This paper analyses how the synopses of Nezami’s Haft Paykar and of Puccini’s Turandot both revolve around a riddling session. Riddles are a fascinating narrative tool and in these two cases, they encapsulate and illuminate the core... more
This paper analyses how the synopses of Nezami’s Haft Paykar and of Puccini’s Turandot both revolve around a riddling session. Riddles are a fascinating narrative tool and in these two cases, they encapsulate and illuminate the core message of the stories of two very different “belles dames sans merci.” In attempting to unravel Nezami’s riddle, this paper proposes for the first time a comprehensive decoding of the riddle of the Princess in the Red Pavilion. Puccini and Nezami both created an interesting web of riddles, which, although different, do indicate a similar understanding of the Princess’s search for a suitable husband.
