Orientalism in Tamburlaine The Great and Anglo - Ottoman relations in Elizabethan Era

Christopher Marlowe is accepted as the second most crucial artist in Renaissance period after William Shakespeare. Orientalism was in sight of diplomacy, policy and theatre in the extent of time when England was under Spanish threat and tried to find an ally who was powerful enough against rivals and enemies of England. Even if, England won the battle against Philip II without help of Ottoman, Tamburlaine the Great was written after that war and it is meant in the play that Turks are not infinitely trustworthy and mighty because of their early biggest defeat against Timur. Apart from his style and unique literary language, there is another point that calls attention to way of communication between the Kingdom and public of the period when reign of Queen Elizabeth shares nearly the same time with her contemporary Ottoman Sultan: Murad III. While in today's world impression management is handled by media, the period was the time of theatre as the most crucial communication tool. The first formal diplomatic relation was found in their ruling times which brought along also fear and anxiety to society of England. In this respect, because the fear which had appeared since conquest of Istanbul and increased after rising period of the Empire with Sultan Suleiman, that fear was tried to be eliminated by theatre plays and hidden codes in these plays. Christopher Marlowe is only one of the artists who adopted such a duty. His young age, conditions of the period when Tamburlaine the Great is written, his resources, reasons and claims of being a spy are the primary sources behind this study. Not only encoded messages are indirectly send to Ottoman Empire by "refraction of history or historical refraction" through Tamerlane, but also with his orientalist discourse while narrating weakness of Bajazid and so-called false prophet of Islam, it is symbolized on the stage that the fears are in vain because the empire is not mighty and invincible enough. For this reason, the new born relation should not be feared because it does not mean surrender but a precaution against Spain and other enemies. The first diplomatic relation of England of Elizabethan Era in the East with a Muslim Empire was likely the biggest step through being "the empire on which the sun never sets" (which was used for Spain before) whose size became larger than any other empire in history. Consequently, Tamburlaine the Great of Christopher Marlowe is examined in light of his orientalist discourse and Anglo-Ottoman relations. And, eventually it is deduced that however the playwright narrates Timur and Bajazid, he referered to events of his lifetime by "historical refraction" and so, possibility of a new critical reading of the play comes to the fore. Key Words: Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great, Invincibility, Historical Refraction.