Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 5، August 2026 ، issue Number 123

A Study of mental games in the story of Rostam and Sohrab based on Eric Berne's theory

Fatemeh Sadat Taheri (Author in Charge), Fatemeh Manian

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Based on Eric Berne"s (1910-1970) theory of "mental games", this article explains why the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab occurred. The theory of mental games, which is a subset of Berne"s theory of "reciprocal analysis", is a two-layered interaction that, without the supervision of the "adult ego", has a destructive and damaging effect on establishing relationships with others. The "drafts" of life, which are a person"s conscious and unconscious roadmap for advancing life, goals, and human relationships, create and control mental games. In his book of games, Eric Berne mentions 36 games with slang names that his patients have given them in their group psychotherapy sessions. These games play an effective role in distorting human relationships. The story of Rostam and Sohrab, which is more than an epic confrontation, serves as a platform for displaying the patterns of human relationships, the disregard for reason and intuition, and human misunderstanding of existing conditions. It is one of the stories that can be examined based on psychological games.

METHODOLOGY: This research will be conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner based on the text of Ferdowsi"s story of Rostam and Sohrab. The authors try to answer the questions of which mental games the characters in the story of Rostam and Sohrab resorted to the most, and what effect did these games have on their fate? Show the most frequently used mental games in the story of Rostam and Sohrab, and explain how these games were effective in determining the fate of the characters in the story.

FINDINGS: By studying the story of Rostam and Sohrab through Eric Berne"s theoretical framework of mental games, the authors found that among Berne"s thirty-six mental games, the "Stupid" game has had the most significant impact on the story of Rostam and Sohrab than any other game. The Stupid game originated from the two drafts of "athlete" and "thoughtlessness," and the player of this game is an "immature" person who is desperately seeking to achieve his desires without thinking about the consequences. Due to the network nature of games, related games such as "Let’s You and Him Fight," "Uproar," "Deception," "Kick me," "Corner," and "Now I"ve Got You, You Son of a Bitch," are also seen in this story. Of these, the Stupid, deception, and Uproar games are used more than once in this story.

CONCLUSION: The study"s findings indicate that the game of "Stupid" serves as the main plot and driving force behind the development of personal destiny. The dominance of the "athlete" draft that summarizes the path to victory in life only in arm strength, Sohrab"s childish desires, Kikavus"s temper and weak intellectual foundation, along with Rostam"s neglect of recognizing his son, traps these characters in the vortex of this game, which ends with the son"s heartbreaking death at the hands of his father. A psychoanalytic reading of the story of Rostam and Sohrab proves that in this epic, even the most powerful heroes are defeated by stupidity and weak thinking. In this story, Ferdowsi teaches the importance of taking responsibility for one"s actions and thoughts, as well as the value of rationality, by illustrating the devastating consequences of pursuing childish desires and intellectual immaturity.

Keyword
Eric Bern , Mental Games , "Stupid" game , Drafts of life , Rostam and Sohrab.