English Representations of Muslim Characters in the Drama of the Renaissance

Abstract

This dissertation explores how Muslim characters are portrayed in English literature from the medieval to the Renaissance period, focusing on early modern drama. It traces the shift from the stereotypical Saracen villain in crusading literature to the more complex figures of the Turk and the Moor. The study explores how English playwrights used these characters to express anxieties and address questions of identity, empire, and religious difference. Focusing on Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great and William Shakespeare’s Othello, this research argues that Renaissance drama moves beyond the simple negative depictions of Muslims found in earlier works, offering more nuanced and complex portrayals that still reflect ideological tensions. These plays use storytelling to engage with power, race, religion, and cultural difference. Drawing on historical context, theology, and recent scholarship in medieval and early modern studies, this study shows how Muslim characters act as both reflections and contrasts to English concerns about power, morality, and cultural identity.