The tales narrated by Shahrazad are important for the enhanced understanding of Arab philosophy and values. At the same time, they offer important lessons that readers can understand through the prism of the fantastic story. For instance, the Tales of the Merchant and the Demon is the first story narrated by Shahrazad to introduce specific ideas. First of all, it can be paralleled with the situation where Shahrazad emerged. The demon wants to kill an old man who cannot resist because of the lack of power (Mahdi 21). However, instead of trying to resist by using force or asking for forgiveness, the old man uses his wisdom to escape death and survive (Mahdi 22). The situation is similar to Shahrazad’s, meaning that she tries to attract king Sharayat’s attention and show his unfair attitude. At the same time, it touches upon the themes of power, guild, moral responsibility, and justice. She teaches readers that force can be resisted by wisdom and diplomacy, which differs from the lessons of Shahrazad’s father.
At the same time, this short story is critical for building relations with king Shahrayat and establishing the frame for other stories. In a simple manner. Shahrazad describes her own situation and shows that her life is similar to the old merchant’s destiny. She cannot resist a powerful ruler. Moreover, she can die because of injustice and unfair approaches. However, same as the old man from the story, she cannot accept her fate and tells stories to spark interest in the king. From this perspective, the story can be viewed as the basis for the future relations between the two main characters, as Shahrazad describes her situation metaphorically by using another story, and Shahrayat starts thinking about injustice and his own actions.
Work Cited
Mahdi, Muhsin, editor. The Arabian Nights. Translated by Husain Haddawy. W.W. Norton & Company, 2008.