Why was The Indian Emperour important in John Dryden’s early theatre career?

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Poet John Dryden — John Dryden John Dryden, oil painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1693; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

The Indian Emperour, produced in the spring of 1665, was significant in John Dryden’s early career because it marked his first outstanding success as a playwright.1

Serving as a sequel to The Indian Queen—a collaborative effort in which Dryden had previously shared success—The Indian Emperour allowed him to effectively exploit the popular genre of the heroic tragedy. This genre was characterized by its use of rhymed couplets and central conflicts between love and honour, themes that became hallmarks of his early dramatic work.1