GEÇ OSMANLI DÖNEMİ İSTANBUL’UNDA VENEDİK TACİRİ OYUNUNUN SANSÜRLENMESİ VE YASAKLANMASI

Abstract

Researchers studying the bans on dramatic works in the Ottoman Empire mainly put forward two possible reasons in relation to censoring and banning of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice in the late imperial period. One of these possibilities is a rumour alleging that Abdülhamid II, during a performance at the palace theatre, became so frightened when the actor playing Shylock began sharpening his knife that he immediately banned the play. The other reason is related to the play’s capability to cause a conflict among religious minorities in the Empire. The lack of comprehensive academic sources on the incident prevented researchers from reaching precise outcomes. Moreover, there is no existing research on the ban of the translation of the play. This is largely due to the limited availability of formal papers in the State Archives until recently. The classification and scanning of the documents held at the State Archives in Turkey have provided researchers with new evidence. Accordingly, this study explores the process of censoring and banning of The Merchant of Venice in the light of historical documents and formal correspondence with the aim of contributing to the discussions in this field.