A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Images of the Turks in English Renaissance Drama: A Case Study

Abstract

This study is based on a critical discourse analysis of images widely used for the portrayals of Turks in English Renaissance drama with reference to Philip Massinger’s Renegado. This study intends to develop a systematic method to examine the discursive tendencies in the selected work to determine the frequencies of the use of particular linguistic expressions used to depict the Turks and the ideas that are established and promoted through the recurrently employed images of Turks in order to identify the dominant cultural attitudes and the political, ideological and religious implications of certain discursive representations and constructions. To do so, a structural framework for a thematic content analysis is created and it is based on the identified categories, codes, and themes as to who did what to whom and how. This approach provides a fertile ground for the categorical, thematic, and conceptual examination. The analysis of the data derived from the plays under study provides insight into what patterns and tendencies English Renaissance playwrights generated through their discursive practices and how the frequently used images supported historical, cultural, theological, and ideological productions that played a determining role in the development of certain perceptions, understandings and thoughts about Turks.