9. "The Complete Plays," by Christopher Marlowe, pp. 107-122

Tamburlaine the Great, Part One, Act 3

_____

Bajazeth, the emperor of Turkey, has heard about Tamburlaine's imperial ambitions, and sends an emissary to "charge him to remain in Asia." Bajazeth is rather full of himself: When the king of Argier notes that "all flesh quakes at your magnificence," Bajazeth replies, "True, Argier, and tremble at my looks." Anyway, he's preoccupied with besieging the Greeks in Constantinople.

Zenocrate, meanwhile, has fallen hard for Tambulaine, to the dismay of Agydas. When she proclaims her intent to "live and die with Tamburlaine," he denounces "a man so vile and barbarous, / That holds you from your father in despite," causing gossip that she has become his concubine. "How can you fancy one that looks so fierce?" he asks. She replies,

As looks the sun through Nilus' flowing stream,
Or when the morning holds him in her arms,
So looks my lordly love, fair Tamburlaine;
His talk much sweeter than the Muses' song
They sung for honour 'gainst Pierides,
Or when Minerva did with Neptune strive;
And higher would I rear my estimate
Than Juno, sister to the highest god,
If I were matched with mighty Tamburlaine.

Tamburlaine, having overheard Agydas' opposition, sends Techelles with "a naked dagger." Agydas gets the hint and kills himself.

Tamburlaine has gotten Bajazeth's message, and dismisses it: "Turks are full of brags / And menace more than they can well perform.... / I that am termed the scourge and wrath of God, / The only fear and terror of the world, / Will first subdue the Turk and then enlarge / Those Christian captives which you keep as slaves."  When Bajazeth arrives, Tamburlaine greets him without deference.

BAJAZETH
Kings of Fez, Moroccus, and Argier,
He calls me Bajazeth, whom you call lord!
Note the presumption of this Scythian slave.
I tell thee, villain, those that lead my horse
Have to their names titles of dignity;
And dar'st thou bluntly call me Bajazeth?
TAMBURLAINE 
And know thou, Turk, that those which lead my horse
Shall lead thee captive thorough Africa;
And dar'st thou bluntly call me Tamburlaine? 

Bajazeth brings in his wife, Zabina, "to see their overthrow," so Tamburlaine counters by bringing in Zenocrate and telling her to "manage words with her as we will arms." The men go off to battle and the women sit there trading insults. Sure enough, Bajazeth loses and his "stout contributory kings" are killed. Over Zabina's objections, Zenocrate, with the help of Theridamas, takes the Turkish crown from her and crowns Tamburlaine emperor of Africa. Bajazeth is defiant: "Afric and Greece have garrisons enough / To make me sovereign of the earth again." But Tamburlaine assures him, "Those wallèd garrisons will I subdue, / And write myself great lord of Africa," though that's only the beginning: "I'll win the world at last."

7. "The Complete Plays," by Christopher Marlowe, pp. 81-89

Tamburlaine the Great, Part One, Act 1, Scene 2

_____

Tamburlaine has captured Zenocrate, daughter of "The mighty Sultan of Egyptia," who was "travelling with these Median lords / To Memphis, from my uncle's country of Media." The other Medians include Magnetes, who protests that they have letters of passage and "rich presents from the puissant Chan," but Tamburlaine says that "these letters and commands / Are countermanded by a greater man," i.e., himself. Then he begins to flirt with Zenocrate, inquiring if she's betrothed. She says she is, and he boasts that he's a lord, though he was born a shepherd, and that anyone as beautiful as she is should "grace his bed that conquers Asia / And means to be a terror to the world." He takes off his shepherd's cloak and starts putting on armor.

Techelles and Usumcasane vow to follow Tamburlaine, expecting to be made kings in the bargain, but Zenocrate protests that "The gods, defenders of the innocent, / Will never prosper your intended drifts / That thus oppress poor friendless passengers." Agydas offers the treasure they're carrying as ransom, so that they can continue on their way to Syria, "Where her betrothèd, Lord Alcidamus, / Expects th'arrival of her highness' person," and Magnetes promises that they'll "report but well of Tamburlaine" along the way. But Tamburlaine knows what he wants:

Zenocrate, lovelier than the love of Jove,
Brighter than is the silver Rhodope,
Fairer than the whitest snow on Scythian hills,
Thy person is more worth to Tamburlaine
Than the possession of the Persian crown,
Which gracious stars have promised at my birth. 

A soldier enters to report that "A thousand Persian horsemen are at hand, / Sent from the king to overcome us all." Tamburlaine admits that the odds are against him, but Techelles and Usumcasane urge him to fight anyway. Tamburlaine decides they should talk to the Persians first, and orders his soldiers to lay out the gold bars they have seized from Zenocrate's retinue.

Theridamas and his men enter, and are surprised when they meet Tamburlaine, whom they thought a mere "Scythian shepherd":

His looks do menace heaven and dare the gods,
His fiery eyes are fixed upon the earth,
As if he now devised some stratagem,
Or meant to pierce Avernus' darksome vaults
And pull the triple-headed dog from hell. 

Tamburlaine takes Theridamas' measure and appeals to his pride, saying that he deserves "to have the leading of an host" instead of just a thousand men. "Forsake thy king, and do but join with me." He promises Theridamas "martial spoil / Of conquered kingdoms and of cities sacked" and that they will "reign as consuls of the earth."

Theridamas, who knows what a wuss Mycetes is, decides that this sounds like a good deal:

Won with thy words and conquered with thy looks,
I yield myself, my men, and horse to thee,
To be partaker of they good or ill
As long as life maintains Theridamas.

And having won that round, Tambulaine tells Zenocrate and her retinue, "If you will willingly remain with me / You shall have honours as your merits be -- / Or else you shall be forced with slavery." Agydas yields, but Zenocrate isn't happy about it.