Ottoman Sultans in English Drama As the British were becoming more familiar with the Ottoman Turks, many English playwrights of the Renaissance Period composed plays about the Ottoman Turks. One of the ‘Turkish’ topics employed by the British playwrights was the Ottoman Sultans. They tended to concentrate on the Ottoman Sultans reigning from 1360 to 1603, such as Murad I, Murad III, Bayezid I, Bayezid II, Mehmed II, Selim I, Süleyman I and Mustafa. As a result of the Ottoman Empire’s multiple attacks on Europe and Christian cities, both the elite and general audience in Britain were becoming more and more familiar with ‘Turkish’ (Ottoman) history and rulers. In composing ‘Turkish’ plays, dramatists depended mainly on chronicles for their historical material, but combined it with popular notions about the Turks and fantasy to … Read entire article »