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How does Tamburlaineās behavior change in the second part of Tamburlaine the Great?
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Christopher Marlowe
Detail of a portrait thought to be of Christopher Marlowe, dated 1585, artist unknown; in the collection of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, England.
In the second part of Tamburlaine the Great, Christopher Marlowe presents a more critical and searching examination of his protagonist, moving beyond the initial portrayal of a triumphant conqueror.1
While Tamburlaine remains driven by an insatiable need for conquest, his behavior in the sequel shifts in several notable ways:
- Increased Cruelty and Absurdity: His striving for power becomes increasingly extreme and, at times, absurd. His cruelty reaches a level that is described as sickening.1
- Domestic and Personal Conflict: Following the death of his beloved Zenocrate, Tamburlaineās human vulnerability is highlighted. He displays a ruthless lack of paternal sentiment, killing his son Calyphas for refusing to join him in battle.1
- Arrogance and Defiance: Tamburlaineās hubris escalates to the point of challenging divine authority. He burns the Qur'an to assert that he requires no intermediary between himself and God, and he even contemplates leading his army against the powers of heaven.1
- Physical Decline: Marlowe emphasizes the hero's impotence, particularly through the onset of a fatal illness that strikes immediately after his act of religious defiance.1