Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Kimiya Cheraghazadeh ¹
• Tooran Toolabi ²

¹ Ph.D. Candidate of history, Lorestan University, Khoram Abad, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of History, Lorestan University, Khoram Abad, Iran.

Abstract

As a new form of writing, playwriting found a significant popularity in contemporary Iran to express modern political and social concepts. In fact, play had the potential to address more audiences than what had the pre-modern classic literature. Focusing on play’s of Constitutional and Pahlavi periods, this essay aims to discuss nationalism as a strong discourse in modern Iran. Playwrights tried to redefine Iranian nationalism with emphasizing on symbols such as the flag, the map, the national anthem and nostalgic look at the ancient past. Their suggestions for strengthening nationalism in Iran have focused on modern education, raising children and defining a modern concept of homeland. What’s more, plays of these two era are not categorize in the same way. During Pahlavi period the central government supported nationalism, thus this concept takes on an authoritarian aspect. In this period, nationalism discourse have been dominant and playwritings influenced by this discourse. A comparative look at the plays of Pahlavi period and the constitutional era shows this discourse turn. This turn has clearly reflected in the approach of plays to the issue of nationalism

Keywords

• Pahlavi
• constitutionalism
• nationalism
• drama
• Iran
• modernism

Main Subjects

• History