American Journal Of Philological Sciences
163
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
163-164
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue05-43
Episodic Characters in Alisher Navoi’s Layli And
Majnun Epic
Turdiyeva Maftuna Abdurahmonovna
Basic doctoral student at Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Uzbekistan
Received:
18 March 2025;
Accepted:
14 April 2025;
Published:
16 May 2025
Abstract:
In Alisher Navoi’s Layli and Majnun
epic poem, he enriched the system of existing characters typical of
the khamsa tradition by introducing supporting figures such as Layli’s nurse, Layli’s two maidservants, a physician,
Zayd, a shepherd, Navfal’s daughter, a gazelle beloved by Majnun, and
a dog. These characters played unique
roles in the development of the plot and in revealing the emotional states of the main protagonists. This article
analyzes these episodic characters.
Keywords:
Layli, Majnun, character, predecessor, lover, episode.
Introduction:
The supporting characters in Alisher
Navoi’s Layli and Majnun have been analyzed in studies
by S. Narzullayeva and T. Ahmedov. However, since
these analyses approached the work based on the
standards and views characteristic of their times, the
functions assigned to these characters were not fully
illuminated. When comparing the episodic characters
in Navoi’s poem with those in the works of his
predecessors, it becomes evident that they possess
distinctive ideological and artistic features. To identify
Navoi’s mastery and innovation in character creation, it
is necessary to compare his Layli and Majnun with the
works of his predecessors
—
Nizami, Dehlavi, and his
mentor Jami.
METHOD
In a literary work, each character and personality is
assigned a specific role through which the author
conveys his overall purpose. Therefore, each character
moves the plot forward not only through general traits
but also through their unique characteristics. In Navoi’s
Layli and Majnun, the episodic characters served not
only to reveal the protagonists’ personalities but also
to express the poet’s ideological intentions.
It is known that in classical Eastern literature,
particularly in Navoi’s works, the image of the nurse
holds a special place. This can also be observed in
Navoi’s Farhod and Shirin and Sab’ai Sayyor epics. In
Layli and Majnun, the nurse acts as a confidante and
helper to the lovers. Unlike Navoi, the predecessors
Nizami, Dehlavi, and Jami do not depict a nurse figure
in their L
ayli and Majnun. “The poet introduced the
figure of the nurse to enhance the realism of the events
and ensure their logical continuity.” The nurse also
carries symbolic meaning: while Majnun’s love is innate
and does not require spiritual guidance, Layli needs
assistance when facing the torments of love, with the
nurse serving as a supportive figure or even a spiritual
guide for her.
The roles of Layli’s
maidservants are primarily visible in
the episode where Layli and Majnun faint upon seeing
each other. They discreetly bring Layli back home,
thereby protecting her. Such characters are almost
absent in the predecessors’ works because their
depictions of
the lovers’ meetings differ significantly.
The physician’s figure traces back to Abul Faraj
Isfahani’s Kitab al
-Aghani (Book of Songs), where
Majnun’s relatives seek doctors to heal his madness,
although unsuccessfully. In that narrative, charms and
spells
are applied, but it is noted that only Layli’s
presence could cure him.
The gazelle beloved by Majnun is a common motif in
khamsa versions of Layli and Majnun, where Majnun
compares Layli’s eyes to the gazelle’s. In Navoi’s
version, the gazelle becomes a solace and companion
for Majnun:
He was a companion among the beasts,
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
164
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
A gazelle was his dearest friend.
The madman’s companion and confidant,
His only comfort, his pillow in sleep.
While Nizami and Dehlavi describe Majnun’s rescue of
animals from hunters and his admiration of their
beauty, Navoi and Jami go further, portraying a deeper
bond between Majnun and the animals.
The shepherd character in Navoi’s epic, absent from
Nizami and Dehlavi’s versions but present in Jami’s, is a
friend who sympathizes with Majnun. The shepherd
recognizes Majnun from their childhood and offers his
help. In a memorable scene, Majnun, disguised in a
sheepskin, meets Layli, leading to an emotional
collapse of both lovers.
Navfal’s daughter appears in Navoi’s epic, inspired by
D
ehlavi’s Layli and Majnun, where she is called Khadija.
However, Navoi reinterprets her role, turning her into
a means of testing Majnun’s loyalty and highlighting
the spiritual purity of his love. Although Majnun
marries her under pressure, he abandons her, affirming
his devotion to Layli.
In the 14th chapter of Navoi’s epic, the figure of the dog
appears. The dog symbolizes loyalty and devotion.
Majnun feels that even the dog is closer to Layli than he
is, lamenting that he cannot even match the dog’s
faithfulness:
You are beyond me in loyalty,
Beyond me in sincerity and purity.
The dog’s resilience, unlike Majnun’s, underscores
Majnun’s internal suffering and despair. Jami also
depicts Majnun’s conversation with a dog, but this
scene is absent in Nizami a
nd Dehlavi’s works.
Zayd, another character, represents the oppressed and
the suffering. Majnun aids him wholeheartedly.
Originally appearing in the concluding story "Zayd and
Zaynab" in Nizami’s epic, Zayd symbolizes pure,
unselfish love. Although Navoi did not directly adapt
the entire story, Zayd’s presence influences the
emotional depth of Majnun’s relationship with Layli.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The article analyzed supporting characters such as
Layli’s nurse, her two maidservants, the physician,
Zayd,
the shepherd, Navfal’s daughter, the gazelle
loved by Majnun, and the dog. Their roles in revealing
the emotional states of the protagonists were
examined. The genealogy of these characters and their
transformation across different versions of the Layli
and Majnun story were also explored.
CONCLUSION
Drawing creatively from his predecessors’ epics, Navoi
synthesized and reshaped supporting characters,
thereby introducing innovative approaches within the
Layli and Majnun tradition.
“Each figure in the epic
is crafted with masterful
artistry, and Navoi assigned every character and every
detail a specific artistic and social role.”
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