There is no ambiguity about the attractiveness of the Moors and Barbary in Elizabethan Drama. Peele's The Battle of Alcazar is a historical show in Barbary. Hence, the study traces several chronological texts under which depictions of Moors of Barbary were produced about the early modern stage in England. The entire image of Muslim Moors is being transmitted in the Early Modern media as sexually immodest, tyrannical towards womanhood and brutal that is as generated from the initial encounters between Europeans and Arabs from North Africa in the sixteenth century and turn out to be progressively associated in both fictitious and realistic literatures during the Renaissance period. Some Moors are depicted in such a noble manner especially through this drama that has made them as if it was being lately introduced to the English public like Muly (Note 1) Abdelmelec. Thus, the image of Abdelmelec is a striking reversal of the traditional portrayal of the Moors. This protagonist character is depicted as noble, likeable and confident. He is considerately a product of the Elizabethan playwrights' cross-cultural understanding of the climatic differences between races of Moorish men.
Marlowe's Tamburlaine (1589) is a great Elizabethan Oriental play. Marlowe's reference to the Qur'ān and the Prophet Muhammad is remarkable in two parts of the play. Marlowe calls it the 'Turkish Alcoran' to attack the Turkish pride in affronting it. However, to burn the Qur'ān, Marlowe denigrates it, and unfairly falsifies the Prophet Muhammad. Marlowe's hero Tamburlaine identifies the Qur'ān as an enemy of the Elizabethans. Tamburlaine's burning of the Qur'ān is a sign of Christian power and victory. The Qur'ānic biblioclasm on London stage was bizarre. The huge flames and vaunting speeches of Tamburlaine show an earthly hell for Muslims in the East with no limits. Tamburlaine asks the Prophet Muhammad to take his revenge just to mock him. The Qur'ān has been frequently and badly misunderstood in Europe. This derogatory treatment betrays Marlowe's lack of understanding Islam. Though several performances of the play, recently, replace the copies of the Qur'ān by irreligious books, the English Christian Tamburlaine is literarily known as the Qur'ān burner in the English literature.
The image of Sultan Soliman I, the Magnificent (1520-1566) is curious in Elizabethan Age as an image of the Oriental Other. Sultan Soliman is represented in Thomas Kyd's The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda (1588) for entertainment. The thematic impact of Soliman's personality and his life is portrayed in this drama. It is a distinctive portrait of an Oriental sultan in the Elizabethan eyes. Although historians envisage Soliman with admiration for his Oriental personage, Kyd personifies an Elizabethan stereotyped depiction of a Turkish sultan rather than the historical image of Soliman. Kyd's Soliman is an immodest king with blood on his hands who cares only for his lust. Soliman tried several times to seduce Perseda, a Byzantine girl. His lust and injustice caused her death but Perseda the heroine put an end to his tyranny by poisoning him. Although Kyd describes his fear of the Turkish presence in Europe, he expresses his fascination with the Turkish Sultan. The characters of Soliman and Perseda represent the Oriental and the Occidental.
This article highlights the progress of the images of Arabs in English literature. Europe owes a debt of gratitude to Arabia and the East. In early history, Arabia is the birthplace of all the major heavenly religions. In later periods, Oriental scholarship played a significant role in promoting cross-cultural transmission in the West. The English medieval literary depiction distorted the image of Arabs. Some literary portraits of the Arabs have depicted Arabs as tyrant caliphs, weak kings, lustful princes, medieval Saracens, mysterious travellers, filthy Bedouins, and immoral women. Modern English Orientalists work to explore the Arabian characters with reference to Islam. Islamist Arabs are represented as a threat to the West. Authentic secular literary outlook can greatly help the spread of the Arabic culture in the West
The article investigates the sixteenth century Elizabethan view of race and its influence on person's innate character within the context of The Battle of Alcazar. The interest of Elizabethan audience in Moorish matter is remarkable in drama. The Elizabethans consider the Africa as the domain of war, conquest, fratricide, lust and treachery. The Moors are often portrayed as violent villains that violate human morality. George Peele has overturned the racist stereotypes of his days in presenting Muly Mahamet, as Machiavellian politician, in the play. Peele's characterization of this Moorish Other embodies negative traits shared by the society at large, such as violence evilness, and treachery. Certainly, Muly Mahamet's depiction is the patchwork of Peele uniting his audience's views and his own literary license to generate the complex villain of Barbary. He represents the first black Moor of any dramatic significance. Peele shows the villain Muly Mahamet as cruel and treacherous, and his evil is accompanying directly with the blackness of his skin. The representation of the immorality of the Moor puts into the European superiority.
The) article) is) a) logical) and) positive) argument) to) William) Montgomery) Watt's) Muhammad:) Prophet) and) Statesman,)) which) represents) to) the) Western) reader) imperfect) depiction) about) the) Prophet) Muhammad's) successful) statesmanship) as) part) of) his) Prophethood.) This) claim) represents) a) secular) ground) that) the) Prophet) Muhammad) has) politically) founded) Islam.) In) spite) of) misunderstanding) of) Islamic) leadership)as)being)religious,)Prophet)Muhammad)cannot)be)branded)as)a)statesman.)It) is)fairly)clear)that)the)Prophet's)leadership)is)a)worldly)method)which)is)applicable)in) real) life) even) without) being) an) Islamic) state.) The) Prophet) Muhammad's) techniques) in) his)leadership)played)a)significant)part)in)achieving)his)goal)to)deliver)the)message)of) Islam)to)the)world.))He)had)all)the)necessary)leadership)attributes)for)success)in)every) aspect) of) life.) Allah) the) Almighty) says,) 'Most) certainly,) you) have) in) the) messenger) of) Allah)an)excellent)pattern)(of)behaviour)')))
Because of the loss of Constantinople (Istanbul), the image of Mehmed II (Mehmet or literary Mahomet) is associated with the city and receives the most merciless hostile account from European Christians. The legend of uxoricide (killing wife) is associated with Sultan Mahomet's and his Fair Greek wife in Elizabethan and Restoration Drama. The same story is in Peele, Carlell, Swinhoe, Goring and Johnson. Elizabethan playwrights have interchanged discourses and prejudices as they crisscrossed between the Turks and their fascination in the Turks. The lustful Ottomans fascinate audiences not only through their harem stories, but by the extravagant tragedies and the magnificent staging of these plays. Similarly, the tragic love episode of the Sultan and the Greek spouse echoes in Goffe, Kyd, Shakespeare and others. Although the dramatic story is led in episodes of love, constancy, fortune, inconstancy, triumph, and death, it is politically exploiting the Turkish incursion in Europe, and the bad nature of the Ottoman Sultans.
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