Tamburlaine & Zenocrate: Love or Possession?
In Christopher Marlowe's play "Tamburlaine," Zenocrate and Tamburlaine's relationship seems to be plagued by a lack of intimacy and sincerity. Although on the surface it may seem as though the couple is in love, do they really possess an undying devotion to each other? When Tamburlaine captures Zenocrate and her caravan, she is horrified by his wild hunger to conquer everything in his sight. Furthermore, as the play continues, Tamburlaine offers her no true emotion or love other than his good looks and fancy words. Even at the end of the play, Tamburlaine refuses to honor Zenocrate's desperate pleas to save her homeland. He goes so far as to promise her marriage, yet does not follow through with his word. It seems as though Zenocrate, who is blinded by Tamburlaine's superficial characteristics, is just another one of his conquests. Her true purpose in the play is to complete his romanticized image of the perfect emperor. Zenocrate's first impression of Tamburlaine is laden with contempt and disgust. When Tamburlaine and his enormous army find Zenocrate, we immediately learn that she is on her way to meet her fiancee. Even from the beginning, Zenocrate's thoughts are occupied with continuing her travels to join her fut
ure husband, as she asks Tamburlaine to "pity her distressed plight" (I.ii.7). She criticizes Tamburlaine and tells him "thou art so mean a man" because he recklessly captures a "silly maid" (I.ii.8-10). Here, it is difficult to make a connection between Zenocrate's initial accusations and her later love for Tamburlaine. Zenocrate is clearly horrified by the fact that Tamburlaine chooses to detain a helpless woman who has done nothing to harm him. Furthermore, Tamburlaine engages in the "lawless rapine" of Zenocrate and her convoy (I.ii.8). Whether rape is defined as a seizure of her property or forced sexual intercourse, she seems to forget and disregard this fact as the play continues. How can she come to truly love and admire someone whom has treated her like a mere possession? Furthermore, Tamburlaine attempts to woo Zenocrate through complimenting her and showering her with lofty promises of wealth and prestige. He praises her beauty by saying, "Zenocrate, the loveliest maid alive,/ Fairer than the rocks of pearl and precious stone" (III.iii.117-118). Once again, Tamburlaine equates Zenocrate with material possession, which might signify the importance of Zenocrate as his own possession. He refers to her as the "only paragon of Tamburlaine," which suggests that her beauty is the only thing that can possibly match Tamburlaine's great power (III.iii.119). The fact that Tamburlaine aestheticizes Zenocrate to a great extent shows that his love for her does not go beyond the surface of her skin. It is obvious that her value lies in her ability to act as an image, rather than someone with whom Tamburlaine shares his innermost feelings. Additionally, Tamburlaine believes that his mi
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Approximate Word count = 1154
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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