This research is an attempt to study the relationship between the narrative techniques of various types of historical narratives about King Naresuan the Great and the image creation of this King in relation to Thai social and cultural contexts. There are a variety of techniques used to present the image of King Naresuan the Great in the narratives. These techniques are the constructing conflicts to present the themes of the stories, the creation of the characters, the creation of the scenes, and the use of points of view.
According to the research, the character of King Naresuan the Great represents an image of a great King in terms of merit, virtue and compassion, with different complementary images according to the social and cultural contexts of the periods of composition. The social and cultural contexts which have effects on the image creation of King Naresuan the Great are the revision of historical chronicles, the nationalist discourse, the conflicts of political political ideas in Thai society, the religious attitudes and beliefs, the concepts of heroes and the literary culture The image of King Naresuan the Great in the historical narratives can be classified as followings: In the royal chronicles, the image of King Naresuan the Great is that of a king with merit, virtue and mercy. In the verse narratives, the images of a virtuous hero who fights against unrighteousness and the hero who creates the nation to be greater than other countries are underlined. In the essays, the image of King Naresuan the Great is highlighted as a hero who saves the nation from crisis; while the narratives in the form of historical fiction emphasize the image of a warrior scarifying his personal happiness for the happiness of his people. The narratives in the category of cartoons present King Naresuan the Great as a brave and dedicated hero; while his image in the dramas has been used to signify nationalism and to inspire social unity. The narratives in the form of the films construct the images of King Naresuan the Great by integrating his images in the royal chronicles and the historical novels. Thus, it could be maintained that all historical narratives about King Naresuan the Great present him as a great hero who will remain in the hearts of Thai people.
(Published in Rian Thai: International Journal of Thai Studies, Volume 2/2009, Page 171-192)
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