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Cultural Semiotic Analysis of the Image "The Third Stage: Speech During the Battle of Esfandiar with the Dragon” from Shah Tahmaspi’s Shahnameh Based on Yuri Lotman’s Method

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 pnu

2 Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Payame Noor University (faculty member of Tehran Province)

10.30473/il.2025.75234.1705

Abstract

The analysis of the illustration titled “The Third Trial: Esfandiar’s Battle with the Dragon” from the Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnameh, from the perspective of cultural semiotics, is the subject of this study. To this end, following a brief introduction to the views of prominent semiotic theorists, the research draws on Yuri Lotman’s theory regarding the opposition between nature and culture to interpret visual signs and recover their meanings. By aligning the dominant cultural signs within the illustration and the text, and exploring their semantic dimensions, hidden layers of meaning within the artwork are revealed. This method allows readers to gain deeper insight into the illustrator’s mindset regarding the narrated story. This is a theoretical study carried out using a descriptive approach and content analysis methodology. Its aim is to identify and interpret visual signs and their relationship with the Shahnameh text. After analyzing the illustration, the research compares its semiotic elements with the text to evaluate their connections, similarities, and differences, as well as the contextual conditions under which the illustration was produced. Findings indicate that in addition to remaining faithful to the Shahnameh’s narrative, the illustrator also incorporated cultural symbols from his own era in shaping the visual elements

Keywords

Main Subjects

References
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Journal of Sociolinguistics

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 November 2025
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