1- tarbiat modares , shayesteh@modares.ac.ir
2- tarbiat modares
Abstract: (17 Views)
Religious narratives have consistently served as a significant space for reinterpretation within the context of a nation's art and culture. Among these narratives, the Mi'raj (assention) most prominently the ascension of Prophet Muhammad in Islam has been a central theme for many artists seeking to reimagine it. This theme is not exclusive to Islam and holds a special place in various other religions, including Christianity. One such example is Dante’s Divine Comedy, which is partly influenced by the concept of Mi'raj in Islam. A key element explored in Mi'raj-literature is the representation of women, depicted in Hell as symbols of sin and torment, and in Paradise as embodiments of sanctity and light. This research adopts a comparative-analytical approach to investigate the influential factors in the portrayal of women in Hell across two Mi'raj-manuscripts: The Mi'raj-nameh of Mir Haydar and Gustave Doré’s illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy. The data was gathered through library and online resources, with the aim of analyzing the role of women as significant and impactful figures in religious art. The central question posed is: What cultural and religious factors contribute to the differences in the portrayal of women in Hell in these two works? The conclution indicate that although the two versions differ substantially in their representations of women in Hell due to variations in the societal and religious outlooks of the time there are shared elements, such as the types of sins committed by women, the attitudes and behaviors attributed to them, and the artists' goals in depicting Hell and the role of women in their contemporary societies. These commonalities arise from the shared essence of sacred religion and art, which, despite differences in context and representation, reveal striking similarities in their portrayal
Type of Study:
Original Research |
Subject:
2 Received: 2025/05/15 | Accepted: 2026/01/7