Rise and Fall of a Decent Hero: The Recreation of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King in the Iranian Film Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation) (2011) by Asghar Farhadi

Zahra Nazemi

doi:10.24310/tlc.7.2025.20898

Authors

Zahra Nazemi Universitat de les Illes Balears Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9743-9444

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24310/tlc.7.2025.20898

Keywords:

Iranian Cinema, Greek Tragedy, Literature and Cinema, Oedipus, Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation)

Abstract

The Iranian film Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation, 2011), directed by Asghar Farhadi, marked a milestone by winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, in addition to a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. This article argues that the film evokes structural and thematic elements of Greek tragedy, particularly Sophocles’ Oedipus the King (429 BC). From this classical perspective, it explores how Farhadi’s narrative strategy recreates essential motifs: the hero’s downfall, the tragic flaw, dramatic irony, the quest for truth, and final catharsis, thus revealing the enduring relevance of the tragic model in contemporary cinema.

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Author Biography

Zahra Nazemi, Universitat de les Illes Balears

Zahra Nazemi es doctora con mención internacional bajo un acuerdo de cotutela entre la Universidad de Córdoba, España, y la Universidad Razi, Irán. Ha realizado estancias de investigación en las siguientes instituciones: la École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (Francia), el John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies en la Freie Universität Berlin (Alemania) y el Franklin Institute en la Universidad de Alcalá (España). Su principal área de interés es el teatro del siglo XX, su influencia de la literatura clásica y su recepción en la cultura contemporánea a través de adaptaciones cinematográficas. Ha publicado artículos en revistas indexadas y ha presentado ponencias en conferencias internacionales.

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