The story of Shahrazad and the evil king is a frame story because it is a basis and a framework for all the other stories. Shahrazad is a passionate storyteller who uses stories to save (or at least prolong) her own life. In the frame story, we learn about her current predicament: newly married, she is about to share the fate of all the previous queens, that is to be <span>deflowered </span>and executed, unless she does something to prevent it. So, to buy herself some time, she starts telling stories. With every new story she comes up with, she knows she will get at least one more night to live. The frame story has one more function: it puts forward the storytelling itself, as a life-giving gift.
It is a literary technique that serves as a companion piece to the story within a story. The Arabian Nights is a collection of stories by Islamic authors. Though each collection features different stories, they are all centered around the frame story of Shahrayar, Shahzaman, and Scheherazade.
