Conclusion

Both the Shahnameh and Beowulf tell the stories of generations of kings – good and bad. These stories are often told according to the trials and battles that they must face. This exhibit aims to show that when the dragon or serpent appears, it has a moral to share about kingship. Whether it is the dragons within Sekandar and Beowulf’s stories who embody qualities of tyrannical kings and are slayed by good ones, the evil King Zahhak who blurs the line between monster and human by becoming a monster himself, or the alternate form of King Feridun which tests a prince’s character – the monsters in these stories reveal something about the nature of the kings they appear with.