Protagonist Names as a Symbolic Value Representing Identities in Vamık u Azra Mesnevi

In some literary texts developed around the event, the names of protagonists are determined according to the temperament of the protagonists, their physical characteristics, the emotions they evoke, the expectations of the reader or the ideological preferences of the author. These names, designed in accordance with the theme and message of the work, support the fiction in various aspects as a part of the design. Before getting to know the protagonists, the reader has some preliminary information through their names. In addition, functions such as reinforcing the messages to be given, supporting the characterization of the protagonist, and enriching the connotative features of the work also play a role in the selection of protagonist names. Lami'i Çelebi's mesnevi named Vamık u Azra also draws attention in that the names of the protagonistes in the work have a symbolic value related to the identities depicted. In Vamık u Azra, the protagonistes are drawn as a general type with their actions and features in accordance with the expectations of the author and the society. Their names reinforce the generalized perceptions of the protagonists in minds. Lami'i Çelebi designed people and actions in line with the messages he wanted to convey in his work, and directed and surrounded the protagonists and their acts through names. In this study, the functions of the protagonist names in the work and their contribution to the messages to be given in the subtext are emphasized. The aim of the study is to examine the structure and functions of protagonist names as symbols and to define the role of name choices in mesnevi.