Zaza Khintibidze

This work analyzes how the epic narrative in Rustaveli's The Man in a Panther-Skin develops its central themes (love for the beautiful princess, chivalric duty to the king, the princess’ father, and the heroic responsibility to fulfill the oath of friendship between knights) and how these traditionally contrasting epic ideas are eventually reconciled after initial conflicts.

These epic contradictions in Rustaveli's work appear traditional, as they allude to the central plot conflict of medieval European chivalric romances: the choice between passion and duty. Nevertheless, the romantic relationships described by Rustaveli differ significantly from so-called courtly love, since the heroines of the Georgian epic are unmarried and therefore do not cheat on their husbands, but act against the will of their ruling fathers. Furthermore, in Rustaveli's work both the heroes (Avtandili and Tarieli) and the heroines (Tinatini and Nestani) are faced with the choice between love, duty and responsibility.

However, Nestani's case bears a greater resemblance to that of Medea, who, according to Apollonius Rhodius (Argonautica), prefers her lover Jason to her father, King Aeetes, thereby harming Colchis, her homeland. Dido's situation in Virgil's Aeneid is somewhat peculiar: her love for Aeneas leads the queen to neglect her responsibility as a widow, not her duty to Carthage. Dido's story, however, ends tragically, like Medea's, and therein lies the main difference to the love stories of Nestani and Tinatini.

More precisely, the love story of Nestani and Tarieli initially culminates in tragic events, and conflicts also arise in the similar story of Tinatini and Avtandili. Nevertheless, Rustaveli's understanding of love and friendship unexpectedly gives both stories an innovative "happy ending": the mutual help of all the main characters, but especially that of Avtandili and Tinatini for Tarieli and Nestani, reconciles the traditionally opposing epic concepts of love, duty and responsibility.

Keywords: Rustaveli, Argonautica, Aeneid, Love, Duty, Responsibility, Innovation.