they just grow back and would only leave Zahhak alone if they are fed the brain of young men. Eventually when Freydun defeats Zahhak, he decides the most fitting punishment for Zahhak is to lock him up in a cave in mount Damavand and let the snakes do the rest.

* Determinator: Esfandyar's Seven Labors are practically the most intense and dangerous things there are to do in the empire but he powers through them all. Then he is ordered to capture Afrasiab's castle Ruyin Dej (its name means impregnable fortress), which he does.

** Rostam Vs. Esfandyar. A CivilWar arc right after a series of very patriotic stories that pits two old friends against each other while the obvious villain is sitting comfortably in his palace. Esfandyar's son tries to sneak into Rostam's camp and drop a boulder on him but gets himself killed, [[ItsPersonal making it personal]] and Rostam has to use magic to heal himself and a poisoned arrow to stand a chance against the invincible prince. Before the final fight, Rostam is rehearsing his "we don't have to fight speech" with teary eyes but can't bring himself to spit it out because they're both in way too deep to stop at that point.

** Khosrow and Shireen is described by many to be the most beautiful Love Story in Persian literature (Nizami's telling of the story, not Ferdowsi's but still). It is also one of the craziest TearJerker s in the entire verse.

--> ''Such is the passing that you must leave,''
--> ''All men must die, and it is vain to grieve.''

* ObviouslyEvil: The wicked king Zahhak. He has a snake growing from each shoulder! Oh, and he feeds them human brains. See {{Squick}} under YMMV.

* TakeThat: The fact that Ferdowsi wrote in Persian instead of Arabic and that some of the villains in the tale (including the aforementioned ''[[{{Squick}} brain eating]]'' Zahhak) come from Arabia might suggest Ferdowsi was a little peeved about the Arabs conquering his country.

* RescueArc: Quite a few examples in the ''Lietrature/TheShahnameh''. Rostam does his fair share of rescuing. The Seven Labors of Rostam is the most famous example wherein he saves the imprisoned Key Kavous and Persian army from the demons of Mazandaran.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The Shahnameh features some of the most impressive verbal smackdowns in literature. Any villainous character ''will'' be called out and condemned for their crimes, in detail.

* TheUriahGambit: Esfandyar's entire adult life is just a series of impossible missions his father assigns to him to get him killed. During his seven labors, he faces two giant man-eating wolves, two giant man-eating lions, a dragon, a witch, two baby Simorqs (a devastating fight not only because the enormous mother bird shows up, Simorqs are sacred and ThePaladin Esfandyar really doesn't want to hurt them), survives a three-day-long storm and crosses a ThirstyDesert. Goshtasp then orders him to capture Afrasyab's castle Ruyin Dej (the name literally means impregnable fortress), which he does. Then, the desperate Goshtasp orders him to bring Rostam to him in chains, almost starting a civil war. Esfandyar is finally killed by Rostam but on his [[DyingLastWords last breath]] he tells Rostam not to worry about [[{{Curse}} TheCurse]] as his death can be blamed only on his father.

* WorldsBestWarrior: Rostam is a OneManArmy /GeniusBruiser who regularly kills wild beasts, monsters, multiple foes and seemingly unbeatable challengers and ALWAYS comes out on top.

** Esfandyar is the crown prince of Iran who actually wants to be king. He's also the invincible badass who even Rostam can't kill [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty while sticking to his code of honor]]

** Ferdowsi himself titled Sohrab's story the "Gham Nameh" (meaning "The Chapter of Sorrows"). It starts with Rostam falling in love with and immediately (and secretly) getting married to Tahmineh. Then the happy couple have to split up. The Afrasiab's army takes over Tahmineh's castle. Sohrab is born and raised, showing immense talent in the art of war, so much that anyone who sees him believes him to be Rostam's equal.

** Esfandyar is the crown prince of Iran. He's also the invincible badass who even Rostam can't kill [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty while sticking to his code of honor]]

* FatalFlaw: Esfandiar's obsession with becoming king is how he's manipulated into fighting his tutor Rostam, even though he knows it's the wrong thing to do. Going up against Rostam of course, is as fatal as it gets.

