ABSTRACT
In the English Renaissance period, many plays are composed which refer to Ottoman Turk. Plays about Ottoman Turks and Turkish history has originated from information and rumors of European sailors and merchants who were captured by Ottoman Empire. When this flow of information merged with document and trace file, English people began to obtain information about Ottoman and they became more interested in play about Ottoman Turks. According to examination of plays written in Renaissance time, the image of Turks is based on insecure situation which was caused by Ottoman policy towards Christianity and Europe more than cold facts. On the contrary a few good identification, Ottoman Turk is presented as a barbarian, fanatic, evil, …show more content…
The Tragedya of Soliman and Perseda was composed by Thomas Kyd in 1592. The story has no historicity, the plot is based on Sultan Soliman’s conquest of the island of Rhodes. Soliman and Perseda is a tragedy of “love, intrigue and revenge.” The romantic affair between Erastus who is the gallant knight and Perseda who is his beautiful chaste mistress. Wann discusses that ‘Two-thirds of these Oriental plays were tragedies because the Elizabethans considered the East as the domain of war, conquest, fratricide, lust and treachery’ (Wann, 168–69). Kyd’s play is constructed around stereotyped idea of Soliman and Turkey because of anti-Oriental prejudices (Al-Olaqi, 36). He conjures up a figment of the Ottoman sultans and their lifestyles. In Soliman and Perseda, Soliman murdered his brother, Amurath. It is intentionally represented in play, because it is associated with Soliman’s historical crime. In history, Soliman murdered his son, Prince Mustapha in 1553. In Soliman and Perseda Mustapha is linked with Amurath. Thomas Kyd wants to attract attention to Soliman’s violence. In the end of scene, heavy Ottoman royal bloodshed is staged. Soliman wanted to kill Amurath because he thought that Amurath murdered his brother Haleb. Kyd persistently emphasizes brutality and violence of Soliman. (Al-. Olaqi,
In the English Renaissance period, many plays are composed which refer to Ottoman Turk. Plays about Ottoman Turks and Turkish history has originated from information and rumors of European sailors and merchants who were captured by Ottoman Empire. When this flow of information merged with document and trace file, English people began to obtain information about Ottoman and they became more interested in play about Ottoman Turks. According to examination of plays written in Renaissance time, the image of Turks is based on insecure situation which was caused by Ottoman policy towards Christianity and Europe more than cold facts. On the contrary a few good identification, Ottoman Turk is presented as a barbarian, fanatic, evil, …show more content…
The Tragedya of Soliman and Perseda was composed by Thomas Kyd in 1592. The story has no historicity, the plot is based on Sultan Soliman’s conquest of the island of Rhodes. Soliman and Perseda is a tragedy of “love, intrigue and revenge.” The romantic affair between Erastus who is the gallant knight and Perseda who is his beautiful chaste mistress. Wann discusses that ‘Two-thirds of these Oriental plays were tragedies because the Elizabethans considered the East as the domain of war, conquest, fratricide, lust and treachery’ (Wann, 168–69). Kyd’s play is constructed around stereotyped idea of Soliman and Turkey because of anti-Oriental prejudices (Al-Olaqi, 36). He conjures up a figment of the Ottoman sultans and their lifestyles. In Soliman and Perseda, Soliman murdered his brother, Amurath. It is intentionally represented in play, because it is associated with Soliman’s historical crime. In history, Soliman murdered his son, Prince Mustapha in 1553. In Soliman and Perseda Mustapha is linked with Amurath. Thomas Kyd wants to attract attention to Soliman’s violence. In the end of scene, heavy Ottoman royal bloodshed is staged. Soliman wanted to kill Amurath because he thought that Amurath murdered his brother Haleb. Kyd persistently emphasizes brutality and violence of Soliman. (Al-. Olaqi,