The Art of Storytelling by Shahrazad - Essay Example

"Dunyâzâd said to her sister, 'Tell us one of your lovely stories.' To which Shahrazâd replied, 'With the greatest of pleasure. . . .'" No one knows the veritable significance of the art of storytelling better than the Shahrazad herself, as it cleverly saved her from the terrible fate of beheading. If she was born in modern times, she definitely would have gone on to become a successful screen play writer, wining various Oscars and other accolades, for possessing a superb and spellbinding art of creating blatantly visual and remarkably intricate scenarios. Similarly, Chaucer recognized the influence of the story telling techniques utilized in The Thousand and One Nights, and employed the art of ‘story within story,’ in an outstanding manner. In both of these texts the raconteurs utilize narration of mesmerizing fables to amaze audience with their appreciable ability to create unbelievably entertaining tales, manipulate the listeners to act in a certain beneficial manner, or to inspire addressees by creating awareness of new facets of human personality, and life in general. The stories, because of their amazing ability to resonate with mass audiences, and miraculous capacity to stay relevant eternally, has always and will continue to influence and educate mankind, and will facilitate both narrator and listener towards self-enlightenment, and realizing the greater inner wisdom. In an episode of The Merchant and the Genie, a demon agrees to momentarily spare the life of three travelers, provided that they narrate an interesting story. This behavioral pattern of abject inability to resist listening to a fascinating fable is observed throughout the other stories of both texts (Pinault, 9). Since the origination of first human, till today, man has always relied on stories to capture attention and to convey messages. From the ancient ‘stories of creation’ of the indigenous people, to the latest Harry Potter series, the tales have succeeded in shaping human’s thought process. The prophets have relied on stories to shepherd their flock to the righteousness, whereas, the Greeks have utilized stories to show their reverence for their Gods (Simmons 29). No matter, what is the language of the story, or the ethnicity of the characters, an engaging tale transcends all societal and traditional boundaries, and touches the hearts of the audiences throughout the world. The Nights, being a Middle Eastern collection, and causing a widespread impact on western literary culture, will be an appropriate example of this phenomenon. These tales, with their complex compound structures, have also succeeded in educating audiences and broadening their horizons. Instead of confusing listeners, these interwoven and layered tales, with their dramatic twists and turns, and thrilling plots, have enthralled listeners and have left them in awe. This elaborated technique of narration within another narration is known as ‘embedding,’ and usually serves the purpose of either introducing a new character, or augmenting an argument already being told in the primary layer of the narration (Marzolph 230). An appropriate example would be The Fisherman and the Genie, in which the fisherman validates his reasons for behaving in a certain manner, by narrating the story of Duban, in which a King further narrates a story and so on. From this structuring it can be deduced, that although narrators want to impress audiences with the creativity of the formation of these tales, they do acknowledge that listeners are smart enough to get engaged and follow the complex tale till the end. In addition to the layering techniques, in both of the texts, there has been a major use of ‘dramatic irony,’ which indicates unanticipated moments in which the reader is given a chance to have a glimpse inside the psychology of the characters (Koff 156). These are the instances where characters face inaptness between themselves and the setting, and are forced to take certain actions, which not only enlighten audiences, but also serve as revelations regarding certain aspect of their nature. For story-tellers, in order to convince others, it is necessary to first connect themselves with the story. Usually the stories that achieved everlasting fame are those that resulted out of personal ordeals, and in which narrator’s deep linkage to the characters is obvious. The narration always acts as a two way communication; on one side the raconteurs are striving to tell life experiences and creative fantasies in a fascinating and sometimes mythological manner, whereas the listeners, at the same time, are interpreting and applying the plot’s sequences and the resulting moral to their personal experiences. Providing a personal example, whenever I read Pardoner’s Tale, I am tempted to think what I would have done in similar circumstances. Would I have tried killing other companions to get all the gold, or would have rather distributed it equally? Therefore, it can be said that these stories force listeners to place themselves in the place of protagonists, and reflect on what they would have done if faced with same situations. The initiation of this inner dialogue results in awareness of one’s inner perspectives, fears, and prejudices, and might result in application of corrective measures to change destructive and negative attitudes. Isak Dinesen once said that “To be a person is to have a story to tell’ (Simmons 1). The authenticity of this statement can be observed from the fact that people with superior storytelling techniques are always appreciated for their abilities, and are usually surrounded by an audience. This art has enriched our lives by providing us with various social experiences, such as, bed-time story routine between parents and children. A true narrator, with his informative, influential, transformative, and sometimes healing, stories, not only entertains listeners, but also forces them towards inner wisdom. The historic stories are those that did not simply preach a lesson, or maintained negative and bitter tones. Instead, tales that comprised of clever contexts, which led audience to the intended message through personal interpretation, are the ones remembered and retold by the listeners. In the end, it is safe to conclude that is beneficial to know a story or two, as it could sometimes save life, something that Sharazad definitely would know. Works Cited Koff, Leonard, M. Chaucer and the Art of Storytelling. London: The Regents of the University of California, 1988. Print. Marzolph, Ulrich. The Arabian Nights Reader. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2006. Print. Pinault, David. Story-telling Techniques in the Arabian Nights. Salem: E.J. Brill, 1992. Print. Simmons, Annette. The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling. Cambridge: Basic Books, 2006. Print. Read More