** Kaveh is a 70 something year old blacksmith. He and his wife had 12 sons and they had to stand by and watch as 11 of them were taken to the palace to have their brains fed to Zahhak's snakes. When Karen, their 12th son (who at the time was [[WouldHurtAChild 5 years old]] is taken Kaveh just can't take it anymore and goes to the palace in an unstoppable rage, screams insults to [[TheDreaded Zahhak]] so loudly he draws a crowd to the gate and keeps boasting until Zahhak has no choice but to let him in. Coincidentally, this is the day Zahhak has invited all of the richest and most powerful and influential people in the world to have them pledge allegiances to his cause, and for the sake of keeping up appearances sets the child free. Zahhak then asks Kaveh to sing the contract as a representative of the common folk. Kaveh, upon reading it, delivers a brutal ReasonYouSuckSpeech to all of the powerful people who have signed it and tears it in half, then grabs his child and storms out. Everybody sees, and the people start a riot. Kaveh takes off his leather smith's apron and waves it around on a spear as a flag and the people rally behind him. He leads the people to Mount Damavand and talks [[ChosenOne Freydun]] into becoming their leader.
** Freydun's mother Faranak also qualifies. She has royal ancestry but she lives a normal life in the city of Varena until her life is turned around when her infant son has a massive target on his back because of a mad King's PropheticDream. She refuses to give up even after they kill her husband. She spends most of her time hiding Freydun in places with different caretakers to ensure his safety and has a crucial role as his chief advisor when he starts leading the revolution.

* BlatantLies: Years after killing their brother Iraj, Salm and Tur send a message to their father Feridoun, claiming that they're both ever so sorry for the whole fratricide thing, and ask that Iraj's grandson Manuchehr be sent to them so they can properly express their contrition. Freydun, not being an idiot, doesn't take the bait, and responds with a pointed TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

* BodyHorror: The devil disguised as a young cook, asks Zahhak permission to kiss him on the shoulders and when Zahhak grants the request, the disguised devil vanishes and from Zahhak's shoulders grow two hideous snakes. They try cutting the snakes off but they just grow back and would only leave Zahhak alone if they are fed the brain of young men. Eventually when Fereydoon defeats Zahhak, he decides the most fitting punishment for Zahhak is to lock him up in a cave in mount Damavand and let the snakes do the rest.

* DefeatMeansFriendship: On his fifth Labor to save the Persian king and army, Rostam fights multiple Mazandarani warriors and captures their leader, Oolad. He makes Oolad his guide in Mazandaran and gets information about the White Demon from him. Oolad comes to admire and respect Rostam and Rostam in turn warms up to his captive for his help and promises him Mazandaran. When it is all over Rostam keeps his promise and makes Key Kavous appoint Oolad as the ruler of Mazandaran.
* {{Determinator}}: Rostam undertakes seven labors to liberate Key Kavous and the Persian army, namely:
** Travels two days distance in one and Rakhsh kills a lion.
** Endures extended dehydration and desert heat.
** Slices a dragon in two, with some help from Rakhsh.
** Slices a seductive witch in two. More of a moral test than a physical one.
** Kills multiple warriors and captures their chieftain.
** Tears off a div's head with his bare hands.
** Kills the White Div in a long and bloody fight.

* FatalFlaw: Esfandiar's obsession with becoming king is how he's manipulated into fighting his tutor Rostam, even though he knows it's the wrong thing to do. Going up against Rostam of course, is as fatal as it gets!

