Investigation in Transactional Behaviors in “Tahmine and Tahmtan” and “Gordãfarid and Sohrab” (Based on Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis Attitude

Rahmatian, Leila; Baygzade, Khalil; Yazdanbakhsh, Kamran

doi:10.30465/lir.2025.49846.1912

Investigation in Transactional Behaviors in “Tahmine and Tahmtan” and “Gordãfarid and Sohrab” (Based on Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis Attitude

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Leila Rahmatian ¹

Khalil Baygzade ²

Kamran Yazdanbakhsh ³

¹ PhD Persian language and literature student, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

² Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature/ Persian Language and Literature Department, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

10.30465/lir.2025.49846.1912

Abstract

Transactional acts begin when the Operant sends an instinctive Stimulus to the Respondent and the pay-off is the perception of “Ego states” from reality here and now. Eric Berne based his therapeutic attitude on the “Ego states” (child, parent, and adult). The research aimed to examine the structural pattern of Berne's games in several examples of behavioural exchanges in the Shahnameh and specify the appearance of the characters' "Ego states" according to life Scripts and incompatible schemas. In this research, we intend to Dramatic transactional acts investigation encountering “Tahmine and Tahmtan”, and the battle of “Gerdãfarid and Sohrab” according to the “Transactional Analysis” attitude. The psycho-oriented exploration of games leads to the reception of Transactional semantics, the pattern of "Ego State" in the characters' behaviours, appearing as a result of Schemes and Life Scripts. Berne believes that childhood experiences shape our understanding of life. He sees mythological thinking as symbolic of the "old Ego state" containing the blueprint for our lives. The Shahnameh's stories hold deep symbolic meaning ingrained in society's consciousness, influencing the destiny of nations through pre-conscious activism. Finally, the only psychological game of Tahmineh and Rostam is the “Cavalier” game; the operant is Tahmine and the Respondent is Rostam. In the battle between Gerdãfarid and Sohrab, we are witnessing two psychological games from the category of “Underworld” games: the operant is Gordãfarid and the Respondent is Sohrab.

Keywords

Ferdowsi'؛ s Shahnameh

Rostam and Tahmine

Gerdãfarid and Sohrab’s battle

Eric Berne

Transactional Analysis

Subjects