1.Describe the common plot themes or elements in all or most of the seven voyages of Sindbad making
specific reference to how these themes/elements appear in the various voyages. (Answer should be around
200-250 words.) (15 pts)
2.There are some similarities between the story of Nūr al-Dīn and Miriam the Sash-Maker and that of ‘Alī Shār
and Zumurrud. Describe the similar elements in both stories. (Answer should be at least 250 words.) (15 pts)
3.In the typical epic romance, as well as other types of literature, the male hero has to overcome a number of
ordeals to save a helpless damsel in distress, often a princess, before the two can be joined (or rejoined)
together. In the two stories from the Nights mentioned in question 2 above, there is an inversion of roles of the
main characters on a number of levels (social, economic, intellectual, physical, and moral). Discuss how the
main protagonists in the two stories defy the roles typically assigned to couples in similar situations in epic
romances. (Answer should be at least 150 words.) (10 pts)
Sample Solution