This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Shota

Rustaveliʼs The Knight in the Pantherʼs Skin in the context of

Eastern and Western epic thought. The study aims to reveal the

artistic, cultural, and philosophical significance of the Rustaveli

phenomenon through the examination of the system of characters,

poetic structure, ethical-political ideas, symbolic imagery, and

fantastical elements. The research emphasizes that the ideas

embodied in the poem should not only be considered within the

framework of national literature but also as expressions of

universal human values. For this reason, the poem is interpreted

not merely as a Georgian literary monument but as the result of

intercultural dialogue and exchange between Eastern and Western

traditions.

Methodologically, the study employs principles of

comparative literature, structural-semantic analysis, lingvopoetic

interpretation, and philosophical comparison. Rustaveliʼs poetic

style is examined in comparison with classical Eastern authors

such as Nizami and Alisher Navoi, highlighting literary and

aesthetic interconnectedness. The characters Tariel, Avtandil, and

Nestan-Darejan are analyzed as representations of diverse systems

of values, while their inner struggles, devotion, and love are linked

to shared philosophical codes of Eastern and Western literatures.

In addition, the fantastical dimensions of the poem — Tarielʼs life

in the cave, the symbolism of the pantherʼs skin, depictions of

mysterious journeys, disruptions of cosmic order, and the unique

role of female characters - are examined as significant elements of

its philosophical and symbolic layers.