Zahak, the Dragon King Essay Example

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Jamshid's kingdom is in chaos, and his people choose Zahak as their new king, merging their armies. Zahak is given the crown and throne by Jamshid before the latter disappears for a century. When Jamshid returns, he is captured by Zahak, who cuts him in half. This action establishes a kingdom of wickedness under Zahak's rule. Zahak remains in power for more than a thousand years until he has a nightmare about three warriors plotting to assassinate him. Concerned, Zahak gathers a group of wise men to seek a cure or face dire consequences.

The sages are hesitant to disclose the truth, but eventually one of them predicts that Zahak will be overthrown by an unborn person. They foresee Zahak being forcefully removed from his palace and taken to the mountains, just like in his nightmare. Faridun, the chosen one, grows up in hiding and eventually leads an army to overthrow Zahak and seize the throne. After slaughtering everyone in the palace, Faridun realizes that Jamshid is not present. Faridun assumes power while Jamshid hurriedly returns only to find his entire city armed against him.

He is confronted by Faridun who places him in chains in the deepest cave he can find and proceeds to reign for 500 years, bringing only good. Overall, I found the tale to be highly captivating and engrossing throughout my entire reading. It bore a striking resemblance to the Sumerian epic known as Gilgamesh, where a similar struggle for power and supernatural elements are present. One lingering question I have after reading is whether Zahak should be punished, despite committing evil acts solely under the influence of Eblis.