The confrontation between conflicting elements and the people in the story of Kaveh and Zahhak, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe.
One of the striking confrontations in the Shahnameh that occurs through a dialogue between a hostile government and the people’s force is the opposition between Zahak and Kaveh. This article, conducted in a library-based manner and descriptively-analytically, relies on the views of Laclau and Mouffe, analyzing the discourses between these two figures to uncover concepts that demonstrate the language used in the Shahnameh introduces Zahak as a symbol of evil and Kaveh as a symbol of good. The way this linguistic opposition solidifies the positions and roles of these characters, creating a myth around Kaveh as a national hero through stories that have symbolic and educational functions, contributes to establishing his hegemonic discourse. Moreover, the use of language to define and strengthen the collective identity of Iranians against an external enemy, namely Zahak, leads to social mobilization and creates a cohesive identity around shared values.Keywords: discourse, Zahhak, Kaveh, Laclau and Mouffe.
Roosta, O. and Azadtabar, F. (2025). The confrontation between conflicting elements and the people in the story of Kaveh and Zahhak, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe.. Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice, (), -. doi: 10.22034/jls.2025.142248.1171
MLA
Roosta, O. , and Azadtabar, F. . "The confrontation between conflicting elements and the people in the story of Kaveh and Zahhak, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe.", Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice, , , 2025, -. doi: 10.22034/jls.2025.142248.1171
HARVARD
Roosta, O., Azadtabar, F. (2025). 'The confrontation between conflicting elements and the people in the story of Kaveh and Zahhak, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe.', Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22034/jls.2025.142248.1171
CHICAGO
O. Roosta and F. Azadtabar, "The confrontation between conflicting elements and the people in the story of Kaveh and Zahhak, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe.," Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice, (2025): -, doi: 10.22034/jls.2025.142248.1171
VANCOUVER
Roosta, O., Azadtabar, F. The confrontation between conflicting elements and the people in the story of Kaveh and Zahhak, based on the theory of critical discourse analysis by Laclau and Mouffe.. Linguistic Studies: Theory and Practice, 2025; (): -. doi: 10.22034/jls.2025.142248.1171
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