The Specter of the Turk in Early Modern French Court Entertainments

Abstract

This essay demonstrates key differences between dramatic impersonations and purely verbal evocations of the Turk in early modern French court entertainment. Although both kinds of representation drew on stereotypical imagery, they performed different cultural work. Exotic performances of Turkishness could provoke admiration or laughter in the audience, but the spectral Turk conjured through poetry aroused hate and fear, creating a heightened sense of threat that often failed to correspond to French policy toward the Ottomans. Examples studied include the Bayonne Interview entertainments, Ballet de Madame , Ballet de la paix , Ballet de la nuit , Ballet de l’impatience , and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme .