Perception of Abdülhamit II in theater works during the second constitutional period

In 1908 with the announcement of the Second Constitutional Era, censorship and bans that began during the Tanzimat period were abolished. After the abolition of censorship and bans, the theater was one of the fields where the most social and cultural activeness were experienced. During this period, the theater, which changed into a purely political character by turning to the chair of the Committee of Union and Progress became the scene for the opponents of Abdulhamit II. The Sultan was criticized, ridiculed and insulted in all aspects in the plays which were written by the authors who are strongly opposed to Abdulhamit II or the members of the Union and Progress. Most of the authors of this period were not previously interested in the theater and they were withdrawn from the theater after giving one or two pieces. As a result of this withdrawal, the texts have appeared that are similar to each other, inadequate and low in terms of the theater technique and art value respectively. In these works which are away from the reality and interpreted in a similar framework by the authors; Abdulhamit II, regardless of whether giving a place in the personal cadre or not, has been criticized in every aspect starting from his personal characteristics to his politics. The hate of Abdulhamit II, even reflected to the names of authors' pieces, has been frequently emphasized in the plays through the Yıldız Palace, the Yıldız Secret Service (Hafiye Teşkilatı), journals and pashas. When viewed from the framework of the theater pieces of this period; acting in attitude and behaviors that are inappropriate for a Sultan, a coward, mentally ill, miserable looking, addicted to woman and money, dependent on the protection of the foreign states and killer portrait of Abdulhamit II appears before us.