I was surprised when I found out that The Thousand and One Nights is the one that I read and watched when I was a little kid in Korea. I knew this work as Arabian Nights instead of The Thousand and One Nights, but, I barely remember it now. I thought The Thousand and One Nights is the literature for the children; however, I can tell this is definitely not for the little kids because this literature contains a lot of sexual contents.
When I read the story of King Shahrayar and Shahrazad, I did not understand why Shahrazad finds consolation by his brother’s misfortune. I can understand the fact that he feels better because he realizes that he is not only one who suffers in the world. However, if I was him, I would feel sad and mad about my brother’s misfortune.
The betrayal of Shahrayar’s wife led the king to become a murderer. He might excuse himself that he needs to kill the women in order to avoid the betrayals because he does not trust them. I think he should live without wife; why does he have to get a wife if he is going to kill her the next day? Do you guys think that the reason for the king’s murder is acceptable?
Hey Y.shin1,
I thought it was very interesting that you pointed out how King Shahzaman becomes relived by his brother’s misfortune, because I also found that a bit bewildering and weird. I thought it would actually make him worse than he was originally because it adds more sorrow. However, this story seems to be really interesting because the brothers seem to feel better when they notice that the Demon is in a worse situation then they were. Also i agree with you about the fact that King Shahrayar shouldn’t marry a new woman everyday. He is taking his revenge in an extreme way and murdering innocent women. He is the king and thus, he should protect his people not make them mourn. So i believe his wife is what made him become an unjust ruler and a cruel leader.
I also had a moment thinking about why the younger king was feeling better with his brother’s misfortune but once I thought of having a company in a bad situation, I might partially understand how he felt. Just adding to what Ismail said, we can think of, for example, rationalizing through commonality. What I mean by it is that when someone isn’t heard of how others’ situations are regarding one specific matter (wife’s trustworthiness in this story), he is in despair without someone who can sympathize him. However, as he finds out that there are actually other people who are in the same problem or situation and the problem isn’t that rare, he may rationalize his situation by accepting the reality and feel better eventually.
And, as to the measure the king took as a revenge, I also see it very extreme. And I think it may represent how women are socially treated; they are somewhat sexually objectified in my opinion. A king is the highest social position, so we may think he can do whatever he wants to do but I think he wouldn’t extremely violate norms, values and culture that are embedded into the society. If women are close to or equal existence to men’s, then the king wouldn’t have done that day-to-day massacre. However, what I see in this story is that, because women are degraded and treated as an object to some extent, he could’ve thought of that kind of revenge.
Hey Y.shin1,
I am glad that you mention that “The Thousand and One Nights’ was something that you read as a child. I grow up in Ukraine and I also remember reading it in school. Similarly, we did not have any sensual contest in that literature and I always thought that those stories was written for kids. So it was very good point.
As for the King, I think getting a new wife and kill her next day is a way to pay back for the pain his old wife caused him. I believe that this is not the most fear way for revenge but that was the King’s decision at that time and there were no one to stop him. Ultimately, I think that King’s murder was not acceptable as well as unstoppable.
Hey y.shin1,
I think that the king’s murder is definitely not acceptable. Even though he is a king and everyone have to listen to him. Still, he have no rights sending away innocent women’s life. He kills one woman every day to make sure that his wife will always be loyal and never cheats on him. Seems like he didn’t know what to do so he needed to make himself mad by killing these innocent women. Which I think he is insane by taking this cruel revenge.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and interpretations. I can also agree with those who believe that the actions of the king, murdering innocent women is in complete contradiction of what the role of a king ideally is. A king is one to be the support and protection of a kingdom, not the dictator who kills for no good reason other than revenge. He kills a woman or his “wife” everyday in order for him to be sure that she is not cheating on him, which leads me to think that the king is insecure himself, maybe a man that woman are only forced to be with since he is the king. The kings actions may because of what happened to him in the past, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
Best,
Yasir Walli