Persia and kingship in William Cartwright's The Royall Slave (1636)

Houston, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3062-1839 (2014) Persia and kingship in William Cartwright's The Royall Slave (1636). SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900, 54 (2). pp. 455-473. ISSN 0039-3657 doi: 10.1353/sel.2014.0022

Abstract/Summary

The recent reorientation of early modern studies draws attention to the Renaissance stage as a site of exploration of images of the Islamic world. This article examines the use of ancient and contemporary Persia in William Cartwright’s The Royall Slave (1636), in which Persia figures as a convenient space through which to examine political issues relevant to the audience at home in England. Assessing the construction of idealized societies and rulers in the play, The Royall Slave is a contemporary Court and academic drama that demonstrates its importance as one of a number of synchronous texts that represent Persia.