** Kaveh is a 70 something year old blacksmith. He and his wife had 12 sons and they had to stand by and watch as 11 of them were taken to the palace to have their brains fed to Zahhak's snakes. When Karen, their 12th son (who at the time was [[WouldHurtAChild 5 years old]] is taken Kaveh just can't take it anymore and goes to the palace in an unstoppable rage, screams insults to [[TheDreaded Zahhak]] so loudly he draws a crowd to the gate and keeps boasting until Zahhak has no choice but to let him in. Coincidentally, this is the day Zahhak has invited all of the richest and most powerful and influential people in the world to have them pledge allegiances to his cause, and for the sake of keeping up appearances sets the child free. Zahhak then asks Kaveh to sing the contract as a representative of the common folk. Kaveh, upon reading it, delivers a brutal ReasonYouSuckSpeech to all of the powerful people who have signed it and tears it in half, then grabs his child and storms out. Everybody sees, and the people start a riot that leads to the revolution.

** Tahmureth is nicknames the Divband (meaning capturor of Divs) because, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin he imprisoned Divs]]. The Divs are later freed by Zahhak, and they wreak havoc on humanity for centuries.

* CoolHorse: Rakhsh, the only horse strong enough to carry Rostem, and wary as well.
* CoolVersusAwesome: Rostam vs. Esfandiar. Easily the most badass character in the entire epic versus the invincible prince!

* BodyHorror: The devil disguised as a young cook, asks Zahhak permission to kiss him on the shoulders and when Zahhak grants the request, the disguised devil vanishes and from Zahhak's shoulders grow two hideous snakes! They try cutting the snakes off but they just grow back and would only leave Zahhak alone if they are fed the brain of young men! Eventually when Fereydoon defeats Zahhak, he decides the most fitting punishment for Zahhak is to lock him up in a cave in mount Damavand and let the snakes do the rest!

* CarryABigStick: While he is a master at wrestling, swordfighting and archery, Rostem prefers to carry around his mace.

* CrushingHandshake: Esfandiar gives one to Rostam. Rostam does not flinch but his hand is so badly crushed it bleeds! It does nothing to intimidate Rostam though.

* BloodKnight: Ashkbus the Koshani. He forms an alliance with Afrasiab only because he likes fighting. Rostam actually describes him as a "Bihode mard e parkhash juy" which is Persian for "man who pointlessly seeks violence"

* {{Hypocrite}}: When he was a prince, Goshtasb is anxious to become king and gives his father Lohrasb who (rightfully) believes he is not ready a hard time for it, going so far as abandoning Iran and going abroad for years in protest. When he finally get's what he wants and has been king for many years and prince Esfandiar's turn to rule is overdue, Goshtasb makes false promises to him, locks him up, sends him on suicide missions and finally resorts to a {{Uriah Gambit}} to remain king.

* TheUriahGambit: Esfandyar's entire adult life is just a series of impossible missions his father assigns to him to get him killed. During his seven labors, he faces two giant man-eating wolves, two giant man-eating lions, a dragon, a witch, two baby Simorqs (a devastating fight not only because the enormous mother bird shows up, Simorqs are sacred and ThePaladin Esfandyar really doesn't want to hurt them), survives a three-day-long storm and crosses a ThirstyDesert. Goshtasp then orders him to capture Afrasyab's castle Ruyin Dej (the name literally means impregnable fortress), which he does. Then, the desperate Goshtasp orders him to bring Rostam to him in chains, almost starting a civil war. Esfandyar is finally killed by Rostam but on his [[ DyingLastWords last breath]] he tells Rostam not to worry about TheCurse as his death can be blamed only on his father.

* BlatantLies: Years after killing their brother Iraj, Salm and Tur send a message to their father Feridoun, claiming that they're both ever so sorry for the whole fratricide thing, and ask that Iraj's grandson Manuchehr be sent to them so they can properly express their contrition. Feridoun, not being an idiot, doesn't take the bait, and responds with a pointed TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

*

* Flanderization: Meta only. Most people's minds immediately go to Rostam when hearing "Shahnameh" while there's a whole lot more to the epic.

* In the Shahnameh the names "Ahriman" and "Eblis" are used interchangeably while the Zoroastrian GodOfEvil and the Abrahamic [[TheCorrupter corrupter]] are drastically different.
** However, the name "Eblis" is only used in Zahhak's backstory, which takes place in an Arab vassal kingdom of the Persian Empire. He may have just been trying to get more authentic with the Arab theme.